BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 14, 2026 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team delivered another dominant performance Saturday afternoon, defeating Charlotte 86–64 to advance to the American Conference Championship game at Legacy Arena.
South Florida extended their winning streak to 10 games and improved to 24–8 on the season, tying the second-most wins in program history and moving within one of the program record of 25 set in 2023–24. The Bulls also advanced to their first conference championship game since 1990, which came in the same arena.
Head coach
Bryan Hodgson became just the fourth head coach in NCAA history to reach the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons as a head coach, joining Mark Few, Brad Stevens, and Fran McCaffery.
Joseph Pinion finished with 24 points and six three-pointers, recording his ninth game this season with at least five made threes and his sixth game with six or more - a new program record that surpasses Reggie Kohn's previous mark of five. Pinion also reached the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career during the second half. He entered USF with 539 career points after scoring 432 points in one season at Arkansas State and 107 points across two seasons at Arkansas.
Wes Enis also scored 24 points while knocking down four three-pointers and adding five assists and three rebounds. Enis and Pinion combined for 48 points and 10 three-pointers, continuing to establish themselves as one of the nation's top perimeter shooting duos.
Izaiyah Nelson added 16 points and eight rebounds, continuing his dominant season after sweeping the American Conference's top individual honors - Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Josh Omojafo anchored the Bulls on the glass with 10 rebounds while adding six points and two assists.
South Florida set the tone early as
Izaiyah Nelson scored the first four points of the game, and the Bulls never relinquished the lead. Defensive plays from
Daimion Collins and Pinion helped support the early momentum.
Charlotte attempted to match South Florida's pace, but the strategy ultimately backfired. The Bulls' defense dictated the tempo, allowing the nation's highest-scoring offense to control the game through pressure, rebounding and ball movement.
The three-point barrage started midway through the first half. Three straight made 3-pointers from the 6:56 mark to the 4:08 mark helped the Bulls build an 11-point lead, their largest of the half to that point. Pinion knocked down a deep three, Enis followed with another, and Pinion connected again from 31 feet as the Bulls began to separate.
Gavin Hightower scored at the buzzer to cap the half and send South Florida into the break with a 40–33 lead. Enis and Pinion combined for 18 of the Bulls' 40 first-half points, while
Josh Omojafo made his presence felt on the glass.
The Bulls wasted no time building on the momentum after the break. Pinion opened the second half with a three-pointer, followed immediately by another deep three from Enis to push the lead back into double figures. Pinion continued his strong afternoon with two more 3-pointers early in the second half, giving him five made threes in the game for the ninth time this season. His 3-pointer at the 11:50 mark also marked the 1,000th point of his collegiate career.
A 17–1 South Florida run midway through the second half put the game out of reach. The stretch was highlighted by Nelson's finishes at the rim and a transition dunk from Pinion after another Bulls takeaway.
South Florida's defense allowed the Bulls to dominate from three-point range and in the paint, controlling the pace of the game throughout the afternoon. Charlotte struggled to find an offensive rhythm as the Bulls controlled the glass and dictated the tempo.
Freshman
Tristan Beckford added a highlight late in the game with an alley-oop dunk with 1:38 remaining, punctuating another high-scoring performance for the Bulls.
The victory also marked another historic milestone for the program as South Florida set the single-season record for total points scored, surpassing the previous mark of 2,752 set by the 2018–19 team.
South Florida will face the winner of Tulsa and Wichita State in the American Conference Championship game Sunday at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Note-a-Bulls:
- Championship Bound – South Florida advanced to their first conference championship game since 1990 and extended their winning streak to 10 games.
- Elite Perimeter Duo – Joseph Pinion and Wes Enis combined for 48 points and 10 3-pointers. Pinion recorded his ninth game this season with five or more made threes and his sixth game with six or more, setting a program record.
- Perimeter Production – Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion each reached 100 made three-pointers this season, making South Florida just the 12th team in NCAA Division I history with two players to reach the mark in the same season.
- Career Milestone – Pinion reached 1,000 collegiate career points. He entered USF with 539 career points, including 432 at Arkansas State and 107 at Arkansas.
- Historic Coaching Start – Bryan Hodgson became just the fourth head coach in NCAA history to reach the conference championship game in each of his first three seasons as a head coach.
- Historic Offense – South Florida set a new program record for single-season points scored, surpassing the previous mark of 2,752 points set by the 2018–19 team.
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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, amidst its 55th season in 2025-26, captured its second regular season American Conference Championship in program history this season, finishing 23-8. Embarking on its 14th postseason appearance, South Florida has a chance for its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulls have also made 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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