Four Future Big East Players Faced Off in Florida Atlantic vs. South Florida, Highlighted by Devin Vanterpool
Watch extended highlights of this late January game featuring Big East newcomers Devin Vanterpool (Providence), Josiah Parker (Georgetown), Devin Williams (Seton Hall), and Wes Enis (Creighton)
A late January tilt between South Florida and Florida Atlantic had big implications in the American standings — while, six months later, it offered a look at four players headed to Big East schools next season.
Prior to this contest in Tampa, FAU was first in the conference with a 6-1 mark (90th in the NET), while USF came in at 4-2 (65th NET).
Bryan Hodgson’s crew might have felt like they should have been entering with a 6-0 mark. Their two losses came in a 109-106 double OT loss to UAB and an 86-85 defeat in overtime to Wichita State eight days prior to this one.
Little did anyone know it at the time, but South Florida was about to take off. After the Wichita State loss on Jan. 18, they went 14-1 in their final 15 games prior to the NCAA Tournament.
The USF/FAU matchup turned into a statement victory for the Bulls, who trailed by eight late in the first half before outscoring the Owls, 56-39, in the second half. The game was won on the offensive glass, where USF star Izaiyah Nelson set the tone in a 15-point, 12-rebound effort. The Bulls finished with 21 offensive rebounds, highlighting a strength of Hodgson’s club last year (#7 nationally in Offensive Rebound Percentage).
USF was simply more aggressive and quicker to the ball in the second half, and once they started turning offensive into defense there wasn’t much FAU could do to slow them. FAU also had trouble checking South Florida point guard CJ Brown, who finished with 17 points and seven assists as USF lobbed and dunked their way to an 89-75 win.
Here’s a look at how each of the future Big East players fared:
Devin Vanterpool, FAU/Providence (22 points, 4-7 from 3, 9-18 FG, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks): Who could have guessed at the time that Hodgson would coach Vanterpool at Providence next season?
Vanterpool spent last offseason waking up at 5:30 a.m. every day to work out with his father (an NBA assistant coach) and his hard work was on display here in the variety of ways he scored. Vanterpool's biggest highlight was an insane block of a dunk attempt (which you'll see in the video below). He also connected on four three-pointers, and was equally effective scoring from 17 feet and in thanks to his strength.
Devin Williams, FAU/Seton Hall (21 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0 blocks): Williams never got on track in this one. He knocked down an early 18 footer from the top of the key, but didn’t show his shot-blocking prowess and was generally kept quiet in a game in which USF was simply the more physical team.
Josiah Parker, FAU/Georgetown (13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals in 22 minutes off the bench): The freshman showed a lot of toughness. His best play came in the second half, when he tipped a rebound to himself in traffic and threw down a loud slam around multiple defenders. Parker scored a lot of dirty-work buckets in a game that wasn’t for the faint of heart.
Wes Enis, USF/Creighton (19 points on 5-13 from three, 3 assists, 4 rebounds): It was a tale of two halves for Enis, who didn’t attempt a shot for the first 13 minutes of the game. He started 0-6 from the field, but got going late in the first half on a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound — and he carried that momentum into the second half. All 13 of Enis’ shots came from beyond the arc, but there were two plays he made while South Florida was surging that helped blow the game open. The first was an assist after a defensive rebound, and the second came on a steal in the paint that turned into a layup the other way.
Here’s an extended look at each player:
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