By What a season it has been for the South Florida Bulls basketball season.
In year one of the Bryan Hodgson era, despite three conference losses by one point each, the Bulls are still in contention to win the regular-season AAC title.
With nine games down and nine games to go in the regular season, the Bulls have a 6-3 record in conference play and a 14-8 overall record.
USF is on pace for another 20-win season, its first since the 2023-24 season, when the Bulls went 25-8 in Amir Abdur-Rahim’s final season.
The Bulls have six 20-win seasons in program history, and they should make it seven this season.
The Bulls are currently tied for second in the AAC with Temple and are one game behind first-place Tulsa and Charlotte for the conference lead.
The Bulls have built competitive resumes in non-conference and conference play, with a current net ranking of 62.
The Bulls have had two quad wins this season, beating Utah State at home and Tulsa on the road.
USF has a BPI ranking of 67, the highest ranking in the conference.
USF also ranks first in the conference, including PPG (89.5), rebounds (43.1), offensive rebounds (15.4), and assists (17.5 per game).
Tonight, the second half of the season starts for USF in Conference play against UTSA at home.
The UTSA Roadrunners are 4-17 on the season and should not pose much of a problem for the USF Bulls.
Sunday, the Bulls welcome Tulsa to the Yuengling Center in what is shaping up to be the biggest game of the season so far, where a share of first place could be on the line.
USF also has matchups in the second half of the season against FAU, Temple, Charlotte, Wichita State, and two games against Memphis, which will go a long way toward determining the conference tournament and a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Winning the conference tournament remains the clearest ticket to March Madness for USF if its at-large profile doesn’t quite make the grade.
Right now, the Bulls are on the bubble, not a lock, but definitely in the conversation for an NCAA at-large tourney bid.
The easiest thing for USF to do is focus on the next game. Don’t get caught up in looking ahead at the schedule.
USF has proven that on any night, they can play with any team and make it a competitive game.
The first half of the season, USF has combined pace, perimeter shooting, and rebounding to stay in the upper half of the conference race and on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
The Bulls have established a clear style: aggressive tempo, effective spacing on offense, and pressure designed to create transition scoring opportunities.
USF has also been notably better offensively than in recent seasons, with multiple games where they’ve stretched defenses with three-point shooting and quick ball movement.
The Bulls do not rely on one or two players to score the bulk of the points. On any given night, Wes Enis, Joe Pinion, Josh Omojafo, CJ Brown, and Izaiyah Nelson have carried the load to help the Bulls to early-season wins.
USF has also consistently generated second-chance points and been effective in finishing possessions.
Guard play has also stabilized as the season has progressed, with improved decision-making and late-game execution compared to November and early December.
However, turnovers continue to be the Achilles’ heel of this USF team. Untimely turnovers and ball-handling mistakes have plagued the Bulls down the stretch in all three of their conference losses, most recently in their 69-68 loss at Temple this past weekend.
Will USF make the NCAA Tournament? That has yet to be determined.
What we know is that USF is an improved team and will be involved in meaningful March conversations regarding the NCAA Tournament.
