Men’s basketball team begins exhibition play

The USF men’s basketball team opens its exhibition schedule tonight at 8 against Siaulia-Lithuania at the Sun Dome.It will be the first of two slated exhibition games for the Bulls before they tip off against Fordham in the season opener. After 2 1/2 weeks of practice, coach Seth Greenberg said he and the players are anxious to take the court against opposition other than themselves.

“It will be interesting to see how they respond once the lights come on,” Greenberg said.

USF will be without a pair of forwards tonight, most notably senior B.B. Waldon, who along with freshman Kelvin Brown, was suspended for failing to meet academic requirements. Waldon, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer last season at 17.1 points per game, will be available for the Bulls’ next exhibition game against Saint Leo. Brown’s suspension will last through both preseason contests.

Tonight’s game will offer fans a glimpse of four rookies to the USF program. Freshmen Marlyn Bryant (6-foot-3, 203 pounds), Brandon Brigman (6-8, 257) and Brian Swift (5-10, 152) all figure to contribute for the Bulls this year. However, the newcomer who should make the biggest impact will be Greg Brittian. He originally signed with USF out of high school but attended Central Florida Community College for the past two years.

“Greg is a player that we have been waiting for, for a long time,” Greenberg said.