TAMPA, Fla. (January 30, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team hits the road for an American Athletic Conference battle with East Carolina on Wednesday, January 31. The Bulls (13-4, 6-1 AAC) and the Pirates (11-10, 4-4 AAC) are slated for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
The 13-5 start is the best since the Bulls opened the season with a 13-5 mark for the 2001-02 campaign. It is just the sixth time in program history that USF has started 13-5 or better. The best starts in program history came during the 1980-81 and the 1982-83 seasons, where South Florida started 14-4.
Pryor on Fire
Earlier this week, Kasean Pryor was named to the AAC Honor Roll based on his performances against Temple and UTSA. For the week, he led the team with 16.0 points per game. He shot over 60 percent from the field (61.1%), from 3-point range (60.0%), and the free-throw line (1.000) across two games. He recorded a double-double in USF’s road win at Temple with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He added a steal. He finished with 12 points in the USF win against UTSA. For the season, he leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per contest. His 5.53 defensive rebounds per game are tied for 117th in the NCAA and seventh in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.6 points per game. He has a team-best 15 blocks. He is tied for the team lead with 22 steals. He has added 26 assists. He is shooting 83.6 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 123rd in the country and sixth in the conference.
‘Sel’ing Point
Selton Miguel is 163rd in the country with 2.28 3-pointers per game, which is seventh in the conference. He leads the team with 14.6 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.7 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 21 steals and is second on the team with 47 assists. He has added six blocks.
Bulls at a Glance
Chris Youngblood is second on the team lead with 14.2 points per game. He is averaging 2.6 rebounds per game to go along with 37 assists, 12 steals, and 11 blocks. He is shooting 82.1 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 169th in the country and is tied for eighth in the AAC. Jayden Reid leads the team with 67 assists. He is tied for 181st in the NCAA with 3.7 assists per game and is eighth in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.68, which is tied for 53rd in the country, fourth in the conference, and sixth among NCAA freshmen. He is tied for the team lead with 22 steals. He averages 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with 7.2 points per contest. Kobe Knox is tied for second on the team with 11 blocks. He averages 8.7 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Strong Bench
South Florida’s bench is 33rd in the NCAA and second in the conference averaging 28.06 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 505-340. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.89 points per game.
Cashing in on Free Opportunities
The Bulls are tied for 37th in the NCAA and fifth in the conference with 16.6 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 54th in the country with 22.4 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 37th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 3.1, which is second in the conference. South Florida is tied for 77th in the country with 13.61 forced turnovers per contest, which is fourth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 84th in the nation with 12.28 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.
Last Time Out
Five South Florida players finished in double figures as the Bulls slowed down the Roadrunners with an 89-72 victory. USF recorded a program record 18 3-pointers, which is a record that has stood since December 7, 1991. The Bulls tied the record earlier this season with a 14-point performance against Alabama State on December 29, 2023. The 18 3-pointers are the second most in an AAC conference game this season and are tied for the 20th most in a single game in the NCAA this year. Kobe Knox tied a season-high with 18 points as notched a season-best three 3-pointers with a 3-for-4 game from long distance. He added a game-high four blocks, which was a season-best. He brought down five rebounds with two assists and two steals. It was his seventh game in double figures this season. Jose Placer added a 16-point performance while shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He added four assists and two rebounds. Selton Miguel and Chris Youngblood each tallied 15 points. Miguel finished with a game-high six assists and one rebound. Youngblood collected three rebounds with one assist. Kasean Pryor closed out the double-digit scorers with 12 points to go along with two rebounds and an assist. Brandon Stroud produced a monster game on the glass with a season-high 12 rebounds. He chipped in with seven points and four assists. He was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
History with ECU
USF and ECU will meet for the 27th time on Wednesday. The Bulls lead the series 14-12. The Pirates won the last meeting 73-58 in the AAC Tournament last season. South Florida is 6-7 in games played in Greenville, North Carolina.
Scouting the Pirates
ECU is tough against the 3-pointer and is holding opponents to 30.0 percent from long range, which is tied for 32nd in the NCAA and tied for second in the AAC. The Pirates are strong on the offensive glass with 12.81 offensive rebounds per game, which is 40th in the nation and fourth in the conference. ECU is tied for 59th in the country with a turnover ratio of 2.3, which is fourth in the league. RJ Felton leads the team with 16.2 points per game and is second on the squad with 6.4 rebounds per game. He paces the team with 42 steals and 16 blocks. His 42 steals are tied for 38th in the NCAA and third in the conference. His 2.00 steals per game are tied for 51st in the country and tied for fourth in the AAC. He has dished out 23 assists. Ezra Ausar is second on the team with 13.6 points a game. He is second in the league with 150 free throw attempts, which is tied for 18th in the nation. He has made 101 free throws, which is second in the conference and 38th in the country. He averages 5.4 rebounds per contest with 18 assists, 18 steals, and 10 blocks. Brandon Johnson rounds out the double-digit scorers with 13.5 points a game. He averages 8.7 rebounds per game, which is tied for 54th in the NCAA and third in the AAC. He has recorded seven double-doubles, which is tied for 40th in the nation and second in the conference. Bobby Pettiford Jr. leads the team with 76 assists. He is tied for 21st in the country with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.17, which is the best in the league. He averages 8.3 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Tale of the Tape
| USF | Category | ECU |
| 76.7 | POINTS PER GAME | 70.0 |
| 70.3 | OPP. POINTS PER GAME | 68.0 |
| .435 | FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .419 |
| .425 | OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .429 |
| .349 | 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .302 |
| .321 | OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | .300 |
| .740 | FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | .697 |
| 36.4 | REBOUNDS PER GAME | 36.2 |
| -0.9 | REBOUNDING MARGIN | 1.2 |
| 14.9 | ASSISTS PER GAME | 11.1 |
| 10.6 | TURNOVERS PER GAME | 10.8 |
| 3.0 | TURNOVER MARGIN | 1.0 |
| 7.0 | STEALS PER GAME | 8.0 |
| 3.3 | BLOCKS PER GAME | 2.7 |
American Athletic Conference Standings (as of January 29)
1. Florida Atlantic – 17-4, 7-1
2. Charlotte – 13-7, 7-1
3. South Florida – 13-5, 6-1
4. UAB – 13-7, 5-2
5. North Texas – 12-7. 5-2
6. Memphis – 15-5, 4-3
7. SMU – 13-7, 4-3
8. ECU – 11-10, 4-4
9. Tulane – 12-8, 3-5
10. Tulsa – 11-8, 2-5
11. UTSA – 8-13, 2-6
12. Wichita State – 9-11, 1-6
13. Rice – 7-13, 1-6
14. Temple – 8-13, 1-7
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