USF senior swingman Keyshawn Bryant will always remember that magic moment — his first dunk. He soared through the air, cradling the ball, then throwing it down with authority. His opponents were stunned. Others cheered wildly. Bryant felt dominant — and free.
As Bryant remembers it, he was about to enter the sixth grade.
Bryant, a transfer from South Carolina and Winter Haven native who is playing his final season of eligibility with the hometown program, will again be cleared for takeoff Wednesday night when the Bulls (8-10, 1-4) face the Cincinnati Bearcats (13-6, 4-2) in an American Athletic Conference game at the Yuengling Center.
And no doubt, the producers at ESPN will be watching closely. Bryant's dunks have three times been featured on that modern rite of passage — ESPN's nightly Top 10 highlights. That includes Sunday's stunning baseline drive and one-fisted posterization of an East Carolina defender.
Bryant has provided steady numbers — 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds — but dunks get the attention.
"The sheer speed and force … I think that's the thing that makes a great dunk,'' said Bryant, a 6-foot-6, 190-pounder who surpassed the 1,000-point career mark early in the season. "Once you hear that noise (on the rim) after a dunk, man, there's nothing like that. In a high-energy game, I love to bring that kind of energy. It gets the fans going. It gets our team going. Dunks can change around a game.''
Bryant's crowd-pleasing presence has made a difference for the Bulls.
"He's original,'' USF center Russel Tchewa said. "When you're a good dunker, I feel like you need some creativity. Keyshawn is like an artist. He's going to give you something you've never seen before. I need him to teach me his moves.''
"I love Keyshawn's athletic ability,'' USF coach Brian Gregory said. "His ability to play over the rim is impressive. I mean, I've had some teams in the past with five of those guys. Last season, I think we went five or six games without a dunk. So Keyshawn has helped to bring it back and players like that always add a little juice to the crowd. We just need him to be one of our stabilizing forces and leaders. But no doubt, he's an entertaining player.''
USF basketball, while lacking consistency, has been nothing but entertaining this season.
The Bulls hope to display that crowd-pleasing quality this week. Wednesday night's game against Cincinnati marks the formal debut of the SoFlo Rodeo student section, which showed signs of life and engagement during the non-conference season. Meanwhile, Saturday's noon game against UCF — Alumni Day, where Bobby Paschal's 1991-92 NCAA Tournament team will be recognized — could be the best-attended date on this season's home schedule.
"What we do is supposed to be fun and entertaining and pull people out of their seats,'' said Bryant, who has a 44-inch vertical leap. "That's what I love. If I can put a smile on a fan's face, I love that. I have to play in the context of winning the game and helping my team, but if I get a shot at it (a memorable dunk), I'm going for it.
"I can sum up our season in one word — adversity. My main focus has been facing that adversity and dealing with it. I've accepted what has come my way, dealt with it and tried to stay positive. I think that's the biggest change in me. I'm not a kid any more. I'm a grown man.''
Bryant, 23, spent four seasons with Coach Frank Martin's Gamecocks and had electrifying moments in the SEC. For his bonus COVID season, Bryant elected to come home.
He has enjoyed having his two grandmothers, both Winter Haven residents, at his USF games. Neither was able to see him play at South Carolina. Plus, there's the opportunity to make a big difference for the Bulls.
"I want to make something of myself,'' said Bryant, who will earn his communications degree this spring. "From the day I walked in the door at South Carolina to right now, it's night and day. I've come a long way, but I still have a ways to go.''
Bryant said he expects the Bulls to play their best basketball down the stretch now that the newcomers — including Tyler Harris (Memphis) and Selton Miguel (Kansas State) — have become more comfortable in Gregory's system.
"Coach BG appreciates all aspects of a player's game,'' Bryant said. "Defense is important to him, and I feel like my defense doesn't get appreciated enough. I'm a good athlete and I can give you problems (defensively). I can get on the glass (rebounding). And I can make shots.
"The key is not what I can do individually, but how we get the overall chemistry going. I think all of us want to win more than anything. Whatever I can do to help, I'm going to do.''
It could be rebounding (he had 10 on Sunday at East Carolina). It might be a blocked shot or a deflection. It could be a jumper from the corner.
Or it might be a rim-rattling dunk — his calling card.
Bryant loves watching You Tube videos of classic dunkers such as Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins. He appreciates the flair.
"If I shoot a jump shot, it's two points, just like a dunk is two points,'' Bryant said. "Same thing, right? But it's not the same thing. When you get the energy of your team burning and the crowd going, it's something else. The power behind a dunk is something people always want to see. It brings noise to the game and it gives me an adrenaline rush every time.
"I'm about winning games, first and foremost. But I'm not going to lie. I love the excitement. I felt it as a young kid. I still feel it now."
