TAMPA, Fla. (February 9, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team is back in action for an American Athletic Conference matchup at Rice on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Bulls (16-5, 9-1 AAC) and the Owls (9-14, 3-7 AAC) are slated for a 3 p.m. ET jump on ESPN+.
South Florida knocked off Charlotte 72-69. The Bulls extended their winning streak to eight conference games, which is the longest in program history. South Florida started the season 16-5 for just the second time in program history. The only other time was during the 1975-76 campaign. The eight-game winning streak is the third-longest winning streak in program history. It is the first time since the 1982-83 season when the team won nine straight.
CY in the YC
Earlier this week, Chris Youngblood was named to the AAC Honor Roll for his performance last week. Last week, he led the team averaging 18.0 points per game for the week. He recorded a game-high 20 points in USF’s road win at ECU. He added a game-high six assists to go along with one rebound. He added a game-high 16 points in the South Florida victory at North Texas. For the week, he finished with 36 points, two rebounds, and six assists. He shot 1.000 percent from the free-throw line, he shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range, and 54.5 percent from the field. For the season, he is second on the team with 14.5 points per game. He is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 45 assists, 12 steals, and 12 blocks. He is shooting 82.4 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 157th in the country and is sixth in the AAC.
‘Sel’ing Point
Selton Miguel is 185th in the country with 2.19 3-pointers per game, which is sixth in the conference. He leads the team with 14.6 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.5 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 24 steals and is second on the team with 48 assists. He has added seven blocks.
Pryor on Fire
Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per contest. His 5.70 defensive rebounds per game are tied for 97th in the NCAA and sixth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.0 points per game. He has a team-best 17 blocks. He is second on the team with 25 steals. He has added 30 assists. He is shooting 81.7 percent from the free-throw line, which is 173rd in the country and 10th in the conference.
Bulls at a Glance
Jayden Reid leads the team with 76 assists. He is tied for 198th in the NCAA with 3.6 assists per game and is tied for seventh in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.38, which is tied for 84th in the country, fifth in the conference, and ninth among NCAA freshmen. He leads the team with 26 steals. He averages 2.6 rebounds per game to go along with 6.7 points per contest. Kobe Knox is second on the team with 15 blocks. He averages 8.7 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.4 points a game with 27 assists, 19 steals, and five blocks.
Strong Bench
South Florida’s bench is 39th in the NCAA and second in the conference averaging 27.38 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent’s bench 575-383. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.24 points per game.
Cashing in on Free Opportunities
The Bulls are tied for 50th in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 16.0 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 73rd in the country with 21.9 free-throw attempts per game, which is sixth in the AAC.
Fast and Furious
The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 49th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.5, which is tied for second in the conference. South Florida is tied for 92nd in the country with 13.14 forced turnovers per contest, which is tied for fifth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 80th in the nation with 12.10 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.
Last Time Out
South Florida knocked off Charlotte 72-69. The Bulls extended their winning streak to eight conference games, which is the longest in program history. South Florida started the season 16-5 for just the second time in program history. The only other time was during the 1975-76 campaign. The eight-game winning streak is the third-longest winning streak in program history. It is the first time since the 1982-83 season when the team won nine straight. Selton Miguel led all scorers with 22 points. He surpassed the 1,000 career-point mark. He tied for a game-high with five assists. He added two rebounds and one steal. Chris Youngblood added a 13-point performance with four rebounds, two assists, and one block. Kobe Knox closed out the double-digit scorers with 13 points. He collected three rebounds, one assist, and one block. Brandon Stroud led the team in rebounding for the second-straight game with seven. He chipped in with seven points and two assists. Corey Walker Jr. came up huge on the offensive glass with a game-high four offensive rebounds. He added four clutch points on 2-of-3 shooting.
History with Rice
The Bulls and the Owls will meet for the third time in program history. South Florida won the first matchup, 49-46, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 30, 1997. The Bulls knocked off the Owls 81-73 in the previous matchup this season in Tampa on January 12.
Scouting the Owls
Max Fiedler leads Rice with 9.6 rebounds per game, which is tied for 23rd in the country and best in the conference. His 221 rebounds are tied for 18th in the NCAA and most in the AAC. He averages 4.09 offensive rebounds per game, which is tied for fifth in the nation and tops in the conference. He is tied for 32nd in the nation and second in the conference with 124 assists. His 5.4 assists per game are tied for 34th in the NCAA and second in the AAC. He averages 9.0 points per game with a team-high 18 blocks and 18 steals. Travis Evee paces the team with 15.7 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds per game, 49 assists, a team-high 28 steals, and five blocks. Mekhi Mason is the only other player averaging double digits with 14.4 points a game. He averages 3.9 rebounds per game and has 64 assists, 23 steals, and 11 blocks.
Tale of the Tape
| USF | Category | Rice |
| 75.4 | POINTS PER GAME | 73.2 |
| 69.0 | OPP. POINTS PER GAME | 76.3 |
| .436 | FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .440 |
| .424 | OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .456 |
| .352 | 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .336 |
| .317 | OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .354 |
| .728 | FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | .693 |
| 36.2 | REBOUNDS PER GAME | 35.9 |
| -0.1 | REBOUNDING MARGIN | 0.2 |
| 14.8 | ASSISTS PER GAME | 14.9 |
| 10.7 | TURNOVERS PER GAME | 12.6 |
| 2.4 | TURNOVER MARGIN | -1.5 |
| 6.9 | STEALS PER GAME | 6.0 |
| 3.4 | BLOCKS PER GAME | 3.3 |
American Athletic Conference Standings (as of February 8)
1. South Florida – 16-5, 9-1
2. Florida Atlantic – 18-5, 8-2
3. Charlotte – 14-8, 8-2
4. SMU – 16-7, 7-3
5. UAB – 15-8, 7-3
6. Memphis – 17-6, 6-4
7. North Texas – 13-9. 6-4
8. Tulane – 13-9, 4-6
9. ECU – 11-12, 4-6
10. Tulsa – 12-10, 3-7
11. Rice – 9-14, 3-7
12. Wichita State – 10-13, 2-8
13. UTSA – 8-15, 2-8
14. Temple – 8-15, 1-9
Follow Live
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: riceowls.com
Listen: Bulls Unlimited
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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.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
