South Florida -4.5
The Bulls get a huge boost Sunday when transfers Mike Mercer, and Augustus Gilchrist regain eligibility. With the addition of these 2 talented players the Bulls are all of a sudden loaded with talent. If you recall Mike Mercer from Georgia where he averaged 13.6ppg. With his addition he will join an already loaded So Florida backcourt. He will give So Fla 3 legit scoring threats, to go along with Dominique Jones(18.5ppg), and Jesus Verdejo(17.2ppg). This is will now become quietly one of the better back courts in the Big East. Also the addition of 6'10 freshman Augustus Gilchrist will give the Bulls some much needed help in the paint. So Fla still out rebounds opponents by +2 because guards such as Jones rebounds so well, but Gilchrist's big body will help. He is an athletic player who should help right away. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Bulls as players were able to gain valuable game experience in their absence. Mercer is an excellent scorer with all league potential. Also their opponent Niagra has struggled against teams that play defense. Their 2 losses, Nova, Akron, are both teams that dig in on defense. The same can be said for So Fla. The Bulls hold opponents to 59.2ppg and only 38% fg def. So Fla will have more talent top to bottom, so I also expect them to hold an advantage on the boards where the Purple Eagles can be exploited. So Fla is also 3-0 at home this year. They historically have been a much better team at home, and the additions of the 2 transfers should give them a big enough boost to get an easy win