There is a new goal at South Florida. No longer are the Bulls expected to compete for the Conference USA championship. Their window of opportunity has slammed shut. The priority now? Staying out of the league cellar.

It's a long haul back to the top. And now there's a new coach in charge, Robert McCullum, who is accustomed to reclamation projects. In three seasons, he took Western Michigan from a woeful outlook to the NIT. McCullum did things his way, tolerating no slackers and insisting on hard work, on and off the court.

"He means business," guard Marlyn Bryant said. "Maybe this is what we needed -- a change."

The old coach, Seth Greenberg, had six consecutive seasons of .500 or better, but only two postseason appearances, both first-round NIT losses. Greenberg, who had flirted with jobs at Miami and Oregon State in previous seasons, fled for Virginia Tech about three weeks after the Bulls lost in the C-USA tournament quarterfinals.

Plenty of unachieved goals are there for McCullum. The Bulls never have reached the league tournament's semifinal round. They have had only one winning record in C-USA. And they haven't beaten a ranked opponent since 1992, which is also the last time they made the NCAA Tournament.

FRONTCOURT

South Florida's offense should revolve around senior swingman Jimmy Baxter, one of the nation's top two-sport athletes. Baxter is a high-jumper with Olympic aspirations. He briefly considered giving up basketball but decided to return for his final season. Baxter showed his mettle last season by leading the team in scoring 10 times, finishing second in assists and also displaying an improved shooting stroke from the outside.

Will McDonald, who went from non-factor to marquee center in his mercurial career, leaves a big hole to fill at center. Sophomore Yusuf Baker, who opened some eyes with his fierce inside play in the season's second half, was expected to pick up much of the slack. But in mid-summer, Baker was dismissed from the team due to academic deficiencies, according to McCullum. That likely speeds up the timetable for freshman Konimba Diarra, a Greenberg signee whose offensive game needs to develop.

Juniors Terrence Leather and Brandon Brigman have obvious physical tools, but neither has displayed consistency. South Florida fans once had high hopes for senior Gerrick Morris, but they haven't been realized.

The Bulls should benefit from the return of freshman Sam Barber, a swingman who missed most of last season with a stress fracture.

BACKCOURT

It will be odd to see a South Florida team without the heady leadership of four-year starter Reggie Kohn, but McCullum must find another backcourt catalyst. His best option might be a newcomer.

McCullum's only two signees were junior college players, junior Bradley Mosley and sophomore James Holmes. Mosley was a proven scorer at Daytona Beach Community College, where he averaged 19.9 points per game, but McCullum says he primarily will be used at point guard. Holmes, an impressive long-range shooter, will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Bryant, a junior who was off to a decent start last season before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in January, had minor surgery on the same knee during the offseason. When he's healthy, Bryant gives the Bulls a hard-nosed edge in the backcourt.

Junior Brian Swift will contend at point guard. Sophomore Danny Oglesby, a prolific prep scorer in Connecticut, saw more playing time at the end of last season and occasionally provided some scoring help from the 3-point arc.

FINAL ANALYSIS

McCullum was torn when presented the opportunity to take over South Florida's program. Ultimately, he was swayed by the Conference USA affiliation, the school's location in a fertile area for athletes and the program's untapped potential.

McCullum hopes to have an up-tempo team that plays excellent defense in the halfcourt and concentrates on preventing the easy baskets. That's his ideal scenario.

"To make it happen, you must have players who can play that way," McCullum said.

He makes no predictions or immediate promises, only that his team will play hard and he will sell his program to the community.

South Florida's march to respectability, let alone to a respectable showing in March, can be measured in floorburns and sweat. McCullum has no illusions to the contrary.

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