TAMPA, Fla. – January 13, 2026 — It is never a quiet arrival. When USF men's basketball center Izaiyah Nelson hits the gym, it's usually an event. He might be singing. He could be looking to inspire a teammate. Maybe he's Mr. Curiosity, asking a few questions, searching everywhere for answers. Whatever. It's non-stop.
 
It's the way he lives.
 
It's the way he plays.
 
Nelson, a 6-foot-10, 218-pound package of fire-breathing intensity, has made a huge first impression with the Bulls (10-6, 2-1 American Conference), who are coming off a two-game road sweep and now return to the Yuengling Center for Wednesday night's game against the East Carolina Pirates (5-11, 0-3).
 


After Nelson followed Coach Bryan Hodgson to USF from Arkansas State, where he ended last season as one of the nation's top rebounders, he has raised his game to another level. He has six consecutive double-doubles — two off the program record — while leading the Bulls in scoring (16.3) and rebounding (10.2). Nelson could become only the seventh USF player in 55 seasons of men's basketball to average a double-digit rebounding season.
 
"My favorite thing about Zai (Nelson) is he knows who he is, and he has embraced what he's good at,'' Hodgson said. "We're in an era where guys are always looking to expand their game and do the next thing. The 5's want to be 4's. The 4's want to be 3's. The 3's want to be combo guards.

Zai embraced who he is, and he has worked really, really hard over the last three years to get to the level he's at right now.
 
"Rebounding wins games, right? If you win the possession battle a lot of times, you're going to be in the mix at the end, right? Zai gets us extra possessions through offensive rebounding and putting pressure on the rim within our offense. That stuff translates. Rebounding translates. There may be days when your jump shot isn't falling, but one thing that you can pack up and take on the road with you is your ability to rebound and have a nose for the basketball. That's what Zai constantly offers.''


 
Here's the USF double-digit rebounding club Nelson is seeking to join (six players have accomplished that feat in a season — and three of them have done it twice):
 
12.4 — Hakim Shahid (1989-90)
11.4 — Kentrell Gransberry (2006-07)
10.9 — Gary Alexander (1991-92)
10.8 — Darrell Coleman (1987-88)
10.8 — Hakim Shahid (1988-89)
10.8 — Kentrell Gransberry (2007-08)
10.4 — James Harper (1995-96)
10.3 — Arthur Jones (1971-72)
10.2 — Gary Alexander (1990-91)
 
"Rebounding is about effort, mentality, and desire,'' Nelson said. "That's what I'm looking to bring to the court every day.''
 
Back home in Marietta, Ga., Nelson said he didn't consider himself a special player. He wasn't sure if he wanted to play beyond high school. Then a coach told him college ball was within reach, and maybe that could help to change his family's life.
 
Nelson landed at Arkansas State and nearly left after his first year following a coaching change, but became sufficiently intrigued with the new guy, Hodgson.
 
"It seems crazy to say now because of what Zai has become, but our first year at Arkansas State (2023-24), he didn't start in the beginning and didn't even play that many minutes early in that season,'' said USF assistant coach Logan Ingram, who followed Hodgson from Alabama to Arkansas State and now to USF. "But Coach (Hodgson) had seen those types of athletes at the highest level. He knew what they looked like, how they moved, what kind of motor they had. He believed Zai had that kind of ability.''
 
Nelson said his basketball life changed forever after a heart-to-heart conversation with Hodgson.
 
"Coach B (Hodgson) said, 'I love the way you play, and if you take this game seriously, I think you can go to the league (NBA),' '' Nelson said. "He said if I trusted him and trusted his system, he said I could make it in the league and have generational wealth. Nobody ever actually told me I could go to the NBA. I thought that was amazing. So, I took that and ran with it. And I have never looked back.''


 
"I've been fortunate to have coached 15 guys who wore the (NBA) uniform,'' Hodgson said. "Zai has what it takes.''
 
Desire? Last season at Arkansas State, Nelson averaged 17.5 rebounds in his last 10 games, including a 30-point, 21-rebound effort against Louisiana.
 
Nelson has 31 career double-doubles in college basketball, including 12 this season at USF (which is halfway to Shahid's single-season program record of 24).
 
"I've seen Zai do a ton of amazing things, so none of it surprises me anymore,'' said Bulls guard Joseph Pinion, another former Arkansas State player.
 
"Plain and simple, Zai is one of the best bigs I've ever seen play in college basketball,'' said Bulls forward De'Ante Green, who played his first two seasons in the ACC with Florida State.
 
"I've never seen a guy with such unlimited energy who is always hustling, always doing the dirty work,'' Bulls point guard CJ Brown said. "He's someone you always want on your team. His energy will wear you out. A true hype guy who just doesn't stop.''


 
Just ask Hodgson, who said scouts from 22 different NBA teams have been on campus this season to personally check out Nelson's abilities and work ethic (he begins each day with a shooting session at 7 a.m.).
 
"Zai's on 10 (vocally) all day long, but sometimes I'd like to bring him down to a seven or eight when we're not playing,'' Hodgson said with a smile. "Really, that energy is what I love about him, and I'm super proud of the way he utilizes that great personality off the court.''
 
USF men's basketball recently visited the Muma Children's Hospital at Tampa General. In years of work, the marketing director told Hodgson it was among the best experiences she had with a visiting athletic team. The highlight: Nelson sang "Happy Birthday'' to a young patient.
 
"Zai spearheaded that whole thing,'' Hodgson said. "He has always been the fan favorite because he plays the right way and he engages in whatever community he's in.''
 
Nelson should be a natural on Thursday night when he's the player guest for this season's first live version of the Bryan Hodgson Radio Show. The public is invited from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Yuengling Draft Haus and Kitchen, 11109 N. 30th Street, for an event that features autographs and photos with players and staff, plus food and drink specials.
 
"I like interacting with people,'' Nelson said. "I'm not really shy or quiet, so I like to have fun with basketball. I want to give everyone something to cheer about.''
 
So far, so good.
 
Up Next:
South Florida returns home to face East Carolina University on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. ET at the Yuengling Center in Tampa. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
The Bulls continue their 2025–26 season on Sunday, Jan. 18, hosting Wichita State at 2 p.m. at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla. Fans can watch the game on ESPNU or listen live on Bulls Unlimited.

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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as the program's 12th head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he led the program to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason appearance since 1999 in his two seasons at the helm.
 
The program, entering its 55^th season in 2025-26, most recently won the American Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2023-24 and has made 13 postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments, nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.

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