South Florida Recruiting

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: SOUTH FLORIDA

Commitment Alert: Gaby Belardo, 6′3 G from Notre Dame Prep (MA)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Mobalaji Ajayi (BF), Jesus Verdejo (G/F), Aris Williams (BF)

Juniors: Chris Howard (PG), Mike Mercer (G), Alejando Rivas-Sanchez (C)

Sophomores: Dominique Jones (SG)

Freshman: Dwan McMillan (PG), Eugene Teague (BF/C), Eladio Espinosa (F), Gaby Belardo (G)

Early 2009 Commitment: Shaun Noriega (G)

With a recent run of transfers leaving the South Florida program, Stan Heath and his staff still have work to do filling their roster for the 2008-2009 season, and, following the recent commitment from Pratt CC center Alejandro Rivas-Sanchez, Guard Gaby Belardo Commits to the Bulls (St. Petersburg Times).

Originally from Puerto Rico and after spending time at the Monteverde Academy in Florida, Gaby Belardo spent the 2007-2008 school year at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts. Playing for coach Ryan Hurd on a loaded roster that included Louisville commits Terrence Jennings and Melquan Bolding, Syracuse commit James Southerland and at least five other Division 1-A platers, Belardo might have been overshadowed at times. However, the Bulls add some much needed backcourt depth and scoring ability. Belardo is a scorer with a reliable perimeter jumper.

The Bulls are still attending to immediate needs in the class of 2008 which have been magnified with transfers of five players since the 2007-2008 season began. Guards Dante Curry, Aaron Holmes and Solomon Bozeman, along with forwards Ade Saaka and Orane Chin have all left the Bulls program to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Coach Stan Heath was in Mississippi recently watching Belardo in an AAU tournament and then the Bulls got him on campus for a visit this past weekend and closed the deal and made Belardo part of their 2008 recruiting class.

The Bulls continue to try and add size to the roster. The best bet seems to be IMG Academy’s Teeng Akol, a 6′11 post player that has been on the radar of several Big East schools for a few years now. This spring, the Bulls, West Virginia and Rutgers seem to be the schools still involved, and if he can get his academics squared away, it is beleived he will choose between the Bulls and Mountaineers, with USF being the favorite. Close friend of Akol’s is John Riek, the 7-foot high school big man that burst onto the scene a year ago and was involved in a much-publicized tug of war for his prep services between Oour Savior New American in Long Island and the Winchendon School in New England. Riek spent the past season at the Winchendon School and has put his name into the NBA Draft. He has yet to hire an agent and is supposedly leaving several options open at this point. One option is attending college and one school that would be considered is South Florida.

Rumors swirled that USF could be in the mix for current Arkansas guard Patrick Beverly, who earned SEC rookie of the year honors playing for Heath in the 2006-2007 season. However, those rumors seemed of a possible transfer from Arkansas have seemed to be squashed by his mother in the Arkansas press.

It looks like, with two scholarships open, the Bulls are determined to use possibly one more. This would give them four for their 2009 class, one of which looks to be taken by Noriega. Stan Heath will have every opportunity to shape the USF program how he wants it over the next 12 months. We will see how it goes…