TAMPA, Fla. (November 8, 2023) – The University of South Florida Bulls men's basketball team begins the Amir Abdur-Rahim era of South Florida basketball on Thursday, November 9. South Florida takes on South Carolina State inside the Yuengling Center at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
The first 3,000 fans will receive a USF t-shirt as part of the opening night festivities. Christian & Scooby will be the halftime show.
 
There will be a student party outside of Gate D beginning at 4 p.m. that will have a DJ, food vendors, a mechanical bull, face painters, team posters, and more. There will be free food for the first 250 students. The first 750 students will receive SoFlo Rodeo t-shirts.
 
Bulls at a Glance
The Bulls were voted to finish ninth in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. South Florida is one of just seven NCAA Division I programs that have 12 newcomers on the roster. The new-look Bulls feature three returners in senior Selton Miguel, junior Corey Walker Jr., and junior Sam Hines Jr. Three of the eight transfers followed Coach Abdur-Rahim from Kennesaw State, seniors Chris Youngblood, Brandon Stroud, and Kasen Jennings. Senior Jose Placer transferred in from UNF, while Tampa native, sophomore Kobe Knox transferred from Grand Canyon. Junior Kasean Pryor, sophomore Gerald Jones III, and junior David Ogunleye transferred from non-division I programs. Jayden Reid, Ammaar Balagam, Nic Smith, and Daniel Tobiloba are true freshmen.
 
Transfer Standouts
Stroud was named the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year last season and was a member of the ASUN All-Tournament Team. Youngblood was an NABC All-District 3 First Team selection as well as an All-ASUN First Team member. He was a Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Finalist as well as the Atlanta Tip-Off Georgia College Men's Player of the Year. Placer earned an All-ASUN Third Team honor and was a member of the College Sports Communicators All-District Team.
 
Last Time Out
South Florida played Edward Waters in an exhibition game on November 2. The Bulls featured four players in double figures, Miguel (15), Youngblood (13), Walker Jr. (13), and Knox (12). Pryor led the way on the glass with 10 rebounds, while Hines Jr. added eight rebounds. Miguel and Reid led the way in assists with six and five, respectively. Reid and Walker Jr. tied for a game-high two blocked shots. Knox finished the exhibition with a game-high five steals.
 
History with South Carolina State
The Bulls and Bulldogs will meet for the third time on Thursday. The series is tied 1-1, with South Carolina State winning the last match on December 3, 2021, 65-66. Both meetings have been played in Tampa.
 
Scouting the Bulldogs
Jordan Simpson leads the Bulldogs and was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team after being named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team last season. South Carolina State has played one game already this season. In its win over Voorhees, Omar Croskey and Mitchel Taylor each scored 12 points. Davion Everett posted a game-high 14 rebounds, while Drayton Jones collected 12 boards.
 
Tale of the Tape (2022-23 Stats)

USF	Category	SCS
72.0	POINTS PER GAME	73.0
72.0	OPP. POINTS PER GAME	83.5
.446	FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.425
.431	OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.495
.336	3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.323
.349	OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.395
.651	FREE THROW PERCENTAGE	.662
37.4	REBOUNDS PER GAME	35.5
3.4	REBOUNDING MARGIN	-1.4
13.4	ASSISTS PER GAME	13.9
13.7	TURNOVERS PER GAME	16.0
-0.6	TURNOVER MARGIN	-0.5
6.5	STEALS PER GAME	7.1
3.1	BLOCKS PER GAME	3.3

 
Follow Live
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: gousfbulls.com
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Season tickets for the 2023-24 USF men's basketball slate are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, click here.
 
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About USF Men's Basketball
The South Florida men's basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim's Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
 
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
 
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
 
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