For the USF basketball team to succeed, it will have to contend with basketball programs from across the nation.
Still, for USF, the chore begins here.
“We have an incredible recruiting base to recruit from,” new coach Brian Gregory said in his introductory press conference Wednesday. “Our footprint of our university has been undervalued and underutilized in the recruiting process. That must and will change.”
Orlando Antigua, Gregory’s predecessor, signed no bay area player in his 2 1/2 seasons. Several Tampa area graduates are playing for schools across the country.
“We’ve always said, ‘Let’s control our area first,’ ” said Gregory.
“We want to identify recruits that are high-character, high-talent, fit our system, fit our style of play, fit the vision and the mission of the university. And we want to do that locally first and then move out from there.”
USF has reached the NCAA Tournament only three times in 45 years.
