South Florida Opens American Athletic Conference Play in Tampa Tonight Against Temple

By: Chad Smith

From gousfbulls.com the home for all things South Florida Bulls

TAMPA, Fla. (January 2, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team opens 2024 with the first American Athletic Conference contest at home on Thursday against Temple. The Bulls (7-4) and the Owls (7-6) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.

Earlier this week, Jayden Reid was named the AAC Freshman of the Week and Chris Youngblood earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll. Reid posted a 13-point performance. He chipped in with four assists and one rebound. He knocked down a 3-pointer and shot 50.0 percent from the field. He capitalized on opportunities at the free-throw line and went 6-for-6. Youngblood recorded a career-high 26 points and tied a career-high six 3-pointers made as the Bulls defeated the Hornets 73-70. He tied a career-high three blocked shots. He added two rebounds and one assist. He was a pivotal part of USF tying a program record with 14 made 3-pointers as a team.

Bulls at a Glance
Chris Youngblood leads the squad with 14.7 points per game. He is averaging 2.3 rebounds per game to go along with 23 assists, seven blocks, and six steals. He is shooting 86.0 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 91st in the country and fifth in the AAC. Selton Miguel is second on the team with 14.3 points per contest and is third on the squad with 4.0 boards per game. He is second on the squad with 14 steals and is second on the team with 26 assists. He has added two blocks. Jayden Reid leads the team with 47 assists. He is tied for 114th in the NCAA with 4.3 assists per game and is seventh in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.36, which is tied for 20th in the country, best in the conference, and is second among NCAA freshmen. He paces the squad with 16 steals. He is averaging 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with 8.4 points per contest. Kasean Pryor leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per contest. He averages 9.3 points per game with 13 assists and 12 steals. He has a team-best eight blocks. Corey Walker Jr. is third on the team with six blocks.

Strong Bench
South Florida’s bench is 32nd in the NCAA averaging 30.0 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent’s bench 330-186. Opposing benches are averaging just 16.9 points per game.

Cashing in on Free Opportunities
The Bulls are tied for 23rd in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 17.8 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 30th in the country with 24.2 free-throw attempts per game, which is tied for fourth in the AAC.

Fast and Furious
The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 26th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 3.9, which is second in the conference. South Florida is 48th in the country with 15.00 forced turnovers per contest, which is third in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are tied for 38th in the nation with 15.00 fastbreak points per game, which is fourth in the conference.

Raining 3s
South Florida tied a single-game record with 3-pointers made with 14. The previous mark was 14 against ORU on December 7, 1991, and 14 against Charleston Southern on December 2, 2022. The Bulls made 10 3-pointers in the opening half and set a new program record. The previous mark was eight against Memphis on March 1, 2018.

Solid Start
The 7-4 start is the second-best mark since South Florida started 9-2 during the 2018-19 season. It is just the sixth time in the last 17 seasons that USF has started 7-4 or better.

Last Time Out
South Florida tied a program record 14-made 3-pointers on its way to a 73-70 victory against Alabama State. Youngblood posted a career-high 26 points, tied a career-high with six made 3-pointers, and tied a career-high three blocks. He added two rebounds and one assist. Miguel tallied 14 points and tied a career-high four made 3-pointers. He brought down three rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked one shot. Reid rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points. He posted a team-high four assists and added one rebound. For the first time this season, the USF bench was outscored by an opponent. Alabama State produced 25 bench points to South Florida’s 21. 

History with Temple
The Bulls and Owls are slated to meet for the 22nd time on Thursday. Temple leads the series 15-6. USF is just 1-8 at home against Temple. The Owls have won the last three matchups, including a 79-76 victory in Philadelphia on January 25, 2023.

Scouting the Owls
Temple is tied for 18th in the NCAA with 28.5 3-point attempts per game, which is second in the conference. The Owls are led by Hysier Miller with 17.4 points per game. He also paces the team with 58 assists and 20 steals. He is averaging 4.6 rebounds per contest. He is seventh in the NCAA with 231 field-goal attempts, ninth in the country averaging 37:01 minutes per game, and 35th in the nation with 103 3-point field-goal attempts. Jahlil White is second on the team with 12.4 points a contest. He has a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game. He has added 11 assists, six steals, and two blocks. Jordan Riley closes out the double-digit scorers with 11.3 points a game. He is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game with 15 steals, 12 assists, and nine blocks. Steve Settle III has a team-best 13 blocked shots. He is averaging 8.7 points per contest and 5.6 boards per game.

Tale of the Tape 

American Athletic Conference Standings (as of January 1)
1. Memphis – 11-2, 0-0
2. Florida Atlantic – 10-3, 0-0
3. Tulane – 9-3, 0-0
4. Tulsa – 9-3, 0-0
5. SMU – 9-4, 0-0
6. South Florida – 7-4, 0-0
7. UAB – 8-5, 0-0
8. Wichita State – 8-5, 0-0
9. North Texas – 7-5. 0-0
10. ECU – 7-6, 0-0
11. Temple – 7-6, 0-0
12. Charlotte – 6-6, 0-0
13. Rice – 6-7, 0-0
14. UTSA – 6-7, 0-0

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About USF Men’s Basketball
The South Florida men’s basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim’s Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
 
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
 
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