Arizona State transfer Victor Rudd signed with USF today announced USF Head Coach Stan Heath. The 6-foot-7 small forward will have three years of eligibility remaining when he becomes eligible in November 2011.
Rudd played in 15 games during his freshman campaign with the Sun Devils in 2009-10, averaging 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 6.2 minutes of action while adding three assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. Rudd hit 13-of-36 (36.1 percent) from the floor, including 6-of-28 (21.4 percent) from beyond the arc for the Sun Devils, who went 22-11 and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament during Rudd's rookie year.
"We're excited to add Victor to our program," said Heath. "He's a small forward with a good skill level and great athleticism. We feel he will really develop and get stronger with a year off and take his game to another level. To add a guy with his ability this late in the year is a nice addition to our program."
Rudd was a three-star prospect according to Scout.com coming out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, Nev, and chose USF over offers from Marquette, St. John's, Miami and San Diego State.
With his signing, Rudd becomes the fifth member of USF's 2010 class along with junior college transfers Jawanza Poland, Shedrick Haynes and Hugh Robertson and high school senior LaVonte Dority.
Dority signed his LOI during the early signing period in November, while Haynes and Robertson signed on the opening day of the late signing period in April, with Poland signing at the end of April.
With just one senior on the 2010-11 roster in junior college transfer Jarrid Famous, Rudd will join a solid nucleus of players which includes rising juniors Anthony Crater, Ron Anderson and Augustus Gilchrist along with soon-to-be sophomores Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, Shaun Noriega and Mike Burwell.
The Bulls finished 20-13 last season, the team's third-ever 20-win season, highlighted by a 9-9 BIG EAST record and a pair of wins over ranked opponents in No. 17 Pittsburgh Jan. 31 and No. 7 Georgetown Feb. 3. The victory over Georgetown marked USF's second-ever win against a top-10 opponent and just the third win ever against a ranked opponent on the road.
USF also advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2002 when the team hosted N.C. State in the first round of the NIT. The Bulls finished with one of the nation's best turnarounds after posting a 9-22 slate the year before.