Despite Augustus Gilchrist's Suspension, South Florida Bulls Staying Alive

South Florida racked up a win over struggling Auburn despite the absence of Augustus Gilchrist for a second straight game.

Gilchrist and head coach Stan Heath are having “philosophical differences,” which have caused the Bulls big man to miss the past two games.

Gilchrist’s suspension is indeterminate, but he is expected to see action in the near future with conference play beginning in two weeks.

He has underachieved this season, averaging only 10.7 points and six rebounds this season, while averaging almost double in both categories a season ago before his injury.

The departure of star Dominique Jones to the NBA has been felt this season by Heath and his club. The Bulls are still trying to find an identity on offense and have no real closer so far this season. They are 6-5 on the season and continue to battle but are a shadow of the team that went to the NIT last season.

Jarrid Famous has taken Gilchrist’s absence in stride and has upped his production in the past few games. He finished the Auburn contest with 15 points and six rebounds as he battled in the paint. Famous will be expected to improve as long as Gilchrist is out and possibly take over as USF’s main post threat this season with Gilchrist’s underachievement.

Hugh Robertson and Ron Anderson have also improved this season. Both players are beginning to become integral parts of the team on both sides of the court this year. Anderson is a rebounding machine for the Bulls, and Robertson adds another scoring threat to the Bulls arsenal.

The Bulls have been consistently good on the charity stripe, and that has paid dividends toward the six wins on the season. USF keeps itself in games by hitting free throws down the stretch in the second half of games. Once conference play begins in a few weeks, this will be crucial to any success they may have in the Big East.