TAMPA, Fla. (March 18, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's basketball team begins the NIT against a familiar foe in in-state rival UCF on Tuesday. The Bulls (24-7) and the Knights (17-15) are scheduled for a 9 p.m. tip on ESPN+.
 
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 15.1 points per game. He is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 66 assists, 18 blocks, and 18 steals. He is shooting 81.7 percent from the free-throw line, tied for 162nd in the country and seventh in the AAC. His 2.16 3-pointers per game are tied for 196th in the country and tied for seventh 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 196th in the country with 2.16 3-pointers per game, which is tied for seventh in the conference. He is second on the team with 14.9 points per contest. He is averaging 3.4 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 36 steals and is second on the team with 68 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 99 assists. He is tied for 283rd 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 2.11, which is tied for 114th in the country, is sixth in the conference, and 10th among NCAA freshmen. He has a team-best 38 steals. He averages 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 6.6 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. He was named a semifinalist for Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of The Year. 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. The 24 wins tied 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 and conference debuts.
 
Bulls at a Glance
Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per contest. His 6.33 defensive rebounds per game are 48th in the NCAA and fourth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.8 points per game. He leads the squad in blocks with 23. He is second on the team with 37 steals. He has added 53 assists. He is shooting 80.9 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 186th in the country and eighth in the conference. Kobe Knox is second on the team with 21 blocks. He averages 8.9 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.2 points a game with 51 assists, 32 steals, and 13 blocks.
 
Strong Bench
South Florida's bench is 18th in the NCAA and second in the conference averaging 28.90 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent's bench 896-530. Opposing benches are averaging just 17.09 points per game.
 
Cashing in on Free Opportunities
The Bulls are tied for 47th in the NCAA and tied for fifth in the conference with 16.0 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 57th in the country with 21.8 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 34th in the NCAA holding opponents to just 31.1 percent from 3-point range, which is the best in the AAC. USF is tied for 48th in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.2, which is the best in the conference. South Florida is 95th in the country with 12.81 forced turnovers per contest, which is fifth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 81st in the nation with 11.97 fastbreak points per game, which is seventh in the conference.
 
Last Time Out
USF fell in the American Athletic Conference semifinal against UAB, 93-83. 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. Brandon Stroud and Jayden Reid each finished with eight points.
 
History with UCF
The Bulls and Knights will meet for the 49th time. South Florida holds the series advantage 27-21. USF won both meetings last season, including an 82-75 victory at UCF. The Bulls are 7-9 against the Knights on the road.
 
Scouting the Knights
As a unit, the Knights are tied for 22nd in the NCAA with 8.7 steals per game, which is fourth in the Big 12. UCF is tied for 32nd country holding opponents to 40.9 percent from the field, which is fifth in the conference. Their 5.1 blocks per game are tied for 16th in the nation and best in the Big 12. Jaylin Sellers leads the team averaging 15.6 points per game. He averages 3.5 rebounds per game to go along with 36 assists, 33 steals, and four blocks. Darius Johnson is the only other player in double digits, averaging 15.2 a contest. He leads the team with 119 assists. His 3.7 assists per game are tied for 185th in the nation and 15th in the league. His 73 steals are 16th in the NCAA and third in the Big 12. His 2.28 steals per game are 15th in the country and second in the conference. He averages 3.3 rebounds per game with three blocks. Ibrahima Diallo has a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest. His 56 blocks are tied for 55th in the nation and the most in the league. His 1.81 blocks a game are tied for 42nd in the NCAA and the best in the Big 12. He averages 6.3 points a game with 22 steals and 13 assists. Omar Payne is second on the team with 45 blocks.
 
Tale of the Tape 

USF	Category	UCF
75.8	POINTS PER GAME	71.5
69.1	OPP. POINTS PER GAME	67.5
.440	FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.419
.418	OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.409
.366	3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.321
.311	OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE	.333
.735	FREE THROW PERCENTAGE	.707
36.0	REBOUNDS PER GAME	37.7
-0.8	REBOUNDING MARGIN	3.1
15.1	ASSISTS PER GAME	11.5
10.6	TURNOVERS PER GAME	12.5
2.2	TURNOVER MARGIN	1.6
7.1	STEALS PER GAME	8.7
3.5	BLOCKS PER GAME	5.1

 
Follow Live
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: statbroadcast.com
Listen: Bulls Unlimited
Tickets: Ticketmaster.com
 
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
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.
 
– #GoBulls –