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Has been talking up USF hoops for a few weeks.

Recher had a great interview with CAAR that I happened to catch live this afternoon.

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We check in at #29 in the Coach's Poll

Wish Russ still with us to see a full 'Sun Dome' as us old folk like to call it

Starting up the game thread. I will be at the game so likely won't post much. And yes, I pounded USF +6.5. Bulls are 13-1-3 ATS in their last 17 games.

Five games on tap today:

#20 Florida Atlantic (18-5, 8-2) at Wichita State (10-13, 2-8), 12pm (espn2)
UAB (15-8, 7-3) at Tulsa (12-10, 3-7), 2pm ESPN+
Charlotte (14-8, 8-2) at Temple (8-15, 1-0), 2pm ESPN+
North Texas (13-9, 6-4) at SMU (16-7, 7-3), 2pm ESPNU
Tulane (13-9, 4-6) at Memphis (17-5, 6-4), 2pm espn2

I still think that if Florida Atlantic wins the conference tournament that only one team from the American gets into the NCAA tournament. Memphis has a strong enough non-conference schedule to get an at-large bid but they cannot afford to lose many more games.

NCAA Tournament Bound

1. Florida Atlantic (18-5, 8-2); NET: #28 – Owls overtime loss opens the door for as many 4 other teams to win the regular season title; FAU still has a home-and-home series with Memphis, a road game at USF and home tilt with SMU

On the Bubble

None

NIT Bound

2. South Florida (17-5, 10-1); NET: #103 – Bulls have won 9 straight and 15 of their last 16, and despite their second half high wire act sit alone atop the American; with a win next Sunday at home against FAU, USF will have a clear path towards their first regular season title in program history

3. SMU (16-7, 7-3); NET: #42 – The Mustangs have now won 3 in a row, and with remaining games against USF, FAU and Memphis, and with tie-breakers over Charlotte and North Texas, SMU can play its way into the regular season conference championship picture

4. Memphis (17-6, 6-4); NET: #77 – After losing 4 in arow the Tigers have defeated two of the worst teams in the conference – Wichita State and Temple – by single digits; Memphis’ strong non-conference schedule and upcoming home-and-home series against FAU could give them an opportunity to sneak in to the tournament as an at-large selection

5. Charlotte (14-8, 8-2); NET: #95 – despite the 49ers road loss to USF, 6 of Charlotte’s remaining 8 games are against teams with a losing conference record; a road game at Memphis and home match up against the Bulls are the only games remaining against teams with a winning conference record

Post Season Possible

6. UAB (15-8, 7-3); NET: #120 – With the Blazer’s home overtime win against FAU, UAB has now won 3 of 4, including two against Top 25 teams, and remain in the hunt for a first-round bye in the conference tournament; only 3 of the Blazer’s 8 remaining games are against teams with a winning conference record, with 3 of those games at home where UAB is 5-0 in conference play

7. North Texas (13-9, 6-4); NET: #78 – the Mean Greene stopped their 3-game losing street with a road win at Tulsa, but now have a tough 3-game stretch of games at SMU, Memphis (home) and at UAB; North Texas’ 5-1 conference start could become 6-7 and land them in the second division

Second Division

8. Tulane (13-9, 4-6); NET: #117 – a home overtime win against Temple doesn’t install much confidence, but the Green Wave were able to snap a 3-game losing streak; Tulane is 1-4 on the road in conference games but is 3-2 at home with both conference loses coming by a combined 5 points

9. East Carolina (12-12, 5-6); NET: #185 – the Pirates are entering a soft stretch of their schedule and can get above .500 in conference play with upcoming games against Wichita State, Tulane and Rice (away)

10. Tulsa (12-10, 3-7); NET: #183 – outside of PJ Haggerty, the nation’s leading freshman scorer, there hasn’t been much to cheer about for the Golden Hurricane

11. Wichita State (10-13, 2-8); NET: #149 – Shockers have won 2 of 4, but their 8-game losing streak sunk their season

12. Rice (9-15, 3-8); NET: # 235 – after a modest 2-game win streak, the Owls have dropped 2 consecutive home games; Rice has had a second half lead in 4 of their 8 conference losses

13. UTSA (8-16, 2-9): NET: #286 – Road Runners have allowed 80+ points in 9 of their last 10 games

14. Temple (8-15, 1-9); NET: #251 – Owls have lost 8 in a row and now face Charlotte and FAU in consecutive games


All Conference First Team
David Jones, Mem (F) - Player of the Year
PJ Haggerty, Tulsa (F) - Freshman of the Year
Johnell Davis, FAU (G)
Kevin Cross, Tulane (F)
Jason Edwards, North Texas (G)

All Conference Second Team
RJ Felton, East Carolina (G)
Max Fiedler, Rice (F)
Hysier Miller, Temple (G)
Travis Eeve, Rice (G)
Vladislav Goldin, FAU (C)

All Conference Third Team
Colby Rogers, Wichita State (G)
Zhuric Phelps, SMU (G)
Eric Gaines, UAB (G)
Chris Youngblood, USF (G) - moved up
Igor Milicic, Jr, Charlotte (F) - moved up

Listening to post game and comments CAAR made it sound like a big recruit was in the building today.

Conference openers tonight:

• East Carolina (NET: #239) at Florida Atlantic (#18) 7pm on espn2
• Charlotte (#112) at SMU (#47) 9pm on espn2
• UAB (#215) at UTSA (#289) 9pm on ESPNU

Coach quoting Tupac

Love it

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TAMPA, Fla. (February 17, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team stays inside the friendly confines of the Yuengling Center on Sunday, Feb. 18, as No. 24 Florida Atlantic makes the trip to town. The Bulls (18-5, 11-1 AAC) and the Owls (20-5, 10-2 AAC) are slated for a noon tip on ESPN.



The first 1,000 fans will receive a SoFlo replica jersey. 5,000 SoFlo Bulls script t-shirts will be placed in the 100 level and certain parts of the 200 level. For all things related to game day, click here. With the sellout crowd, fans are encouraged to arrive early.



The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season.



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 14.7 points per game. He is averaging 2.6 rebounds per game to go along with 49 assists, 14 blocks, and 13 steals. He is shooting 82.8 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 136th in the country and is sixth in the AAC. His 2.22 3-pointers per game are tied for 177th in the country and seventh in the conference.



‘Sel’ing Point

Selton Miguel is 226th in the country with 2.09 3-pointers per game, which is tied for 11th in the conference. He is second on the team with 14.3 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.7 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 24 steals and is second on the team with 54 assists. He has added seven blocks.



Pryor on Fire

Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest. His 5.91 defensive rebounds per game are 74th in the NCAA and fifth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.0 points per game. He has a team-best 18 blocks. He is tied for the team lead with 27 steals. He has added 36 assists. He is shooting 83.0 percent from the free-throw line, which is 128th in the country and fourth in the conference.



Bulls at a Glance

Jayden Reid leads the team with 82 assists. He is tied for 198th in the NCAA with 3.6 assists per game and is tied for eighth in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.34, which is tied for 87th in the country, fifth in the conference, and eighth among NCAA freshmen. He is tied for the team lead with 27 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 17 blocks. He averages 8.8 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.6 points a game with 28 assists, 20 steals, and seven blocks.



Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is tied for 43rd in the NCAA and is third in the conference averaging 26.52 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 610-416. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.08 points per game.



Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 75th in the NCAA and sixth in the conference with 15.4 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 85th in the country with 21.1 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 63rd in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.1, which is fourth in the conference. South Florida is 109th in the country with 12.91 forced turnovers per contest, which is sixth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 106th in the nation with 11.35 fastbreak points per game, which is eighth in the conference.



Last Time Out

South Florida defeated Tulsa 69-50. The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season. Kobe Knox finished with a team-high 14 points with two rebounds and one block. Kasean Pryor recorded his seventh double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He dished out a game-high five assists. Selton Miguel closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points. He added three rebounds and three assists. Brandon Stroud tied for a game-high two blocks to go along with seven points, six rebounds, and one steal. The Bulls held the Golden Hurricane to a season-low 50 points. Tulsa entered the game averaging 76.1 points per game. The stout USF defense held TU to its second-lowest field goal percentage of the season at 35.7 percent and its lowest 3-point percentage at 12.5 percent.



History with Florida Atlantic

The Bulls and Owls will meet for the 17th time in program history. South Florida holds a 14-2 series advantage. USF has won the last two meetings, including a 60-58 victory in the Yuengling Center on December 29, 2019. The Bulls are 10-0 at home against the Owls.



Scouting the Owls

FAU averages 83.3 points per game, which is tied for 18th in the NCAA and second in the conference. They have an effective field goal percentage of 55.3, which is tied for 24th in the nation and tops in the AAC. As a team, the Owls are tied for 36th in the nation and second in the conference averaging 9.0 made 3-pointers. Florida Atlantic is shooting 48.0 percent from the field, which is tied for 27th in the NCAA and second in the league. Vladislav Goldin is shooting 64.3 percent from the field, which is fifth in the country and best in the AAC. He is second on the team averaging 14.1 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 6.7 rebounds per game. He has a team-best 36 blocks. He has 20 assists and 12 steals. Johnell Davis leads the team with 18.5 points per game and is tied for a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. His 18.5 points per game are tied for 62nd in the country and tied for third in the AAC. He is tied for 66th in the nation and second in the conference with a free-throw percentage of 86.2 percent. He is second on the team with 69 assists to go along with 42 steals and five blocks. Alijah Martin rounds out the double-digit scorers with 13.3 points per game. He averages 5.6 rebounds per game with a team-best 45 steals, 40 assists, and six blocks. Bryan Greenlee leads the team with 76 assists. He averages 6.8 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game.



Tale of the Tape



American Athletic Conference Standings (as of February 16)

1. South Florida – 18-5, 11-1

2. Florida Atlantic – 20-5, 10-2

3. Charlotte0 – 16-8, 10-2

4. SMU – 18-7, 9-3

5. UAB – 16-8, 8-3

6. Memphis – 18-7, 7-5

7. North Texas – 14-10. 7-5

8. ECU – 13-12, 6-6

9. Tulane – 13-11, 4-8

10. Rice – 9-15, 3-8

11. Tulsa – 12-12, 3-9

12. Wichita State – 10-15, 2-10

13. UTSA – 8-17, 2-10

14. Temple – 8-17, 1-11



Follow Live

Watch: ESPN

Live Stats: gousfbulls.com

Listen: Bulls Unlimited

International Stream: gousfbulls.com

Tickets: gousfbulls.com

Jayden Reid, the No. 28 ranked point guard in the 2023 class, has verbally committed to South Florida.

STORY

Today's slate appears to feature mismatches - we will see.

#10 Memphis (15-3, 4-1) at Tulane (11-6, 2-3); 1pm (espn2)
Wichita State (8-9, 0-4) at South Florida (10-5, 3-1); 2pm (ESPN+)
#23 Florida Atlantic (14-4, 4-1) at UTSA (7-11, 1-4); 3pm (ESPN+)

Here are my updated ranking heading into today's games:

NCAAT Bound

1. Florida Atlantic (14-4, 4-1); NET: #28 - Owls should be able to get to 20 wins before finishing with 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a NET of 76 or better

2. Memphis (15-3, 4-1); NET: #49 - 11 of last 15 Tigers' games have been decided by 6 points or less; Memphis should be 20-4 or better before they have to play at North Texas, at SMU, then at home against Charlotte and #23 FAU in a tough four game stretch

On the Bubble

3. SMU (13-5, 4-1); NET: #32 - NET rankings keeps dropping for the Mustangs despite only Quad 1 win, but must travel to an under-the-radar nationally North Texas team on Thursday

NIT Bound

4. North Texas (11-6; 4-1); NET: #76 - We will learn alot about how good the Mean Green are this week at they host SMU on Thursday (espn2) and travel to #23 Florida Atlantic next Sunday (espn2); a sweep and North Texas could be playing themselves onto the bubble

Post Season Possible

5. Charlotte (11-7, 5-1); NET: #102 - Since their conference opening loss to SMU, the 49ers have won 5 straight including a win over #23 Florida Atlantic and held North Texas to 44 points on Saturday

6. South Florida (10-5, 3-1): NET: #130 - Winners of 8 of their last 9, including a road win over #10 Memphis, the Bulls now have 4 games in a row against teams with a combined record of 4-17 in conference play

7. UAB (12-6, 4-1); NET: #156 - Blazers are now heading into a brutal 5 game stretch where they have to play teams with a combined record of 21-5 in conference play, with 3 of those on the road

8. Tulane (11-6, 2-3); NET: #110 - The Green Wave maintain a strong NET, but have stumbled out the gate in conference play and now have two games against Memphis and two games against SMU among their next 7 games;

Second Division

9. Wichita State (8-9, 0-4); NET: #145 - losers of 8 of 9, their only win during this stretch is 1 point home win against Southern Illinois; Shockers have only played 3 homes games since November 29th

10. East Carolina (9-10, 2-4); NET: #200 - The Pirates feel like they have underachieved with 2 of the league's top 16 scorers and the league's 3rd best rebounder

11. Tulsa (10-8, 1-5); NET: #197 - Before Saturday's blowout loss to SMU, all 4 of the Tulsa's conference losses had been by a single digits

12. UTSA (7-11, 1-4); NET: #289 - Roadrunners land here due to their win at Rice

13. Rice (7-11, 1-4); NET: #239 - Owls land here due to their win at Temple

14. Temple (8-11, 1-5); NET: #238 - How bad is the Temple offense? Hysier Miller is 11th nationally in shots attempted per game but only shoots 34% from the field AND he has attempted more than double the shots of anyone else on the team


I'll update the All-Conference Teams with next Sunday's update as there just isn't much movement week-to-week.

IN THE RANKINGS

Florida Atlantic is ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25 this week and receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. South Florida is receiving votes in both polls, while Memphis is receiving votes in the AP poll.



COMPETITIVE CONFERENCE PLAY

The American has had 30 of the 83 conference games in the 2023-24 season either finish within three and/or gone to overtime. The percentage of close games, 36.1 percent, is the highest amongst major conferences (next closest is the Big 12 at 25.6 percent).



BULLS RIDING HIGH

South Florida has won 10 consecutive games and is 10-1 in league action, the best start in league play in program history. The 10-game win streak in conference play the longest in program history and is the second-longest overall win streak, trailing a 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season. The 10-game streak is also tied for third-longest in the country with Colgate (UConn and Saint Mary’s have 13-game win streaks).



HAGGERTY LEADING THE WAY

Tulsa redshirt freshman PJ Haggerty leads the nation in scoring for a freshman at 19.8 points per game. He has been named The American’s Freshman of the Week 10 times this season, breaking the previous single-season record of nine, set by UCF’s Taylor Hendricks in 2022-23.



BLAZERS AND RANKED WINS

UAB has picked up wins over two ranked opponents, Memphis on January 28 and Florida Atlantic on February 8. It is the first time the Blazers have beaten multiple ranked opponents in the same season since the 2009-10 campaign.





SCHEDULE/RESULTS



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

South Florida 69, Rice 65

East Carolina 84, UTSA 73



SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11

No. 20 Florida Atlantic 95, Wichita State 82 (OT)

Memphis 90, Tulane 78

SMU 71, North Texas 68

Charlotte 73, Temple 70

UAB 70, Tulsa 63



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

South Florida 69, Tulsa 50



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Charlotte 79, UTSA 70

East Carolina 68, Wichita State 55

No. 24 Florida Atlantic 80, Temple 68

SMU 87, Tulane 79

North Texas 76, Memphis 66



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Rice at Tulsa (ESPN+).................................................. 3 p.m.



SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18

No. 24 Florida Atlantic at South Florida (ESPN). Noon

Wichita State at Charlotte (ESPN2)................... Noon

UTSA at Temple (ESPN+)........................................... 2 p.m.

Tulane at East Carolina (ESPN+).......................... 2 p.m.

North Texas at UAB (ESPN+)................................... 3 p.m.

Memphis at SMU (ESPN).......................................... 4 p.m.



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Charlotte at Memphis (ESPN+)............................ 8 p.m.

Rice at UAB (ESPN+).................................................... 8 p.m.

South Florida at UTSA (ESPN+)............................. 8 p.m.

Tulsa at Wichita State (ESPNU).......................... 9 p.m.



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22

SMU at Florida Atlantic (ESPN2)......................... 7 p.m.



All times ET and subject to change

Anyone have any they want to sell?

I'm out of town for the weekend so didn't buy any but can get back to Tampa in time for the game if I find some tix.

Looking for 4

Tampa native was a member of the Bulls program from 2020-23.



TAMPA, Feb. 15, 2024– Former University of South Florida softball player and Tampa native, Alexis Buchman, who inspired the Tampa Bay community during her more than two-year battle with brain cancer, passed away at her home on Thursday morning.



"It is devastating to lose a teammate, friend, and beloved member of our Bulls family,” USF Softball Head Coach Ken Eriksen said. “Alexis was a light in all the lives she touched and was truly courageous and inspiring in her fight. Our thoughts and prayers are with her parents, Steven and Kris, and family. We were blessed to have Alexis in our lives and to learn from her example of grace and determination. Her memory will long live within our program.”



“Today is a very sad day for USF Athletics and the Tampa Bay community as we have lost far too soon a member of our Bulls family whose courage and resilience inspired all of us,” USF Vice President for Athletics Michael Kelly said. “Alexis Buchman’s light shined brightly even in the most trying of times. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends and all whose lives she touched.”



Buchman was diagnosed with brain cancer in the fall of 2021 after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Through her diagnosis and continuing treatments, Buchman remained an active and present member of the softball team, serving as a student manager through the 2023 season.



She joined the South Florida Softball program in 2020, appearing in seven games and scoring two runs in her first season while displaying quickness on the bases, stealing bases in two out of three attempts. In her second season of 2021, she appeared in four games and scored three runs.



Described as a true friend, a warrior, and someone who could make you laugh no matter what, support for Buchman and her battle poured in from all over South Florida Athletics and the Tampa Bay community she called home. Every year, the softball team and members of the athletics department participated in the annual Miles for Moffitt race. This past fall, Buchman was named the recipient of the “Spirit of Moffitt” Award. In 2023, she was honored at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s Sneaker Soiree as the Community Hero, recognizing her courage and determination in her fight against cancer and how it inspired and helped others.



Arrangements for funeral services will be announced at a later date.



Buchman will be honored with a moment of silence before the softball team's game Thursday night at the USF Softball Stadium. The team and staff will wear gray “Play4Buc” wristbands and commemorative “AB” patches on their batting practice shirts honoring Buchman. A celebration of Buchman’s life and courageous battle against cancer will be part of Friday’s softball contests at the stadium.



Those wishing to participate in the fight against cancer are encouraged to support the Moffit Cancer Center and its annual fundraising initiatives around Miles For Moffitt.