TAMPA, Fla. (February 5, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team returns to the Yuengling Center for an American Athletic Conference showdown with Charlotte. The Bulls (15-5, 8-1 AAC) and 49ers (14-7, 8-1 AAC) are scheduled for a 9 p.m. start on ESPN2.
USF extended its winning streak to seven games. South Florida started the season 15-5 for just the fifth time in program history. It is the first time since the 1990-91 campaign. The Bulls extended their winning streak to seven conference games, which is the longest in program history. The seven-game winning streak ties the third-longest winning streak in program history. It is the first time since the 2018-19 season that USF has won seven straight games.
Tuesday’s game will be another Athletes 4 Athletes game, where student-athletes from other sports show their support for their fellow student-athletes. The first 2,000 fans will receive foam glow sticks.
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 tied for the team lead with 14.6 points per game. He is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 43 assists, 12 steals, and 11 blocks. He is shooting 82.9 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 144th in the country and is fifth in the AAC.
‘Sel’ing Point
Selton Miguel is 169th in the country with 2.25 3-pointers per game, which is seventh in the conference. He is second on the team lead with 14.3 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.6 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 23 steals and is tied for second on the team with 43 assists. He has added seven blocks.
Pryor on Fire
Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per contest. His 5.83 defensive rebounds per game are 72nd in the NCAA and fifth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.5 points per game. He has a team-best 17 blocks. He leads the team with 25 steals. He has added 30 assists. He is shooting 81.7 percent from the free-throw line, which is 179th in the country and 10th in the conference.
Bulls at a Glance
Jayden Reid leads the team with 74 assists. He is tied for 179th in the NCAA with 3.7 assists per game and is tied for seventh in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.39, which is tied for 82nd in the country, fifth in the conference, and tied for ninth among NCAA freshmen. He is second on the team with 24 steals. He averages 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with 6.7 points per contest. Kobe Knox is second on the team with 14 blocks. He averages 8.5 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Strong Bench
South Florida’s bench is 38th in the NCAA and second in the conference averaging 27.50 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent’s bench 545-374. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.70 points per game.
Cashing in on Free Opportunities
The Bulls are tied for 55th in the NCAA and sixth in the conference with 15.9 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 70th in the country with 21.8 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 60th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.3, which is fourth in the conference. South Florida is 81st in the country with 13.25 forced turnovers per contest, which is fourth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 85th in the nation with 12.05 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.
Last Time Out
South Florida knocked off North Texas on the road 60-55. South Florida started the season 15-5 for just the fifth time in program history. It is the first time since the 1990-91 campaign. The Bulls extended their winning streak to seven conference games, which is the longest in program history. The seven-game winning streak ties the third-longest winning streak in program history. It is the first time since the 2018-19 season that USF has won seven straight games. Chris Youngblood finished with a team-high 16 points. He added one rebound. Brandon Stroud recorded a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with eight points, four assists, two steals, and one block. It was his third consecutive game with 12 rebounds. Selton Miguel and Kasean Pryor each posted nine-point performances.
History with Charlotte
South Florida and Charlotte will meet for the 55th time Tuesday. The Bulls hold the series advantage 29-25. South Florida has won three of the last four meetings, including a 78-76 victory in Tampa on December 21, 2017. USF is 15-10 at home against CLT.
Scouting the 49ers
Charlotte is holding opponents to just 64.1 points per game, which is tied for 17th in the NCAA and second in the AAC. The 49ers are tied for 40th in the NCAA with a free-throw percentage of 75.5 percent, which is the best in the conference. They have limited turnovers and are tied for 15th in the nation with 9.6 turnovers per game, which leads the league. CLT is tied for 50th in the NCAA with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.90, which leads the conference. Lu’Cye Patterson leads the team with 14.3 points per contest. He averages 3.7 rebounds a game to go along with 56 assists, a team-best 24 steals, and five blocks. Igor Milicic Jr. is second on the team averaging 13.0 points. He is tied for 62nd in the NCAA with a free-throw percentage of 86.8, which is second in the AAC. He paces the team with 8.3 rebounds a game, which is tied for 74th in the country and fourth in the conference. His 6.71 defensive rebounds per game are 30th in the nation and second in the conference. He has a team-high 27 blocks. Dishon Jackson is third on the team with 11.0 points a contest. He is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game. He is second on the squad with 22 blocks. He has added 25 assists and 13 steals. Nik Graves rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.2 points a game. He leads the team with 61 assists. He is 31st in the NCAA with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.90, which paces the conference. He averages 3.7 rebounds a game with 20 steals and three blocks.
Tale of the Tape
| USF | Category | CLT |
| 75.6 | POINTS PER GAME | 69.2 |
| 69.1 | OPP. POINTS PER GAME | 64.1 |
| .438 | FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .454 |
| .422 | OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .416 |
| .353 | 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .315 |
| .317 | OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .307 |
| .729 | FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | .755 |
| 36.4 | REBOUNDS PER GAME | 33.1 |
| -0.2 | REBOUNDING MARGIN | 0.8 |
| 14.9 | ASSISTS PER GAME | 13.7 |
| 11.0 | TURNOVERS PER GAME | 9.6 |
| 1.4 | TURNOVER MARGIN | 1.4 |
| 7.0 | STEALS PER GAME | 6.0 |
| 3.4 | BLOCKS PER GAME | 3.7 |
American Athletic Conference Standings (as of February 5)
1. Florida Atlantic – 18-4, 8-1
2. South Florida – 15-5, 8-1
3. Charlotte – 14-7, 8-1
4. SMU – 15-7, 6-3
5. UAB – 14-8, 6-3
6. Memphis – 16-6, 5-4
7. North Texas – 12-9. 5-4
8. Tulane – 13-9, 4-6
9. ECU – 11-12, 4-6
10. Tulsa – 12-9, 3-6
11. Rice – 9-13, 3-6
12. UTSA – 8-14, 2-7
13. Wichita State – 9-13, 1-8
14. Temple – 8-14, 1-8
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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.