Bulls coming off back-to-back home sellouts, riding program record 13-game win streak
USF SPORTS INFORMATION TAMPA, Fla. (February 26, 2024) – For the first time in program history, the University of South Florida men’s basketball team is ranked in the AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulls were ranked 17th in Andy Katz NCAA Power 36 this week- up from 19th spot last week.
South Florida checked in at No. 25 in both polls after extending a program-record win streak to 13 games with a 79-68 victory over SMU (19-5) before the Bulls second-straight sellout crowd at Yuengling Center on Sunday.
More than 10,000 fans watched South Florida improve to 21-5 overall and 14-1 in the American Athletic Conference. USF has a three-game lead in the conference standings with three games left to play. The 13-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NCAA this season and the Bulls’ 14 wins in conference play are the most in program history, surpassing the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12.
The Bulls have drawn nearly 21,000 fans to Yuengling Center in their last two home games (10,251 on Sunday), including nearly 7,000 students, as they posted a pair of sellouts in the same season for just the second time in program history.
In 1991, USF got 58 votes in the AP poll two spots out of 25th after beating Iowa. Two nights later, on New Year’s Eve, the Bulls lost at Cincinnati, an eventual Final 4 team. That’s as close as USF has come previously to being ranked.
Notables From the Bulls’ Record-Setting Season
· USF has a three-game lead with three games left to play in the American Athletic Conference as it seeks an outright conference championship, the program’s first regular-season conference title in program history. The Bulls won the Sun Belt Conference tournament in 1990.
· USF has won 20 games in the regular season for the first time in program history and just the sixth time overall. With 21 wins, USF is within three of the program season record of 24.
· The Bulls’ 13-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in program history, surpassing a 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season. USF has won 19 of its last 20 overall.
· The 13-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the NCAA behind Saint Mary’s with 15 straight.
· The 14 wins in conference play are the most in USF program history.
· The 10,659 fans that watched USF beat No. 24 FAU on Feb. 18 marked a new program record for attendance, breaking a mark set in 2001.
· The Bulls’ victory over No. 24 FAU marked their second Top 25 win of the season (W, 74-73, at No. 10 Memphis), the first time doing so since 2011-12.
Up Next
South Florida makes a trip back to North Carolina on Saturday, March 2, for a contest against Charlotte, which currently stands tied for second in the conference at 11-4. USF won the first match-up in Tampa, 72-69, on Feb. 6. The Bulls and 49ers are slated for a 4 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
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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.