With the regular-season wrapping up in college basketball, the red-hot University of South Florida Bulls have played themselves into the No. 1 seed and a triple-bye in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Bulls are 23-8 overall with a 15-3 conference record. The 23 regular season wins mark a program record that had been set in 2023-24. Their quick one-year turnaround can be attributed to head coach Bryan Hodgson, along with what he describes as the best staff in the country. Hodgson also brought in a slew of new players, revamping nearly the entire roster.
Transfer portal success was a driving factor in South Florida’s turnaround, as Izaiyah Nelson, Joseph Pinion, Wes Enis, Daimion Collins, Josh Omojafo, Devin Haid, and Isaiah Jones all transferred to South Florida this year upon Hodgson’s arrival in Tampa.
In the transfer portal era, it can be difficult to predict what a complete roster turnaround will look like. However, for South Florida, the team often talks about the bond they share and how they just want to see each other win. This shows in their play, as their entire starting five is averaging double figures this season.
Nelson was named Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and earned First-Team All-Conference honors in the AAC. His impact on both sides of the ball was immediately felt, as he averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game.
Enis and Pinion tied the school record in three-pointers made in a season with 100, making USF the 12th team ever to have multiple players hit 100 three-pointers in the same season. Enis earned First-Team All-Conference honors and led the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game while shooting nearly 37% from beyond the three-point line. Pinion earned Second-Team All-Conference honors and shot nearly 38% from three.
Looking ahead, the Bulls will head to Birmingham, where they will play for a chance to compete for a conference championship and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
As the No. 1 seed, the Bulls have earned a triple-bye, placing them automatically in the semfinals. Their semifinal matchup will be against Tulane, Memphis, Charlotte, or UAB, all of whom the Bulls defeated earlier in the year.
If South Florida gets it done in the tournament, ESPN bracket analyst Joe Lunardi has them sitting as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulls will tip off Saturday at 3 p.m. in the semifinals.
