USF DONS
USF Hoopsters On the Rise

MEN'S BASKETBALL

One hundred years after the first USF team laced up its shoes to do battle on the hardwood, the 2009-10 edition is generating plenty of buzz after a complete roster makeover by second-year head coach Rex Walters and his staff. In just two seasons under the direction of the former Kansas star and NBA veteran, the Dons have a radically different look to close out the decade. Only one USF player — two-time All-West Coast Conference First Team selection Dior Lowhorn — has spent two seasons in the Green and Gold on a roster filled with talented size and versatile perimeter players.

Four starters and six letter-winners return to the fold this year and all gained valuable experience. Lowhorn, who matched Naismith Hall-of-Famer and USF legend Bill Russell as the fastest Don to 1,000 career points, headlines the group and is one of just three players to record at least 600 points in a single season twice (Bill Cartwright and Quintin Dailey).

International Influx

USF will feature a European flavor in 2009-10 with the addition of three talented international players. Freshman center Tomas Bruha (Prague, Czech Republic) is a versatile 7-footer who competed for the Czech junior national team. A 2009 Junior College All-American, junior center Moustapha Diarra (Marseille, France) brings an impressive résumé to the Hilltop after averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game for Sheridan Junior College (Wyoming). Nikola Stojiljkovic (Paris, France) is a gifted perimeter player who competed internationally with the elite INSEP Academy in France.

SoCal Standouts Invade the Hilltop

USF mined talent-rich Southern California and landed three outstanding freshmen from the Southland, including a pair of All-State guards, Dominique O'Connor (Los Angeles) and Michael Williams (Van Nuys), and each was named L.A. City Player of the Year in different publications. Forward Perris Blackwell (Etiwanda) turned in an outstanding senior season at prep power Etiwanda High School, averaging 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last year.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

USF enters the 2009-10 campaign with a new, young look to the program. The Dons return six from last year's roster, four of which are sophomores, while also welcoming a talented pool of newcomers.

Fourth-year head coach Tanya Haave will look to a talented duo of sophomores to lead the Dons into the new era. Guard Rheina Ale is the Dons' top returning offensive threat from last season. As a freshman, Ale had a per-game average of 10.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 29 games, including 28 starts. Joining Ale as a threat is guard Vania Singleterry, who averaged 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season.

USF capped the 2008-09 season with an early-summer trip to Scandinavia, which proved to be a success and provided Haave with a glimpse into the program's promising future. USF played five games over the 11-day trip, which included stops in Stockholm, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; and Copehagen, Denmark. USF finished the tour with a 3-2 record, including two wins over the Danish National Team.

The road won't be an easy one for USF this season, as the Dons will play nine games against opponents that participated in the postseason a year ago. The schedule is highlighted by a marquee matchup against national powerhouse Tennessee at War Memorial Gym on Dec. 22, at 7 p.m. The game will mark the Lady Vols' first appearance on the Hilltop in program history. Last season, USF opened the 2008 campaign in Knoxville, marking the return of two of the Dons' coaches, Haave and assistant coach Abby Conklin, to their alma mater.