12-2-14 by USF Oracle

The Oracle TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2014 I VOL. 52 NO. 55

Inside this Issue

L I F ESTYLE

Stressed? You’re not alone. Page 4

Montage

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The Index

News.................................................................1 Lifestyle......................................................4 Opinion.......................................................6

classifieds..............................................7 Crossword.........................................7 sports............................................................8

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Student honors friend with free hugs Students to protest Ferguson ruling today By Brandon Shaik A S S T .

S PORTS Taggart needs a winning season. BACK

Jonathon Burroughs gave more than 200 hugs in four hours after offering free hugs outside the Marshall Student Center in remembrance of his deceased friend. ORACLE PHOTO / BRANDON SHAIK By Brandon Shaik On Nov. 14, three years to outside the Marshall Student A S S T . N E W S E D I T O R the day after the death of Center holding a large handhis high school friend, Noah made sign and gave more than Kushner, Burroughs decided to 200 hugs in four hours. “It seemed like an easy What could have been a celebrate his life with an act of idea, a happy idea — harmsomber day for USF sopho- kindness — a free hug. Along with Kushner’s mom less, but positive,” Burroughs more Jonathon Burroughs and sisters, Burroughs stood ended up as one of his best. n See HUGS on PAGE 2

Comedian tickles fiscal funnybone

By Wesley Higgins N E W S

E D I T O R

Some students struggle to stay awake during economics class, but one comedian has brought joy to the dismal science. The first and only standup economist, Yoram Bauman, performed his “Comedy, Economics and Climate Change” act Monday in the Marshall Student Center Oval Theater. “I got one thing going for me as a standup economist: low expectations,” he said. “It’s a niche market.” Bauman said he realized his audience of around 80, who were mostly students and a handful of economics teach-

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Yoram Bauman joked about the economy and environment Monday in Marshall Student Center Oval Theater. ORACLE PHOTO / ADAM MATHIEU

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USF is joining the list of cities and universities protesting last week’s grand jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown. Today at noon, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Amnesty International at USF, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee will discuss what they feel are prevalent issues related to the Ferguson grand jury decision outside Cooper Hall. The speeches and discussion will be followed by a protest and march. Peaceful protests and riots broke out in Ferguson, Missouri and quickly spread throughout the nation earlier this year, following the shooting of Brown, which protestors attribute to institutionalized racism within the Ferguson police force, and again last week after the grand jury decision was announced. Protestors in New York City temporarily shut down the Triboro, Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and protesters in Oakland, California temporarily shut down Interstate 580 on Nov. 25. Veronica Juarez, a member of SDS, said the event was created to show solidarity with the protestors in Ferguson. “This movement is important,” she said. “It’s a

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National Institutes of Health funds USF record amount By Brandon Shaik A S S T .

N E W S

E D I T O R

USF holds a reputation of prominence as a research institution in Florida, and it’s receiving the funding to prove it. The National Institutes of Health gave USF an increase of $25 million in research funding from 2013 to 2014, making it the highest-funded university in the State University System for NIH grants. In comparison, Florida Atlantic University received an increase of $300,000 from the NIH, according to the Associated Press (AP).

In an interview with AP, Associate Vice President of Research at USF Health Phillip Marty credited the increase in funding to a persistent effort in research proposals. The state as a whole saw an 8 percent increase in funding from the NIH, receiving $471 million compared to last year’s $436 million. Florida ranks 41st nationally in NIH funding, while California, Massachusetts and New York lead the nation in grants awarded. — Staff report

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said. “Honestly, I’ve just had a really good year, so I felt in a good position to honor my friend. It just felt like something he would do.” The Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement started in 2004 by Australia-native Juan Mann. The intent of the movement is to encourage random selfless acts with the simple goal of making others feel better. Burroughs met his friend Kushner in their freshman year of the International Baccalaureate program at King High School. Burroughs described being drawn to Kushner’s positive energy and quirkiness. “He was a white dude with an afro who carried a tackle box around with him, so he was just a marvel to look at. He definitely stuck out like a sore thumb, and I really

admired that, so I wanted to meet him,” he said. Burroughs jokes about a day he was absent and Kushner made a paper cut out of him and carried it around all day in his tackle box — a testament to the unique friendship they shared. This friendship came to an abrupt end, however, in their junior year of high school when Kushner committed suicide. Burroughs described the Free Hugs initiative as a celebration after coping, a sort of closure for what has been a sore spot over the last few years. To Burroughs’ surprise, this one-day initiative of handing out hugs — intended as a small tribute — garnered the attention of the entire campus. One student stopped several times for hugs from Burroughs and bought him a bagel, while another man who also lost a friend to suicide made a point to telling his story and recognizing the nobility in honoring

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a lost friend. USF Wellness was inspired to continue the movement with talks of holding a Free Hugs event during exam week. While Burroughs laughed that he didn’t want to be known as the Free Hugs Guy of exam week, he said he will happily advocate for and take part in any event related to the campaign. “I think it’s great that people want me to keep doing this or want this to keep happening,” he said. “I’m offering something good and human for free and I just held up the sign and smiled and even if people didn’t want to hug me, they’d smile. You just don’t see that; people don’t walk around with smiles on their faces.” The day they met on campus to give free hugs was the first day that Burroughs met his friends’ family, but Kushner’s mom said this simple act changed her year. “This should have been the saddest day and it was the happiest day,” she told him.

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Students from the USF chapter of Students for a Democratic Society joined a number of Tampa activists outside the Hillsborough County Courthouse in downtown Tampa on Nov. 25 to protest the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri. Special to the Oracle / Marisol Marquez

repetition of an injustice that has occurred throughout history.” Students for Justice in Palestine will speak about similarities between Palestine and Ferguson as the same weapons, including tear gas and smoke grenades, have been used against both groups. SDS will talk about what racism is and why it still exists in this country, Juarez said, underscoring that we are a university of diverse students that need to unify. “We aren’t going to continue to let this happen as students at USF,” Juarez said.

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ers, might not all have doctorates in the subject. “I believe in the Laffer curve,” he said to laughs from only two people. “That’s a punch line to test how much economics you know. I give you guys a six.” After receiving a Ph.D. in economics from University of Washington, Bauman said he told his father he decided to become a comedian instead. His father was not thrilled. “He said there’s no demand,” Bauman said. “I told him not to worry; I’m a supply side economist. I just stand up and let the jokes trickle down.” Bauman gave an economist’s punch line to the old business joke that says when life gives you lemons, build a lemonade stand and make a profit. “When life gives you lemons, find 50 similar villages in Kenya and randomly divide them into two groups,” he said. “Give lemons to one group, wait 6 months, then write a paper.” Recognizing the over-analytic nature of economists, a large part of the act was selfdeprecating to Bauman’s own profession, including a routine parodying Jeff Foxworthy’s classic routine. “You might be an economist if you’re against the death penalty because it’s too expensive,” he said. “You might be an economist if you plan to have your children born in December instead of January to maximize the discounted present value of the child tax credit.” At one point, Bauman advertised his red T-shirt, which had “Capitalism” printed in the Coca-Cola font. “The tag reads ‘Made in China,’” he said. “It’s made of 80 percent cotton, and 20 percent irony.” Bauman changed the subject to politics and lampooned the entire political spectrum, calling liberals spineless, conservatives heartless and moderates apathetic. “(The center’s) job is to pay absolutely no attention whatsoever, and then every four years, determine the fate of the free world,” he said. “That

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sounds like a lot of responsibility, but trust me, don’t give it a second thought.” Bauman also claimed those in the middle “believe in magic” when it comes to the budget deficit, agreeing with the left, which wants to spend, and agreeing with the right, which wants to cut taxes. “A doctor says you’re putting on weight. The left brain says exercise more, the right brain says stop eating donuts and the center says find a new doctor,” he said. “Then the Tea Party breaks in, shouting and confusing everyone.” Bauman also linked the people on the far right with those on the far left, calling them both libertarians. “Right wing libertarians want everyone to be free to use guns and left wing libertarians wants everyone to be free to use drugs,” he said. “Neither believe in social security, but who’s going to live to 65 when everyone is a methhead with a machine gun?” The act changed tone for a few minutes when Bauman started advocating the global use of economics and the power of capitalism to protect the environment. “This is where people stop laughing,” he said. “Because people don’t like paying more for gas.” Climate change will have serious economic impact, he said, as increasing carbon concentration causes global temperature to rise. “Higher taxes on things we want less of, like pollution,” he said. “Higher revenue for things we want more of, like jobs.” Bauman’s solution is to drive up the price of fossil fuels through taxation, and then use that revenue to reduce personal income tax and business tax. “I said this once to a very conservative crowd,” he said. “One guy came up to me after the show and called it the funniest part of my routine.” However, Bauman enjoyed the USF crowd. He said the act certainly went better than a show in Colorado Springs for a crowd of bankers in the worst month of the recession. “I lost them in my opening line,” he said. “My opening line was, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’”

STRESS

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Jaronski said students are energized and feel acclimated in their classes at the start of each semester, but begin to see stress as midterms and finals get closer. “Other pressures — financial, relationships and other issues — in students lives don’t stop just because papers are due or there’s finals or projects are due,” she said. As students study harder and push for all-nighters and continue participating in classes, as well as extracurriculars, the stress begins to show more subtly in psychological symptoms. “Some of the psychological manifestations of stress include forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty reading, processing and retaining information, irritability, being emotional, being angry or crying easily,” Jaronski said.

Whether physical or mental, Jaronski said stress is a fact of life. “The first thing we have to remind ourselves about stress is that stress is here to stay,” she said. “The important thing would be to learn how to manage it.” The first step to stress management, Jaronski said, is learning how to recognize when you are stressed, because stress manifests itself differently in each person. “The sooner you can learn what your triggers and symptoms are, the sooner you can employ techniques to learn and diminish that and minimize the damage and negative repercussions,” she said. Much like the symptoms, Jaronski said different people also have to manage their stress however works best for the individual — whether it be talking about the problem or simple breathing exercises. “Things like exercise, talking it out with a friend or getting

enough sleep and sometimes giving yourself a break. It’s hard to do everything really well all at once, all the time,” she said. “That’s not possible, so setting really high standards that aren’t completely attainable is incredibly stressful, and a lot of what I see in college students.” Rather than stress, Jaronski encouraged students to relieve stress by setting reasonable and attainable goals and taking care of their personal health while taking everything, either studying or relaxing, in moderation. “Moderation is probably the word to know and the biggest thing to strive for when we talk about managing stress,” she said. Students can find resources for stress management around campus including the Counseling Center, Student Health Services, the Campus Rec Center and USF Wellness in the Marshall Student Center.

Lifestyle

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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STRESS HAPPENS

By Alex Rosenthal E D I T O R

A N D

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Be it the inevitable college all-nighter or the mile-long lines at the Library Starbucks, students can often identify the symptoms of finals week. If you’re feeling the stress of the end of the semester, you’re not alone, as across the university, there is an increase in stressed-out students, according to Student Health Services (SHS) and the USF Counseling Center. Ann Jaronski, director of the Counseling Center, said her office sees an increase in stressed students requesting appointments once mid-term exams begin, and the numbers only increase as finals week approaches. “The pattern is typically slower in the early phases of the fall semester, and as we

move through the academic calendar, the requests for counseling services increase and peak around October … We consider it our busy season after that,” she said. Between headaches and stomachaches, irritability and higher emotions, SHS Director Diane Zanto said stress can manifest itself both physically and psychologically, and is all too common on college campuses. “Students are now faced with a time crunch of getting so many things done in such a short period of time and making the grade at this point, we definitely see an increase in all sorts of things that are stress-related,” Zanto said. While students can be aware of their stressors, they often let them affect their health, anyway. From October

on, Zanto said appointments at SHS begin to fill up to capacity for doctor’s appointments, and stress-related health issues are more common. “There’s so much interconnection between your physical body and the mental stress that you’re under that it comes out in many different ways through your body,” she said. The chemical culprits for the physical manifestations of stress are adrenaline and a hormone called cortisol. These chemicals can alter body functions and cause issues ranging from cardiovascular problems, such as increased blood pressure, to gastrointestinal ones, such as ulcers or acid reflux, according to the American Psychological Association. Other symptoms can

include a weakened immune system, respiratory problems caused by harder breathing that can trigger asthma attacks, irregular menstrual cycles and more painful periods for women. In a survey of 947 USF students by USF Wellness for the American College Health Association in spring, 25.2 percent of students reported anxiety as a factor affecting their academics, while 35.6 percent reported stress as a factor. In the same report, 55 percent of students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety in the last 12 months. Zanto said stress served a biological purpose in evolution, when humans had to rapidly respond to emergencies while hunting or facing other crises. “You become hyper alert,

but that stops all the other processes in your body and shuts everything down so you can focus on staying alive …,” she said. “In modern society, there’s not a real effective use for that response. Because we feel stressed and carry that response over time, it’s really detrimental to your health.” Though stress often comes and goes for most people, Zanto said stress can still be valuable in terms of motivation. “A moderate amount of stress helps you get done what needs to be done and pay attention,” she said. “You get too little stress, you get bored and disinterested and uninvolved. You get too much stress and you get these stress reactions caused by the outpouring of these chemicals. That’s when you start to get into the physical problems.”

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ORACLE PHOTOS / ADAM MATHIEU

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THIRD

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Bill Blankenship on Monday. While Blankenship led the Golden Hurricane to a 19-8 record in his first two seasons, including two bowl game appearances and a Conference-USA championship in 2012, the coach was let go because of his inability to sustain success and win in a new conference. Taggart is in a different situation, trying to make up for Holtz’s poor recruiting on the job and inheriting the fans’ dwindling patience after Holtz’s last two losing seasons. However, a program such as USF, which went to six straight bowl games from 2005-2010 and has been ranked as high as No. 2 nationally, should have higher expectations and standards

than a program like Tulsa. Despite the calls for his job on social media, Taggart said he believes the team is moving in the right direction. “We’re moving forward,” Taggart said. “If you just look at where we were and you look at what we’re doing now with a young football team, again, some of those things happen. You see a lot of inconsistencies when you have a young football team, but by no means is four enough. I want to give everybody what they want, but that’s going to come by working.” Taggart has preached a blue-collar mentality since he joined USF in December of 2012, but this hard work must deliver a winning season, or else Taggart will be hard at work finding a new place to coach.

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son with 15.8 points per game — placing him third in the conference. The Bulls are 4-0 this season when Allen Jr. scores at least 15 points. USF is also relying heavily on its post play, outscoring opponents in the paint in every game so far this season. This has been partly due to sophomore forward Chris Perry, who is averaging 13.8 points and six rebounds per game. On the defensive side, the Bulls are averaging 6.5 blocks per game, which ranks second in the conference and 17th in the nation. With a team that had only three players with Division-I experience at the season’s opening tip, Antigua is proving his worth. The Bulls take on Alabama at Coleman Coliseum tonight at 9. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network as well as 98.7 FM.

Opinion

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

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Ending HIV/AIDS stigma is vital to ending suffering more the stigma would fade away. However, it remains that even in developed countries like the U.S., where treatment has been widely available for decades, a report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS showed that 27 percent of Americans would prefer not to work closely with a woman living with the disease. The fact that HIV/AIDS has historically been associated with behaviors that have also been stigmatized by society, such as drug addiction and homosexuality, doesn’t lessen the impact the disease has on the life of people who contract it. In fact, the stigma only serves to pile on to people already facing a life-threatening diagnosis. The National Institute on Mental Health states a number of studies have shown that people with HIV/AIDS are more likely than the general population to suffer from anxiety and depression. HIV/AIDS and other STIs should be treated like any other treatable diseases, and the people who contract the disease should be met with the same level of support and attention given to any other sick person. Instead, many people trivialize the life-changing diagnosis by attributing the disease to personal irresponsibility or moral failing.

Roberto Roldan COLU M N I ST

With World AIDS Day on Monday, people everywhere should take time to think about what they can do to end the tight grip the disease has over sexually active adults, especially the LGBT community. Although, most people have moved on from the days of HIV/ AIDS dubbed “the gay cancer,” the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases still manifests itself in less obvious ways. The humiliation experienced by people who contract HIV/AIDS has even prompted the likes of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to speak out against this stigma, saying it remains “the single most important barrier to public action.” The prevailing school of thought used to be that the more knowledge people have about the disease and the more treatments became available to the public, the

the Oracle

Even in 2014, there continues to be public cases of this kind of humiliation, such as when earlier this year Donald Sterling said Magic Johnson “should be ashamed of himself” for having HIV. Many people think that if only these people weren’t sleeping with everyone or acting so slutty, they wouldn’t contract an STI in the first place. It would be a shame if people’s misguided vilification of people with HIV/AIDS prevented at-risk individuals from seeking out new drugs such as PReP, a new daily drug combination used to prevent the spread of HIV, for fear of being put to shame by their friends and family. While many people may never have the opportunity or the ability to synthesize the drug that finally wipes out HIV/AIDS for good, everyone has the ability to create an environment in which people with STIs are supported rather than shamed. While hundreds of millions of dollars might still have to be spent before a cure is found, kindness and understanding are free, and for people who have already contracted HIV/AIDS, this kind of positive, humanistic response is vital.

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What you said Assistant multimedia editor Sebastian Contento asked students how they relieve stress while studying for finals.

“I like to look at posts on social media.” — Katelin Russ, a sophomore majoring in psychology

“I enjoy working out with loud music.” — Darryan Fitzpatrick, a junior majoring in elementary education

“I hangout with friends. It’s good talking to people.”

Roberto Roldan is a junior majoring in mass communications.

— Beth Landy, a junior majoring in elementary education

the University of South Florida’s student newspaper since 1966

Editor in Chief: Alex Rosenthal ............................ oracleeditor@gmail.com Managing Editor: Roberto Roldan .................. oraclemeditor@gmail.com News Editor: Wesley Higgins ......................... oraclenewsteam@gmail.com Sports Editor: Vinnie Portell ........................ oraclesportseditor@gmail.com Lifestyle Editor: Courtney Combs .......... oraclelifestyleeditor@gmail.com Copy Editor: Grace Hoyte Multimedia Editor: Adam Mathieu Assistant Editors: Sebastian Contento, Jacob Hoag, Brandon Shaik Graphic Arts Manager: Chelsea Stulen

The Oracle is published Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters, and twice weekly, Monday and Thursday, during the summer. The Oracle allocates one free issue to each student. Additional copies are $.50 each and available at the Oracle office (SVC 0002).

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CORRECTIONS The Oracle will correct or clarify factual errors. Contact Editor in Chief Alex Rosenthal at 974-5190.

“I go to the USF Recreation Center and do anything physical to take away from the mental stress.” — Matthew Willingham, a senior majoring in political science

Classifieds UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

To place a classified ad go to

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http://www.usforacle.com/classifieds

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HELP WANTED

Part-time : clubhouse welcome desk position. Check-in members/answer phones. Morning, evening/weekend shifts, 4-10 hrs per week. 30 min. from USF Tampa Campus. SW Pasco.Send resume to frank.oliveto1@verizon.net

Math tutor needed for grades K-12. Starts at $8.50/hr. Email resume, name of last completed math class, and schedule to newtampa@mathnasium.com (813) 644-7282

Crossword ●

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Sports

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Football

Taggart’s third try must be a charm Vinnie Portell C O M M E N TA R Y

USF and coach Willie Taggart ended the 2014 season in one of the most disastrous ways possible Friday, when the Bulls were held scoreless against UCF in a 16-0 loss at Raymond James Stadium. Following Friday’s game, fans wrote several Tweets with the quickly spreading hashtag #FireTaggart. But despite a lack of satisfaction with no bowl game appearance and only six wins in two years under Taggart, Athletic Director Mark Harlan put any questions of Taggart’s job security to rest shortly after the Bulls’ final game. “Coach Taggart is fine,” Harlan said to reporters. “We’re going to work together to move this thing forward.” Harlan can’t justify firing Taggart yet due to the fact USF has been paying former coaches Jim Leavitt and Skip Holtz for years after they were fired before their contracts were up and he doesn’t need another coach added to that list. But the clock is ticking for

Coach Willie Taggart has gone 6-18 in his first two seasons with USF. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MA-

THIEU

Taggart as he approaches his third season — as many as Holtz was afforded before he was let go. Holtz won 16 games in his time with the Bulls and won the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Clemson in his first season. Taggart had more of an

uphill battle when he replaced Holtz, as the team was clearly regressing, but a third straight losing season under Taggart shouldn’t be acceptable for USF. In his third season, Taggart will have a roster mostly comprised of players he recruited. The Bulls’ 2014 recruit-

ing class, Taggart’s first full class, was ranked 40th by Rivals.com. There is no excuse for anything short of a six-win season in 2015. An example of not following through with expectations can be seen with Tulsa’s football program, which fired coach

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Basketball

Two Bulls named AAC Player of the Week

Courtney Williams averaged 22.3 points per game in the Paradise Jam Tournament. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

S P O R T S

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Junior guard Courtney Williams and senior guard Corey Allen Jr. both received the AAC Player of the Week Award on Monday after impressive offensive performances in last week’s games. USF women’s basketball nearly swept the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but was edged out by No. 9 Kentucky, 61-57, in the finals. Williams averaged 22.3 points in the Bulls’ three tour-

nament games along with 7.3 rebounds and three assists. The junior dropped a seasonhigh 27 points in Thursday’s first-round matchup against Oklahoma, following up with a double-double — 18 points and 12 rebounds — in Friday’s matchup with Illinois. With a game-high 23 points in the tournament championship against Kentucky, Williams is only 31 points shy of becoming the 21st 1,000point scorer in USF history. Allen averaged 23.5 points in two games for USF, including wins over Hofstra (71-70)

and Jacksonville (79-65). The senior guard was the first Conference Player of the Week for the men’s team this season. Allen scored a career-high 29 points in USF’s 14-point win over Jacksonville on Saturday. He ranks third in the conference with 15.8 points per game, behind UConn’s Ryan Boatright and East Carolina’s B.J. Tyson. The men’s team will play at Alabama tonight at 9, and the women’s team will play at home against Stetson on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

USF looks to roll over the Tide

Sophomore forward Chris Perry is averaging 13.8 points per game.

ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

By Jacob Hoag A S S T .

S P O R T S

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As the regular season crept closer, questions circulated around new men’s basketball coach Orlando Antigua. His lack of experience, new players and up-tempo system were cause for concern for some fans. Now six games in, the Bulls are 5-1 — the best start since the 2009-2010 season — and look to continue their recent success tonight against Alabama. USF was able to defend the Dome last season when Alabama came to Tampa, edging out the Crimson Tide 66-64. Alabama (4-1) recently notched its best win against Arizona State, with a 76-71 victory in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. The only loss came against Iowa State. Four starters for the Crimson Tide have returned from last season. USF has been leaning on the play of senior guard Corey Allen Jr., who has averaged a team-high 33.3 minutes per game this sea-

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