Can surging USF beat No. 5 Gonzaga?
A buzz not seen in years surrounds the USF basketball program.
Last season’s postseason run got things started.
Going unbeaten in nine home games this season furthered the momentum.
The sense that, in his third season, head coach Kyle Smith has the Dons headed in the right direction has only heightened optimism on the Hilltop.
The buzz could reach a crescendo when USF hosts Gonzaga Saturday night, in what figures to rank as the biggest men’s college basketball game in the Bay Area this season.
The Dons haven’t beaten the Zags since 2012. Gonzaga is ranked fifth in the country, and USF hasn’t beaten a top-five team in nearly four decades.