TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 9, 2026 — South Florida freshman guard Gavin Hightower earned Freshman of the Week recognition from The American Conference, while senior forward Izaiyah Nelson received an Honorable Mention for Player of the Week following strong performances in a pair of conference victories over UTSA and Tulsa.
Hightower earned the award for the second time this season (Nov. 17, 2025), after a breakout performance in South Florida's 109–88 win vs UTSA. The freshman scored a career-high 21 points on a perfect eight-of-eight shooting from the field, adding two rebounds and three assists in just 17 minutes of action, all in the second half of the game. His offensive efficiency helped fuel the Bulls' decisive conference victory.
Nelson earned Honorable Mention Player of the Week for the second time this season (Dec. 22, 2025), after winning the award two weeks ago (Jan. 26, 2026). Nelson delivered another dominant week in the frontcourt, opening with a 25-point performance against UTSA. The senior shot 11-of-14 from the field while adding five rebounds and an assist in 23 minutes as USF pulled away early.
The senior capped the week with his 16th double-double of the season in the Bulls' home win over Tulsa, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds, one assist, and one block. Nelson controlled the paint on both ends and played a key role in closing out the conference victory.
For the week, Nelson averaged 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.5 blocks, providing consistent two-way production across both wins.
Up Next:
South Florida continues conference play on the road, traveling to Wichita State on Wednesday, Feb. 11, for a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup in Wichita, Kansas. The game will stream on ESPN+, with radio coverage available 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 55th 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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