Maybe that’s why OU declined…..too scared to get an OOC L

The numbers point to this being a good matchup for USF. The only advantage UCF has is that they are playing at home

UCF does not have the inside scoring punch to hurt USF like UAB, Charlotte, or FAU could. UCF is also not a great 3pt shooting team. They have 1 guy who shoots it well in G Darius Johnson at 39%.

UCF relies heavily on their two guards Johnson(6-1, 200lbs) as mentioned and Jaylin Sellers(6-4, 200lbs). USF will be able to counter with Youngblood and Miguel. I do believe that Pacer will need help guarding Johnson who can get hot and is too strong for Jose. USF's Kasean Pryor is poised to have a huge game, because he does not have to worry about guarding a guy that is bigger and stronger than him with any skills. Pryor will also be able to play more in the post instead of just staying on the outside. UCF will have to send a double team at Pryor who is very good at passing out of.

UCF plays primary tight man defense and is subject to backdoor cuts off the high post. Again that is a strength of Youngblood and Pryor.

Prediction: If USF is on their game, not just settling for 3s, and adjusts to UCF tight man defense, I see a 78 -60 USF win. The closest thing that UCF has seem to USF is BYU and they loss both games.

NABC all district player and coach.

District 24

First Team

Johnell Davis - Florida Atlantic

Jason Edwards - North Texas

David Jones - Memphis

Zhuric Phelps - SMU

Chris Youngblood - South Florida



Second Team

Kevin Cross - Tulane

RJ Felton - East Carolina

Vladislav Goldin - Florida Atlantic

Yaxel Lendeborg - UAB

Lu'Cye Patterson - Charlotte



Coach of the Year: Amir Abdur-Rahim - South Florida

This is voted on by fellow coaches.

I was thinking about an All AAC team for this season. I came up with 28 legitimate candidates and I decided not to rank them until after the tournament. One conclusion I came to is the AAC is a conference of players who run like whippets and they are tough as nails to go with it. Of the 14 teams, 3 have 2 double figure scorers, 8 have 3 dfs, 1 has 4 dfs & 2 have 5 dfs. One of those 5s is Tulane. Tulane has ranked in the top 25 all season in scoring but their defense was questionable (unquestionably bad). The Green Wave's 85-75 win over Wichita St was the first time this season that Tulane pulled out a win with the game in the balance in the final 5 minutes.. Can they continue that pattern? I don't know, but if they can beware.

We all know that any team can jump up and beat any other team on any given day in the AAC. The new season begins on Tuesday 3/12 with the 2 play in games. The teams that scare me the most going into the tourney in order are 1. FAU 2. Memphis 3. UAB 4. Charlotte.

The coaches the Bulls face are great coaches & they worked very hard to have their teams at their peaks come tourney time. Dusty May, Andy Kennedy, Penny Hardaway etc. Everyone knows everyone now and get ready for some exciting basketball !!!!

GO BULLS !!!!!

A bunch of my fellow Hoosiers are hoping the Indiana St coach will take the St Louis job and that IU will go after Conwell.

Latest from those take their nerd-dom to a new level.

This one has South Florida at #4 UCF:


This one has South Florida as a #1 seed histing either SMU, Washington , Yale or Boston College

Yesterday Memphis' Head Coach Penny Hardaway said "NO" his team will not be participating in the NIT. Today it looks like two more teams will be rejecting the NIT. Cincinnati and Ole Miss are the latest two. It appears that some of the so-called P5 teams will be rejecting the bids, since it serves them no real purpose and they can get started recruiting the transfer portal preparing for next season. If this is the case, it just shows how much more deep the NIL and Transfer portal has affected College Basketball, plus the NIT will be forced to once agains rearrange their tournament to include the MM/LM conference winners that miss out on the NCAAT. Frankly it serves them right because it took away from the smaller leagues and teams the chance to be rewarded after a great season only to include an average or below average P5 team that actually had a failure of a season. Maybe open the Transfer window after the Final 4?

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TAMPA, Fla. (March 18, 2024) – Amir Abdur-Rahim, the USF men’s basketball coach, collects quotes. For two decades, after coming across something particularly inspiring or useful, he meticulously writes it by hand in his journal.

Whether it’s the words of an ancient Renaissance man (Michelangelo) or a modern street poet (Nipsey Hussle), he can reference a wonderfully diverse collection of thought-provoking ideas.

One of his favorites comes from author Maya Angelou:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’’

And that is the essence of Abdur-Rahim’s first season with the Bulls.

USF men’s basketball feels relevant again. His players feel passionate and driven. The entire USF athletic department feels motivated and energetic, even beyond basketball. He has helped to rejuvenate a long-dormant fan base and student section. Visitors to the Yuengling Center immediately notice the difference. The place feels alive.

“My top goal all along was being the most connected team in the country,’’ Abdur-Rahim said. “The results take care of themselves if you’re playing and fighting for one another every night. It’s more powerful than confidence and momentum. Connection, man. That’s what we want. That’s who we are.’’

The results?

The Bulls (24-7) will return to the postseason Tuesday night with a first-round National Invitation Tournament game in Orlando against the UCF Knights (17-15). USF won the American Athletic Conference’s regular-season championship on the strength of a program-record 15-game winning streak, while earning the AAC Tournament’s No. 1 seed.

Meanwhile, Abdur-Rahim, hired last spring after taking Kennesaw State University from one victory to an NCAA Tournament bid in a four-season span, was a unanimous selection for AAC Coach of the Year. He has also been named as one of the 10 semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year.

Not surprisingly, Abdur-Rahim said any coaching award should be called “Staff of the Year.’’ If he receives a trophy or plaque, he said he will strip away the label and replace it with a “Staff of the Year’’ designation.

“USF’s progress has been spectacular,’’ said Sports Illustrated columnist Pat Forde, one of the nation’s most respected college sports journalists. “Amir Abdur-Rahim should be on every National Coach of the Year list. What he did at Kennesaw State was amazing, but this is every bit as impressive.’’

Abdur-Rahim quickly deflects the praise, instead pumping up the work of his players and coaching staff. As for himself, he simply says, “Don’t congratulate me for doing what I was hired to do. Sometimes, success brings complacency. And complacency can bring comfort. We are concentrating on growth and humility. We are NOT going to have a program of entitlement.’’

On road trips, USF players are required to transfer all the bags from their charter planes to the bus and hotel, instead of relying on the customary hustle of team managers. After completing team meals inside the hotel meeting rooms, players have learned to clear their own plates and utensils off the table instead of contentedly allowing the hotel staff to wait on them.

With Abdur-Rahim, lower-rung workers are treated with respect. He credits the influence of William Abdur-Rahim, his Muslim father, and Deborah Hester, his Christian mother. The father was an imam, a prayer leader at a mosque, and he usually had his children working Thanksgiving mornings at Atlanta food banks or homeless shelters. Abdur-Rahim regularly visited the classroom of his mother, a high-school teacher, to interact with her special-needs students.

Abdur-Rahim, 43, is the fourth oldest of 13 siblings (11 have earned college degrees, one is in college and the other is in high school). His older brother, Shareef, was a third overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and played 13 seasons in the league while earning an Olympic gold medal. Abdur-Rahim remembers the examples of hard work by joining Shareef in running conditioning gassers in 95-degree heat (immediately after signing a six-year, $71-million contract extension) and watching him prepare for post-basketball life by taking an unpaid internship (he’s now president of the NBA’s G-League).

Wonder no more where Abdur-Rahim learned about competitiveness and work ethic.

“From the very first time we spoke with him in the interview process to right now, Amir has been the same authentic, genuine person,’’ said USF senior associate athletic director Lee Butler, who worked with vice president of athletics Michael Kelly to hire Abdur-Rahim. “He’s a really good basketball coach. But he is an elite leader. And he is an elite developer of men.

“He understands you don’t have to be the most talented team, the biggest team or the best-shooting team. But you better be the most connected team if you’re going to achieve at a high level through adversity and challenging times. He relates to his players. And I think his ability to bring people together — whether it’s students, program supporters, faculty, staff and the local community — is absolutely elite.’’

His wife, Ari, knows that well.

“When we met, the first thing I noticed was Amir’s heart,’’ she said. “Just a great, kind heart. Talking to him was effortless. It was so refreshing. We did not run out of things to talk about and we were both grounded in faith. I felt an instant connection.’’

It’s a word to remember — connection.

Man Of The People

You’d expect Abdur-Rahim’s wife and their three small children — Laila, Lana and Aydin — to feel a strong connection.

But complete strangers?

The past three USF home games, all sellouts, have felt like a love-in between Abdur-Rahim, his players, and 10,000-plus of their closest friends.

When hundreds of students lined up to enter the Feb. 18 game against Florida Atlantic, hours before the doors opened, Abdur-Rahim emerged outside (in a steady rain) to slap high-fives with everyone. He has appeared randomly around campus to pay for everyone’s . Sometimes, he distributes doughnuts or pizza.

After USF victories, once the Alma Mater is complete, he conducts the Herd of Thunder pep band and steps into the middle of the SoFlo Rodeo student section to celebrate and dance.

“It’s so much fun,’’ Abdur-Rahim said. “I think it’s a good thing for the students to have a head basketball coach who is a human being. I don’t want our program to be separated from campus. We are a part of campus. We want to be visible because there’s nothing better than interacting with the students.

“I tell our players to take off their headphones when they’re walking around campus. Hold the door for somebody. Introduce yourself. Invite them to a game. Obviously, our guys are doing something right because our students have really gotten behind them and are supporting them.’’

Abdur-Rahim has that rare ability to remain grounded in the moment, even when chaos is crashing all around. He looks you in the eye and makes you feel heard, whether you are USF president Rhea Law, Muma Center custodian Walter Newson or someone who’s new on campus.

“He understands that the fans want to love him … and he sincerely loves the fans,’’ said Tampa-based musician Johnny G Lyon, a USF basketball fan for three decades, whose band has opened concerts for James Brown and B.B. King. “The way he relates to the students isn’t for show. It’s real.’’

Across the Yuengling Center concourse, a banner has been draped:

SoFlo Rodeo LOVES Coach Amir.

That’s real, too.

“We feel connected to this team,’’ said freshman Ari Thibeault, who’s majoring in exercise science. “We feel like Coach Amir is one of us.’’

“He has brought out the energy that we’ve needed around here for a very long time,’’ said Vladomir Jungkman, a graduate student in business analytics.

“He gives our program a classy image because he’s wearing a suit and tie to the games, but after we win, he’s up here to show his appreciation,’’ said senior Jed Castricone, who’s majoring in finance. “I’d run through a wall for Coach Amir.’’

And if the students feel that way, what must the players think?

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Curious seeing Pryor starting. Not that he shouldn't but Coach went with Corey Walker Jr yesterday and he played well until leaving with an injury. I have to wonder if it's more serious than we thought, or CAAR is just going with Pryor starting. If so UAB will try and attack hime early to draw fouls. USF has to be the aggressor first and often to reverse what happened in Birmingham earlier in the AAC season.

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FORT WORTH, Texas (March 16, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team fell in a heartbreaker in the American Athletic Conference semifinals against UAB on Saturday. Selton Miguel recorded a team-high 19 points, but the Bulls fell to the Blazers 93-83.



With the loss, USF fell to 24-7 on the year, while UAB improved to 22-11 on the year.



The Blazers came out of the gate strong and scored the game’s first eight points. The Bulls were unfazed and rattled off five unanswered to make the score 8-5 at the first media timeout. South Florida scored the next eight points and gave USF a 13-8 lead. Chris Youngblood knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game and put South Florida on top 16-10 with 11:45 left in the first half.



UAB outscored USF 11-9 over the next 3:45, but the Bulls still held a 25-21 with 8:00 left until the break. The Blazers utilized a 9-3 run and took a 30-28 lead with just under four minutes left in the half. UAB closed out the half on an 8-2 run and took a 38-30 lead into the break.



The second half started fast as both sides knocked down two 3-pointers each. The Blazers extended their lead to 49-38 with just under 17 minutes left in the second half. The Bulls outscored the Blazers 13-10 over the next seven minutes and cut the deficit to 59-51 with 11:35 left on the clock.



The Bulls went on an 8-3 run that was highlighted by a Youngblood slam dunk. South Florida cut the deficit to three, 62-59, with just over eight minutes left in regulation.



The next six minutes were a battle back-and-forth. UAB outscored USF 18-15 and took an 81-74 2:44 left in regulation. The Blazers ended the game outscoring the Bulls 11-9 and claimed a 93-83 victory.



Miguel led the Bulls with a 19-point performance, his 27th game in double figures. He added one assist. Kasean Pryor produced his 11th double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. He added a game-high five assists with two steals and a block. Youngblood finished with 13 points, his 26th game in double digits. He had two rebounds, one block, and one steal. Kobe Knox rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, his 12th double-figure game of the year. He dished out four assists and had two steals. Brandon Stroud and Jayden Reid each finished with eight points.



Efrem Johnson led UAB with a game-high 21 points to go along with two rebounds and two assists. Eric Gaines added a 20-point effort with five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Yaxel Lendeborg produced a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Christian Coleman added 15 points, five rebounds and one steal.



Notables

· Selton Miguel led the Bulls with a 19-point performance, his 27th game in double figures. He added one assist.

· Kasean Pryor produced his 11th double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. He added a game-high five assists with two steals and a block.

· Chris Youngblood finished with 13 points, his 26th game in double digits. He had two rebounds, one block, and one steal.

· Kobe Knox rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, his 12th double-figure game of the year. He dished out four assists and had two steals.



Next Up

South Florida will now have to wait on its fate. The Bulls will find out if they are in the NCAA Tournament or in the NIT. The selection show is Sunday, March 17, at 6 p.m.

South Florida Opens AAC Championship Against ECU on Friday

The Bulls enter the American Athletic Conference as the No.1 seed



TAMPA, Fla. (March 11, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team opens the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championship as the No. 1 seed, for the first time in program history, inside Dickies Arena on Friday. South Florida will face the No. 8 seed East Carolina Tulsa at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2.



Earlier in the week, the Bulls had four specialty awards along with three players on all-conference teams. Chris Youngblood was named Co-Player of the Year, while Selton Miguel earned the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player. Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim was named a unanimous Coach of the Year. Youngblood landed on the first team and Miguel earned a spot on the second team. Jayden Reid was a member of the all-freshman team.



CY in the YC

Chris Youngblood was named the AAC Co-Player of the Year. He was the first Player of the Year since Charlie Bradley in 1983. He also picked up a First-Team All-AAC and is the first player to do so since Dominique Jones in 2010. In conference play, he averaged 15.7 points per game with 40 assists, 10 steals, and nine blocks. He led the conference with a 3-point field goal percentage of 45.0 percent. His 45 3-pointers were the fourth most in the AAC. He produced 16 games in double figures, with four games of 20 or more. He produced a career-high 29 points in the win against Tulane on March 3. He shot 46.0 percent from the field and 78.3 percent from the free-throw line. For the season, he leads the team with 15.3 points per game. He is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 63 assists, 16 blocks, and 16 steals. He is shooting 81.7 percent from the free-throw line, tied for 167th in the country and eighth in the AAC. His 2.14 3-pointers per game are tied for 207th in the country and eighth in the conference.



‘Sel’ing Point

Selton Miguel earned his first Sixth Man of the Year and his first Most Improved Player accolades. He landed on his first all-conference nod with a second-team honor. He is the first Sixth Man of the Year since Altron Jackson in 2001. He averaged 14.9 points per game with 3.0 rebounds per contest. He tallied 40 assists, 19 steals, and eight blocks. He produced 16 games in double figures, with three games of 20 or more. He recorded a career-high 25 points in the win against No. 24 Florida Atlantic on February 18. He produced a career-high three blocks against UAB on January 7. He finished conference play shooting 79.1 percent from the free-throw line, 41.4 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. For the season, he is tied for 255th in the country with 2.03 3-pointers per game, which is 12th in the conference. He is second on the team with 14.7 points per contest. He is tied for fourth on the squad with 3.4 boards per game. He is tied for second on the squad with 33 steals and is second on the team with 66 assists. He has added 10 blocks.



Chef Boyar“Reid”

Jayden Reid was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team. He finished his first year with 5.7 points per game and 2.3 rebounds a contest. He led the team with 47 assists. He added 21 steals. He tied a career-high five field goals made against Temple on January 4, where he finished with 14 points. He tallied three games in double digits during conference play. He dished out six assists in the win against Tulane on March 3. He shot 53.8 percent from 3-point range, 42.9 percent from the field, and 72.5 percent from the free throw line. For the season, he leads the team with 94 assists. He is tied for 280th in the NCAA with 3.2 assists per game and is tied for 11th in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.14, which is tied for 110th in the country, tied for fifth in the conference, and ninth among NCAA freshmen. He has a team-best 37 steals. He averages 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 6.7 points per contest.



Head Coach AAR

Amir Abdur-Rahim became the first USF coach to win an American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year accolade. In his first season at South Florida, he has led the Bulls to a 20-win season, just the sixth time in program history. The 23 wins are the most during the regular season and one shy of tying the most in program history at 24. USF earned their first-ever ranking and reached No. 24 in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. He guided South Florida to 16 wins in conference play, the most in program history. The Bulls went on the program’s longest winning streak with 15 games. He is the only coach to win their regular season debut and their conference debut.



Bulls at a Glance

Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per contest. His 6.07 defensive rebounds per game are 60th in the NCAA and fourth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.8 points per game. He is second on the squad in blocks with 20. He is tied for second on the team with 33 steals. He has added 47 assists. He is shooting 82.2 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 153rd in the country and fifth in the conference. Kobe Knox leads the team with 21 blocks. He averages 8.6 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 6.0 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.2 points a game with 41 assists, 33 steals, and 10 blocks.



Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is 20th in the NCAA and second in the conference averaging 28.52 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 827-501. Opposing benches are averaging just 17.27 points per game.



Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 38th in the NCAA and tied for fifth in the conference with 16.3 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 46th in the country with 22.1 free-throw attempts per game, which is fifth in the AAC.



Fast and Furious

The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 50th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.2, which is the best in the conference. South Florida is 89th in the country with 12.97 forced turnovers per contest, which is fifth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are tied for 80th in the nation with 12.03 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.



Last Time Out

The Bulls dropped their second AAC game of the season on the road against the Golden Hurricane, 76-70. Kasean Pryor tied a career-high with 29 points and brought down 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. He added one steal and one assist. Chris Youngblood finished with 12 points, two assists, and one rebound. Selton Miguel closed out the double-digit scorers with 11 points. He collected four rebounds with three assists and two steals.

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and get started with
an opening statement from Coach and then take questions
for the student-athletes.
AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: For anybody who hasn't covered
us before, we always start by giving God the glory, so to
God be the glory. We're grateful and thankful for the
opportunity to come out here and glorifying His name with
our energy, our effort, how we approach every day. So to
God be the glory.
But hats off to a really good East Carolina team. Playing
two games in less than almost 24 hours, it's not an easy
thing to do. I thought they played hard, they competed, as
Coach Schwartz's teams will.
But I'm really proud of our group. To have our 18 assists,
nine turnovers, I'll take it all day. Have less than 10
turnovers in a game, you're going to give yourselves an
opportunity to win. I thought we did a great job of sharing
the ball. I thought we had great connection defensively
because to force 13 turnovers is a big deal. Really proud
of these kids.
I just want to -- last thing I'll say is this. You're sitting up
here and you're going to talk to two guys who deserve and
who have earned everything they're getting right now, two
of our hardest workers, two guys that have grown and
persevered through so much, through people hating on
'em, saying they weren't good enough, saying they weren't
this and they weren't that, and they just stayed working,
they stayed trusting what we've asked them to did, and
man, I'm just really proud of both of 'em.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. We'll start in the
room with questions.
Q. When you can go to your bench like that and count
on reliable guys, how does that just change your
team?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: That's a great question. I've said
this, and I'm going to openly say this. Selton Miguel has
been our MVP this year. He's been our most valuable guy
because he's allowed us to bring him off the bench and not
one time -- and I'm not making this up, not one time has he
ever made it about himself. Not one time has he ever said,
well, man, like, last year I had this, I had that, or, Coach,
I'm averaging -- I'm leading us in scoring along with
Youngblood. Like, he's just trusted what we've asked of
him and gone from there.
But when you can go to your bench and you can bring
guys in, and it doesn't matter who it is, whether it's Selton,
whether it's Corey Walker, who was a starter tonight, but
you're able to bring Kasean Pryor in, and he responded the
way he responded tonight, it just gives you confidence as a
coach to know, especially in a tournament setting, you're
going to be able to keep fresh legs and you're going to be
able to keep the same focus, energy, and effort that you
need to win a game.

Q. What was the message to the team coming off that
loss to Tulsa going into the tournament, ending that
loss, ending that win streak and everything there?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: I don't know if you've ever listened
to it, but I would recommend anybody go listen to
Chadwick Boseman's commencement speech at Howard,
and toward the end of that speech, there was a part in
there where he said, you'd rather find purpose than find a
job. He said, because purpose, it crosses all disciplines.
So after that Tulsa loss, what we talked about as a group,
as a team, we talked about having a purpose to everything
we were going to do. When we went down to practice,
having a purpose, because purpose, if we have a purpose,
it's going to drive our energy, it's going to drive our effort
it's going to drive our attitude. So I thought these guys
played with great purpose today.

Q. What was it like to be able to go deep into your
bench today and just bring out some of the fan favorite
players, just for your fans that came in today?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: No, it's awesome. But again, just
like Selton has been great all year and accepting his role
and -- not even just accepting it, being a star in his role, it
was -- man, I was so happy, the fact that the coaches and
the rest of the league recognized him as most improved
and Sixth Man of the Year, right?
But it was awesome to be able to play Danny Tobiloba and
Nic Smith and those guys because these guys show up
every day and Daniel probably hadn't played in
20-something games. Nic same thing. But they come to
practice, they come to work every day with a great attitude.
Nic is a guy that's on scout team every time. He's helping
us prepare for it.
So for those guys to have an opportunity to play in an
American Athletic Conference tournament, that's a big deal
to them, definitely.

Q. Right before the game, it was announced that you
were up for Coach of the Year. What about this team
has motivated you and pushed you to go out there and
do what you do day-in and day-out?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: I would say the first thing, there's
no such thing as Coach of the Year. First off, to God be
the glory. To be recognized, it's awesome, but it's no such
thing as Coach of the Year. It's a coaching staff that helps
create the opportunity. My job is to make sure I manage
my people the right way. It's humbling, but again, to God
be the glory. All the praise is for Him.

Q. When you win 15 in a row like that and you faced
adverse situations beyond that, does winning become
so habitual to you all that you just don't crumble in
those moments, that you still maintain your
confidence?

KOBE KNOX: Yeah, I feel like just every day we focus on
just keeping the same habits and just going, like, winning
every single day as a team, coming in focused and going
into each and every game prepared. So that's something
big for us, is to make sure we're very prepared coming into
the game, and I think the rest will take care of itself.
So, yeah, during that win streak, just coming into practice
every single day doing the same thing with a good mindset.

SELTON MIGUEL: Just picking up on what he said,
keeping the same habits every day, like coach mentioned,
every day. Just trying to be a better players ourselves
every day no matter what we've been going through.
Come to practice with the same mindset, don't change, just
keep being us, don't worry about who we're going to play
next, just come doing the same thing every day. That's
what make it's special.

Q. We saw Corey Walker go out kind of early, went to
the tunnel. Any update about his health or status?

AMIR ABDUR-RAHIM: It's pending right now, but he'll be
okay. We just wanted to -- our thing is this, as I've said
before, I'm in the business of molding men, and part of that
is making sure that they take care of themselves. We're
never going to put a game in front of a player. So I think
they told me at 10 minutes, hey, if you need him, he's
ready. No, no, no, we're going to make sure Corey's okay
because my first priority is the safety and care of my guys.
Plus, I'm not trying to have Kathy Walker strangle. I'm not.

South Florida tied a program record with 24 wins



FORT WORTH, Texas (March 15, 2024) – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team reached the American Athletic Conference Semifinals for the first time after defeating East Carolina in the quarterfinals on Friday. The No. 1 seed Bulls bested the No. 8 seed Pirates 81-59 as Kobe Knox and Selton Miguel tied for a game-high 17 points.



With the win, South Florida improved to 24-6 on the year, while East Carolina fell to 15-18 on the year. The Bulls reached the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference for the first time. It is just the sixth time in program history that a team has reached the semifinals. South Florida tied a program record with 24 wins, set during the 2018-19 season. The 22-point victory is the second-largest margin of victory in a conference tournament for South Florida. The record is 27 against Jacksonville, 86-59, in 1990, as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.



The Pirates scored the game’s first points on a 3-pointer. The Bulls responded with a 13-4 run. Kobe Knox accounted for six points, while Chris Youngblood added five points. USF took a 13-7 lead at the first media timeout.



South Florida outscored East Carolina 4-2 over the next four minutes and stretched its lead to 17-9 with 11:50 left until the break. The Bulls and Pirates traded baskets over the next four minutes of play as USF held a 10-point lead, 25-15. South Florida extended its lead to 37-25 with just over three minutes left on the clock.



USF outscored ECU 7-5 to end the half and took a 44-30 lead into the break.



The Bulls opened the second half on a 7-3 run and extended their lead to 51-33. South Florida added to the lead and held East Carolina scoreless for 2:39 of play as USF went up 55-33.



ECU went on a 6-2 run and cut the USF lead to 57-39 with just over 11 minutes left on the clock. The Bulls responded with an 11-4 run and extended their lead to 68-43. During the run, Knox accounted for six and Miguel added five. Daniel Tobiloba put the Bulls up 30, their largest lead of the game, 80-50, with a layup 2:13 left on the clock. South Florida claimed an 81-59 victory.



Knox and Miguel finished the game tied for a game-high with 17 points each. Miguel recorded his 26th game in double figures, while Knox notched his 11th game in double digits. Miguel chipped in with a game-high three steals, two rebounds, and one assist. Knox added six rebounds and two assists. Pryor produced his 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He added two blocks, two steals, and one assist. Youngblood closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, his 25th game in double figures. He collected a rebound, an assist, a steal, and a block. Brandon Stroud dished out a career-high eight assists, which was a game high. He brought down seven rebounds with four points, two blocks, and a steal.



As a team, the USF bench outscored the ECU bench 38-6. The Bulls forced 13 turnovers, which led to 18 points off turnovers.



RJ Felton led the Pirates with 16 points. Brandon Johnson recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Ezra Ausar rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points for ECU.



Notables

· The Bulls reached the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference for the first time.

· It is just the sixth time in program history that a team has reached the semifinals.

· South Florida tied a program record with 24 wins, set during the 2018-19 season.

· The 22-point victory is the second-largest margin of victory in a conference tournament for South Florida. The record is 27 against Jacksonville, 86-59, in 1990, as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

· Selton Miguel tied for a game-high 17 points. He chipped in with a game-high three steals, two rebounds, and one assist.

· Kobe Knox also tied for a game-high 17 points. Knox added six rebounds and two assists.

· Kasean Pryor produced his 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He added two blocks, two steals, and one assist.

· Chris Youngblood closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, his 25th game in double figures. He collected a rebound, an assist, a steal, and a block.



Next Up

South Florida will face the winner of the No. 4 UAB and No. 12 Wichita State on Saturday, March 16. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET tip on ESPN2.

My QB is riding nice. Great choice in a vehicle that lets you know his maturity level. It might even be a hybrid.

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Checked into my hotel tonight and immediately saw Haggerty. Had a hard time not going Harding on him.

Based on the future, USF came in 23rd. https://www.espn.com/college-footba...e-football-future-power-rankings-quarterbacks

I don't have any names except those that Russ listed last year, but with this season USF is having and the crowds getting better and better in the YC, there is no way CAAR is wasting this momentum and not having 2025 invited to attend these games. The 2025 class is scheduled to be a large one for USF. We are concentrating on the 2024 class, mainly Karter Knox, but this is going to be a hard working spring and summer for the USF coaching staff, likely filling several open scholarships for the 2024 class and going full throttle trying to nail down at least 7 new players for the class of 2025.

I'm sure a prospect or two visited for the Charlotte game and had to have come away impressed. We know there will be prospects in the YC tomorrow for a sold out loud home game against a state rival, and the team USF needs to beat in order to win the AAC regular season title outright, and take a bigger leap in getting a NCAAT bid. I know 2024 PG Corey "CJ" Brown will be in town, but can't imagine there will not be others.

Kelly???

If anyone is interested in joining a keeper Fantasy Baseball league this upcoming season feel free to reach out to me. This league has been around since 2010 and we are always looking to add new owners and share in the camaraderie.