South Florida Men’s Basketball Announces James and Wilson as 2026-27 Team Captains
September 22, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Veteran guards selected captains by team vote, bring a combined 185 collegiate games played and 2,094 points scored into 2026-27 season
TAMPA (SEPT. 22, 2026) – South Florida Men's Basketball Head Coach Chris Mack announced today that 6-5 graduate guard Mike James and 6-1 senior guard Sonny Wilson have been selected team captains for the 2026-27 South Florida Men's Basketball Season presented by Tampa General Hospital.
"Mike and Sonny are strong, veteran leaders who have stood out to our staff and their teammates on and off the court through our summer and preseason workouts," Mack said. "Leadership is a key ingredient to any team's success and we have tremendous confidence in Mike and Sonny stepping up to take on that challenge throughout the 2026-27 season."
James, a former Florida Class 7A Player of the Year at Orlando's Oak Ridge High School, is in his sixth year of college basketball after originally being recruited by and playing for Mack at Louisville. He turned 24 on Sept. 9 and brings 86 collegiate games, 64 starts, 756 career points and 306 rebounds into the 2026-27 season.
Wilson, a former Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year, starred for three seasons at Toledo before transferring to South Florida for his fourth collegiate season. A two-time All-MAC selection, he enters the 2026-27 season with 99 career games played (98 starts) and having logged 1,338 points, 373 rebounds, 331 assists and 101 steals.
The 2026-27 South Florida Basketball Season presented by Tampa General Hospital will tip off on Monday, Nov. 2 vs. Charleston Southern in the Yuengling Center. It will be the first of a 14-game non-conference schedule. Fans first look at a new Bulls team will be an exhibition game on Oct. 19 vs. St. Leo in the Yuengling Center. Highlighting the non-conference opponents coming to the Yuengling Center will be Alabama (Sat., Dec. 19), which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 16 in the Associated Press Poll. The Crimson Tide will come to Tampa as part of a two-for-one series following a thrilling 104-93 win over the Bulls in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last year.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 season may be purchased by visiting USFBullstix.com or calling 1-800-GoBulls. Single game tickets will go on sale at a future date.
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 South Florida Men's Basketball
For the latest updates from South Florida Men's Basketball, visit GoUSFBulls.com.
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, Instagram and Youtube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida 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 (SEPT. 22, 2026) – South Florida Men's Basketball Head Coach Chris Mack announced today that 6-5 graduate guard Mike James and 6-1 senior guard Sonny Wilson have been selected team captains for the 2026-27 South Florida Men's Basketball Season presented by Tampa General Hospital.
"Mike and Sonny are strong, veteran leaders who have stood out to our staff and their teammates on and off the court through our summer and preseason workouts," Mack said. "Leadership is a key ingredient to any team's success and we have tremendous confidence in Mike and Sonny stepping up to take on that challenge throughout the 2026-27 season."
James, a former Florida Class 7A Player of the Year at Orlando's Oak Ridge High School, is in his sixth year of college basketball after originally being recruited by and playing for Mack at Louisville. He turned 24 on Sept. 9 and brings 86 collegiate games, 64 starts, 756 career points and 306 rebounds into the 2026-27 season.
Wilson, a former Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year, starred for three seasons at Toledo before transferring to South Florida for his fourth collegiate season. A two-time All-MAC selection, he enters the 2026-27 season with 99 career games played (98 starts) and having logged 1,338 points, 373 rebounds, 331 assists and 101 steals.
The 2026-27 South Florida Basketball Season presented by Tampa General Hospital will tip off on Monday, Nov. 2 vs. Charleston Southern in the Yuengling Center. It will be the first of a 14-game non-conference schedule. Fans first look at a new Bulls team will be an exhibition game on Oct. 19 vs. St. Leo in the Yuengling Center. Highlighting the non-conference opponents coming to the Yuengling Center will be Alabama (Sat., Dec. 19), which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 16 in the Associated Press Poll. The Crimson Tide will come to Tampa as part of a two-for-one series following a thrilling 104-93 win over the Bulls in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last year.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 season may be purchased by visiting USFBullstix.com or calling 1-800-GoBulls. Single game tickets will go on sale at a future date.
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 South Florida Men's Basketball
For the latest updates from South Florida Men's Basketball, visit GoUSFBulls.com.
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, Instagram and Youtube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida 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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