SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – With the return of college basketball less than 72 hours away, the University of San Francisco men's basketball team is hungry to return to the hardwood following an offseason of exciting changes and high expectations.
"Over the last six months, we have done a really good job of building things back up after last season with everything going on," said third-year head coach
Todd Golden. "From a staffing standpoint, from a player standpoint… we are older, we are more mature and I think we have a great collection of guys who are committed to putting the team first, which is the most important thing for us to be successful this year."
Last season, the Dons had impressive moments as a unit, including an early win over No. 4 Virginia on Nov. 27, 2020, which marked USF's first victory over a top five team since the sixth ranked Dons defeated No. 2 Wichita State on Dec. 29, 1981. Despite a 7-4 start that also included a road win at Nevada, USF ultimately finished with an 11-14 overall record and a 4-9 mark in conference play.
Since then, Golden has retooled both his staff and his roster, adding three new coaches and five Division I transfers on the court.
MEET THE NEW COACHING STAFF:
Chris Gerlufsen: Chris Gerlufsen, who comes to The Hilltop after serving as the top assistant under Eran Ganot at Hawaii, was named the new associate head coach of the Dons this summer and serves as the main offensive coordinator, working with USF guards. While at Honolulu, he also served as the interim head coach for Hawaii's first 13 games in the 2019-20 season, leading UH to an 8-5 non-conference record, including an 85-75 upset win over previously undefeated USF.
Prior to his time at Hawaii, Gerlufsen was on the bench at San Diego, serving as an assistant coach for the Toreros from 2015-19. During his time with the Toreros, USD experienced unprecedented success, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in program history while advancing to the postseason both years. He finished his run with the Torreros in 2018-19 when San Diego earned a berth to the NIT. At USD, Gerlufsen oversaw the guards, served as offensive coordinator and led USD's global recruiting efforts, signing more than half a dozen international players during his tenure. In his last two years at USD, he coached a trio of all-conference selections, including Isaiah Pineiro, Olin Carter III and Isaiah Wright.
Prior to the Toreros, Gerlufsen spent nine seasons on the bench as an assistant at the University of Hartford, the last two seasons of which he served as associate head coach. While at Hartford, his primary responsibilities including working with both the perimeter and post players as well as serving as the staff's recruiting coordinator.
Michael Plank: Joining the Dons this summer after time at Washington State,
Michael Plank currently serves as an assistant coach and the main recruiting coordinator for USF. Born nearby in the city of Stockton, this marks Plank's second stint on the Hilltop after he served as a graduate assistant during the 2012-13 season. Over the last two years, Plank has served as the recruiting coordinator for Washington State under former USF head coach Kyle Smith.
Prior to his time in Pullman, Plank was the top assistant at CCSF under head coach Justin Labagh. In 2018-19, he was instrumental in guiding the Rams to a 31-2 overall record, falling just short of claiming the California state title after taking home the Coast Conference championship in the regular season. Plank has also made coaching stops at the professional level. Before his tenute at CCSF, Plank was part of the Milwaukee Bucks Training Camp and Mini Camp Support Staff that assisted head coach Jason Kidd with all team practices and workouts. Additionally, Plank assisted in the organization's evaluation, scouting and preparation of Bucks' players heading into the NBA season. In 2018, Plank assisted head coach Jeff Van Gundy at the FIBA USA Men's National Team camp in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Jonathan Safir: After initially joining the program in the summer of 2018 as Director of Basketball Operations, Jonathan Safir was promoted to Assistant Coach this past summer. In his current role, Safir oversees all analytics and strategy for the Dons and plays an integral role in scouting, recruiting and player development.
Prior to joining the Dons, Safir served as the Director of Basketball Operations at Columbia University in New York City from 2016 to 2018. He joined the Lions' coaching staff in 2015 as the graduate manager and supported the team during its 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament Championship. Individually, Safir was a four-year letter winner at Vassar College, where he helped lead the Brewers to 19 wins and their first conference championship tournament appearance in school history. During his collegiate offseasons, he served as the head recruiting coordinator for Hoop Group Elite.
NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES:
#5 Zane Meeks- A 6-foot-9 forward from Prairie Village, Kan., Meeks joins the Dons after playing in 49 games during his time at Nevada, having made 10 starts for the Wolf Pack. In 18.8 minutes per contest, he averaged 7.4 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc. Appearing in 18 games in 2020-21, Meeks finished the year with 9.0 ppg, good for fifth on the team. As a freshman in 2019-20, Meeks saw action in all 31 games off the bench. Notably, he finished sixth on the team with 6.4 ppg and ranked fifth by grabbing 3.7 rebounds per game that season.
#11 Patrick Tapé- Tapé comes to The Hilltop after one season at Duke and three at Columbia. Last season, Tape played in 10 games for the Blue Devils, making one start. In three seasons and 69 career games at Columbia, the 2018-19 All-Ivy League Honorable Mention honoree averaged 6.9 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and shot 61.3 percent from the field. During his junior campaign, Tape averaged 11.3 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and one steal in 22.7 minutes per game, earning all-conference honors. That season, he ranked in the Ivy League's top ten in rebounding and blocked shots that season. Overall, his 66.7 field goal percentage in 2019-20 was the third highest single-season clip in Ivy League history and second-highest for a Columbia player. Impressively, Tapé left Columbia as the program's career leader in field goal percentage.
#15 Gabe Stefanini- A teammate of Tape's at Columbia, Stefanini has not played since the 2018-19 season due to injury. However, the last time Stefanini suited up, he earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors. In two seasons playing for the Lions, he played in 55 games, making total 28 starts. Overall, Stefanini shot 43.5 percent from beyond the arc (67 for 154) and tallied 143 assists, while averaging 9.9 points per contest. In his sophomore campaign, Stefanini finished eighth in the Ivy league in scoring at 13.8 points per contest. Displaying his versatility, Stefanini led the conference in assists per game (4.1), finished fifth in steals per game at 1.5.and was sixth in assist to turnover ratio. Notably, his 42.9 field goal percentage was also good for seventh in the conference.
#21 Ndewedo Newbury- Newbury, a native of Tottenham, London, spent two seasons playing for Haringey College before finishing his prep career at The Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut. A two-time letter winner for the Hawks and coach Franck Batimba, Newbury possesses a natural ability to score and rebound.
As a 16-year-old in 2018-19, Newbury averaged 14.2 points per contest while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game. The following season, he increased those numbers, averaging 23.4 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game while boasting 1.6 blocks per contest. Newbury finished the year taking home Academy Basketball League (ABL) Eastern MVP honors. COVID-19 halted his playing career at The Loomis Chaffee School, but he excelled in the camp and AAU scene. Newbury was named a Camp All-Star and the No. 7 prospect at the Deng Camp in the UK. The Deng Camp is run by former NBA player Luol Deng as it is a residential camp that showcases the top-50 U19 players in the UK.
#25 Yauhen Massalski- No stranger to the West Coast Conference, Massalski joins the Dons after four seasons at San Diego.
Playing in 97 career games for the Toreros, the four-time letter winner made 42 starts during his time at USD. In 1,660 minutes, he shot 59.3 percent from the field while averaging 6.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per contest. In 2018-19, Massalski enjoyed his most dominant season as he shot 60.9 percent from the field to average 6.7 points per contest while also grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game. As a unit, Massalski helped lead USD to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, which earned the Toreros an appearance in the 2019 NIT.
#30 Bryce Whitaker- Whitaker will be one of two walk on's on the 2021-22 roster alongside teammate
Jake Cioe. Hailing from Los Angeles, Whitaker comes to the Hilltop after a successful four-year career at Providence High School in Burbank and a year at Lamar Community College. During his time with the Pioneers, he led Providence to the CIF Championship game in 2018 and the California State Regional Final in 2020, which both were firsts in school history.
As a four-year starter at Providence, Whitaker was named a First Team All-League selection all four years while also being named to the Second Team All-CIF in 2018 and 2019. Overall, Whitaker amassed over 1,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals as he was also named the LA Times Boys Athlete of the Year in 2019.
In his lone season at Lamar CC, Whitaker ranked number one in the Region 9 south in three-point percentage, number two in the Region 9 South in total three-point field goals made, fourth in the Region 9 South in assists and thirty-sixth in the nation in total three point fiels goals made (61).
#33 Volodymyr Markovetskyy- Following two years in Pullman, the 7'2 center will bring a strong presence down low to the Hilltop after appearing in 45 games during his time with the Cougars.
In his first year at Washington State, the Ukrainian appeared in 22 games with two starts, averaging 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. Notably, he logged his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Arizona State on Mar. 7, 2020. Last season, Markovetskyy made 23 appearances with 4 total starts for the Cougars, averaging 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 10.9 minutes per game.
#45 Jake Cioe- A native of Tuscon, Ariz., Cioe joins the Dons after an impressive four years at Salpointe Catholic High School. During his time with the Lancers, Cioe guided Salpointe to finish as the Arizona 4A State Runner-Up in 2018 and as the AZ 4A State Semifinalist in 2019 before wrapping up his career as an Arizona 4A State Champion in 2020. For these efforts, Cioe was named as an Honorable Mention by his conference while also earning All-Academic honors in the classroom. Overall, the 6-foot guard averaged 7.7 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 3.8 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game.
PRESEASON HONORS:
- Recently, guards Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz were named to the 2021-22 Preseason All-WCC Team while the Dons were picked to finish fifth as a team. Notably, Bouyea is one of five student-athletes to be named to the Preseason Team for the second consecutive year, joining Alex Barcello of BYU, Eli Scott of LMU, Drew Timme of Gonzaga and Josip Vrankic of Santa Clara. Additionally, USF is one of four schools to have two players selected to the 2021-22 All-WCC Preseason Team as BYU, Gonzaga and Santa Clara each have two selections as well. Last season, Bouyea was named to the All-WCC First Team while Shabazz was placed on the All-WCC Second Team following their impressive campaigns.
- On Nov. 4, Bouyea was named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award preseason watch list, which is presented annually to the nation's top mid-major player in Division I men's college basketball. Heading into this year, he currently ranks fourth in program history in steals (145), seventh in games played (127) and 26th in career points (1, 131).
GAME 1 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 – 7:30 p.m. PT
Opponent: LIU Sharks (0-0, 0-0 NEC)
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center (San Francisco, Calif.)
Video: WCC Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
SCOUTING THE SHARKS:
- Previously split between two campuses, which included the Division I LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and the Division II LIU Post Pioneers, the LIU Sharks are a result of the unification of the university's athletic department on July 1, 2019.
- In an odd year for all, LIU played a conference-only schedule in 2020-21 as the Sharks finished 9-9 against their opponents in the Northeast Conference in head coach Derek Kellogg's fourth year at the helm. Known for their up-tempo style, a league-leading 38.7 percent of LIU's possessions were considered as transition opportunities last season as the Sharks were also ninth nationally in tempo, registering 73.7 possessions per game.
- Statistically speaking, the Sharks were led offensively by three players who averaged double figures in 2020-21: Ty Flowers (17.3 ppg), Eran Penn (15.9 ppg) and Jermaine Jackson Jr. (15.0 ppg)
- Flowers, who is a three-time All-NEC honoree, and Penn, who was the only player in the conference to average a double-double last season on his way to First Team All-NEC honors, were recently selected to the Preseason All-Northeast Conference Team while the Sharks were picked to finish fourth as a team.
SERIES HISTORY:
- Tuesday's meeting marks the second matchup all-time between the two programs as the Dons previously defeated then LIU Brooklyn, 84-52, on Nov. 18, 2018 in a neutral site meeting in Seaside, Calif.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
