South Florida Hosts Tulsa for Midweek Matchup on ESPNU. The First Place Bulls Hope To Keep Their Winning Streak Alive.

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TAMPA, Fla. (February 13, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team returns to action inside the Yuengling Center on Wednesday, Feb. 14, as Tulsa comes to Tampa. The Bulls (17-5, 10-1 AAC) and the Golden Hurricane (12-11, 3-8 AAC) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPNU.

The Bulls extended their winning streak to nine conference games, which is the longest in program history. South Florida started the season 17-5 for the first time in program history. The 10 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The nine-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history, tying the 1982-83 season. The Bulls have won five road games in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 squad in the Big East.

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 Bulls with 18.5 points per game for the week as South Florida recorded a 2-0 week. He shot 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range, and 80.0 percent (4-for-5) from the free-throw line. He notched a 13-point performance against Charlotte. He added four rebounds, two assists, and one block. Against Rice, he produced a game-high 24 points. He went 6-for-7, 85.7 percent, from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, one block, and one steal. For the season, he paces the team with 15.0 points per game. He is averaging 2.6 rebounds per game to go along with 45 assists, 13 steals, and 13 blocks. He is shooting 82.8 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 144th in the country and is fifth in the AAC. His 2.23 3-pointers per game are tied for 176th in the country and sixth in the conference.

‘Sel’ing Point

Selton Miguel is 223rd in the country with 2.09 3-pointers per game, which is tied for ninth in the conference. He leads the team with 14.5 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.3 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 24 steals and is second on the team with 51 assists. He has added seven blocks.

Pryor on Fire

Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per contest. His 5.76 defensive rebounds per game are 90th 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 18 blocks. He leads the team with 27 steals. He has added 31 assists. He is shooting 82.1 percent from the free-throw line, which is 159th in the country and sixth in the conference.

Bulls at a Glance

Jayden Reid leads the team with 79 assists. He is tied for 202nd in the NCAA with 3.6 assists per game and is eighth in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.32, which is tied for 87th in the country, fifth in the conference, and sixth among NCAA freshmen. He is second on the squad with 26 steals. He averages 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 6.8 points per contest. Kobe Knox is second on the team with 16 blocks. He averages 8.5 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.5 points a game with 28 assists, 19 steals, and five blocks.

Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is 42nd in the NCAA and third in the conference averaging 26.68 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent’s bench 587-405. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.40 points per game.

Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 69th in the NCAA and sixth in the conference with 15.5 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 76th in the country with 21.5 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 52nd in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.4, which is third in the conference. South Florida is 110th in the country with 12.95 forced turnovers per contest, which is seventh in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 95th in the nation with 11.77 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.

Last Time Out

South Florida defeated Rice 69-65. The Bulls extended their winning streak to nine conference games, which is the longest in program history. South Florida started the season 17-5 for the first time in program history. The 10 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The nine-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history, tying the 1982-83 season. The Bulls have won five road games in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 squad in the Big East. Chris Youngblood finished a game-high 24 points to go along with four rebounds, one block, and one steal. Kasean Pryor recorded his sixth double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He added two steals, one block, and one assist. Selton Miguel added 12 points with three assists. Knox had a season-high six assists to go along with six points.

History with Tulsa

The Bulls and Golden Hurricane will meet for the 15th time on Wednesday. Tulsa leads the series 12-2, but South Florida has won the last two matchups. USF won the last meeting 72-56 in Tampa. The Bulls are 1-6 against the Hurricane in home games.

Scouting the Golden Hurricane

PJ Haggerty paces Tulsa with 19.8 points per game, which is tied for 32nd in the nation and second in the conference. He is sixth in the NCAA with 212 free throw attempts, which leads the AAC. He has made 171 free throws, which is tied for sixth in the country and best in the conference. His 43 steals are tied for 82nd in the nation and seventh in the league. He averages 4.9 rebounds per game with 81 assists. Cobe Williams leads the team with 49 steals, which is tied for 38th in the NCAA and third in the conference. He leads the squad with 84 assists. He is averaging 13.4 points a game and 3.0 rebounds per contest. He has five blocks on the season. Keaston Willis closes out the double-digit scorers with 12.5 points a game. He has two steals. Jared Garcia has a team-best 31 blocks to go along with 9.1 points per game and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game. As a team, Tulsa is tied for 19th in the NCAA with 17.4 made free throws per game, which is third in the AAC. Their 23.4 free throw attempts per game are 25th in the nation and third in the conference.

Tale of the Tape 

USFCategoryTU
75.1POINTS PER GAME76.1
68.9OPP. POINTS PER GAME73.2
.436FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.437
.424OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.419
.3573-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.331
.317OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.308
.725FREE THROW PERCENTAGE.742
36.2REBOUNDS PER GAME36.1
-0.3REBOUNDING MARGIN-2.2
14.8ASSISTS PER GAME12.4
10.6TURNOVERS PER GAME13.7
2.4TURNOVER MARGIN-0.1
6.8STEALS PER GAME8.0
3.4BLOCKS PER GAME3.5

American Athletic Conference Standings (as of February 13)

1. South Florida – 17-5, 10-1

2. Florida Atlantic – 19-5, 9-2

3. Charlotte – 15-8, 9-2

4. SMU – 17-7, 8-3

5. UAB – 16-8, 8-3

6. Memphis – 18-6, 7-4

7. North Texas – 13-10. 6-5

8. ECU – 12-12, 5-6

9. Tulane – 13-10, 4-7

10. Tulsa – 12-11, 3-8

11. Rice – 9-15, 3-8

12. Wichita State – 10-14, 2-9

13. UTSA – 8-16, 2-9

14. Temple – 8-16, 1-10

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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.
 
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to 
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