USF Men's Basketball Standout Izaiyah Nelson Selected In Second Round Of NBA Draft
June 24, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Bulls' first NBA Draft pick since 2010 selected No. 51 by the Washington Wizards who traded the selection to the Orlando Magic
TAMPA, June 24, 2026 – Standout South Florida men's basketball forward Izaiyah Nelson was selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Wizards traded the pick to the Orlando Magic, keeping Nelson in the state of Florida.
The first player to earn American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season, Nelson was selected with the 51st pick overall, becoming the first Bull selected in the NBA Draft since First Team All-Big East guard Dominique Jones was selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Nelson is the ninth Bull to be selected in the NBA Draft and the third to be taken in the first two rounds. In the 2026 Draft, he was the second collegiate player drafted from outside of the Power Five conferences and the first selected from the American Conference. His selection with the 51st pick ties him with Bulls' all-time leading scorer Charlie Bradley for the third-highest NBA Draft pick in South Florida history.
Nelson led The American in rebounding, pulling down 9.6 rebounds a game, and scored 15.9 points per game while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor in leading the Bulls to American Conference regular season and tournament titles. His 18 double-doubles on the year (the second-most in program history) were a key in the Bulls returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and posting a program-record tying 25 wins.
Nelson led the NCAA with 89 dunks and added 48 blocks, 56 steals, and 29 double-digit scoring games (nine scoring 20 points or more) on the year, and scored 22 points and with nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the Bulls' NCAA Tournament first round loss to Louisville.
SOUTH FLORIDA BASKETBALL NBA DRAFT PICKS
Round 1; No. 25 Dominique Jones, G, 2010, Memphis Grizzlies
Round 2; No. 33 Solomon Jones, G, 2006, Atlanta Hawks
Round 2; No. 51 Izaiyah Nelson, F, 2026, Washington Wizards traded to Orlando Magic
Round 3; No. 51 Charlie Bradley, F, 1985, Sacramento Kings
Round 3; No. 64 Willie Redden, C, 1982, San Antonio Spurs
Round 4; No. 76 Jim Grandholm, C, 1984, Washington Bullets
Round 4; No. 87 Tony Grier, G, 1982, San Antonio Spurs
Round 6; No. 116 Vince Reynolds, F, 1982, Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 6; No. 122 Curtis Kitchen, C, 1986, Seattle Super Sonics
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in head coach Chris Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
TAMPA, June 24, 2026 – Standout South Florida men's basketball forward Izaiyah Nelson was selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Wizards traded the pick to the Orlando Magic, keeping Nelson in the state of Florida.
The first player to earn American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season, Nelson was selected with the 51st pick overall, becoming the first Bull selected in the NBA Draft since First Team All-Big East guard Dominique Jones was selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Nelson is the ninth Bull to be selected in the NBA Draft and the third to be taken in the first two rounds. In the 2026 Draft, he was the second collegiate player drafted from outside of the Power Five conferences and the first selected from the American Conference. His selection with the 51st pick ties him with Bulls' all-time leading scorer Charlie Bradley for the third-highest NBA Draft pick in South Florida history.
Nelson led The American in rebounding, pulling down 9.6 rebounds a game, and scored 15.9 points per game while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor in leading the Bulls to American Conference regular season and tournament titles. His 18 double-doubles on the year (the second-most in program history) were a key in the Bulls returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and posting a program-record tying 25 wins.
Nelson led the NCAA with 89 dunks and added 48 blocks, 56 steals, and 29 double-digit scoring games (nine scoring 20 points or more) on the year, and scored 22 points and with nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the Bulls' NCAA Tournament first round loss to Louisville.
SOUTH FLORIDA BASKETBALL NBA DRAFT PICKS
Round 1; No. 25 Dominique Jones, G, 2010, Memphis Grizzlies
Round 2; No. 33 Solomon Jones, G, 2006, Atlanta Hawks
Round 2; No. 51 Izaiyah Nelson, F, 2026, Washington Wizards traded to Orlando Magic
Round 3; No. 51 Charlie Bradley, F, 1985, Sacramento Kings
Round 3; No. 64 Willie Redden, C, 1982, San Antonio Spurs
Round 4; No. 76 Jim Grandholm, C, 1984, Washington Bullets
Round 4; No. 87 Tony Grier, G, 1982, San Antonio Spurs
Round 6; No. 116 Vince Reynolds, F, 1982, Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 6; No. 122 Curtis Kitchen, C, 1986, Seattle Super Sonics
The Bulls welcomed 15 new players in head coach Chris Mack's first season at the helm as South Florida returned no players from the 2025-26 squad that went 25-9, reached the NCAA tournament and won an American Conference title (claiming both the regular season and tournament crowns) for the second time in three years. The Bulls reloaded with 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees. The portal class features four players with a composite rating of .9100 or higher and a four-star rating, according to 247Sports. The Bulls' average transfer rating of 89.00 ranks third among Group of 6 programs, while the overall class ranked among the top 10 nationally among the Group of 6 according to 247Sports.
Follow us:
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Chris Mack as the program's 13th head coach on March 25, 2026. Mack came to Tampa after a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. With more than 300 career wins, he brought a career winning percentage of nearly 68 percent to South Florida, including 12 20-win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led both Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament and made four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight with Xavier.
The program, entering its 56th season in 2026-27, won American Conference regular-season championships in 2024 and 2026 and claimed the conference tournament title in 2026. The Bulls have made 14 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments (the last in 2026), nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls players – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, while two coaches – Amir Abdur-Rahim (2023-24) and Bobby Paschal (1986-96) – join them in the Hall of Fame.
The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
– #GoBulls –
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