AAC High Noon Showdown: First-place USF hosts second-place No. 24 FAU in front of a sellout crowd at the Y Center

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team stays inside the friendly confines of the Yuengling Center on Sunday, Feb. 18, as No. 24 Florida Atlantic makes the trip to town. The Bulls (18-5, 11-1 AAC) and the Owls (20-5, 10-2 AAC) are slated for a noon tip on ESPN.

The first 1,000 fans will receive a SoFlo replica jersey. 5,000 SoFlo Bulls script t-shirts will be placed in the 100 level and certain parts of the 200 level. For all things related to game day, click here. With the sellout crowd, fans are encouraged to arrive early.

The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season.

CY in the YC

Earlier this week, Chris Youngblood was named to the AAC Honor Roll for his performance last week. Last week, he led the Bulls with 18.5 points per game for the week as South Florida recorded a 2-0 week. He shot 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range, and 80.0 percent (4-for-5) from the free-throw line. He notched a 13-point performance against Charlotte. He added four rebounds, two assists, and one block. Against Rice, he produced a game-high 24 points. He went 6-for-7, 85.7 percent, from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, one block, and one steal. For the season, he paces the team with 14.7 points per game. He is averaging 2.6 rebounds per game to go along with 49 assists, 14 blocks, and 13 steals. He is shooting 82.8 percent from the free-throw line, which is tied for 136th in the country and is sixth in the AAC. His 2.22 3-pointers per game are tied for 177th in the country and seventh in the conference.

‘Sel’ing Point

Selton Miguel is 226th in the country with 2.09 3-pointers per game, which is tied for 11th in the conference. He is second on the team with 14.3 points per contest. He is fourth on the squad with 3.7 boards per game. He is third on the squad with 24 steals and is second on the team with 54 assists. He has added seven blocks.

Pryor on Fire

Kasean Pryor leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest. His 5.91 defensive rebounds per game are 74th in the NCAA and fifth in the AAC. He is third on the squad averaging 12.0 points per game. He has a team-best 18 blocks. He is tied for the team lead with 27 steals. He has added 36 assists. He is shooting 83.0 percent from the free-throw line, which is 128th in the country and fourth in the conference.

Bulls at a Glance

Jayden Reid leads the team with 82 assists. He is tied for 198th in the NCAA with 3.6 assists per game and is tied for eighth in the AAC. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.34, which is tied for 87th in the country, fifth in the conference, and eighth among NCAA freshmen. He is tied for the team lead with 27 steals. He averages 2.7 rebounds per game to go along with 6.7 points per contest. Kobe Knox is second on the team with 17 blocks. He averages 8.8 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Brandon Stroud is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per contest. He averages 5.6 points a game with 28 assists, 20 steals, and seven blocks.

Strong Bench

South Florida’s bench is tied for 43rd in the NCAA and is third in the conference averaging 26.52 points per contest. The USF bench has outscored its opponent’s bench 610-416. Opposing benches are averaging just 18.08 points per game.

Cashing in on Free Opportunities

The Bulls are tied for 75th in the NCAA and sixth in the conference with 15.4 made free throws per game. USF is tied for 85th in the country with 21.1 free-throw attempts per game, which is sixth in the AAC.

Fast and Furious

The Bulls have been playing stout defense and are tied for 63rd in the NCAA with a turnover margin of 2.1, which is fourth in the conference. South Florida is 109th in the country with 12.91 forced turnovers per contest, which is sixth in the AAC. USF has used the turnovers to lead to fastbreak opportunities. The Bulls are 106th in the nation with 11.35 fastbreak points per game, which is eighth in the conference.

Last Time Out

South Florida defeated Tulsa 69-50. The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 conference games, extending the longest streak in program history. The 11 wins in conference play are the second most in program history behind the 12 wins in the Big East in 2011-12. The 10-game winning streak is the second-longest winning streak in program history, trailing only the 12-game streak set during the 1980-81 season. Kobe Knox finished with a team-high 14 points with two rebounds and one block. Kasean Pryor recorded his seventh double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He dished out a game-high five assists. Selton Miguel closed out the double-digit scorers with 10 points. He added three rebounds and three assists. Brandon Stroud tied for a game-high two blocks to go along with seven points, six rebounds, and one steal. The Bulls held the Golden Hurricane to a season-low 50 points. Tulsa entered the game averaging 76.1 points per game. The stout USF defense held TU to its second-lowest field goal percentage of the season at 35.7 percent and its lowest 3-point percentage at 12.5 percent.

History with Florida Atlantic

The Bulls and Owls will meet for the 17th time in program history. South Florida holds a 14-2 series advantage. USF has won the last two meetings, including a 60-58 victory in the Yuengling Center on December 29, 2019. The Bulls are 10-0 at home against the Owls.

Scouting the Owls

FAU averages 83.3 points per game, which is tied for 18th in the NCAA and second in the conference. They have an effective field goal percentage of 55.3, which is tied for 24th in the nation and tops in the AAC. As a team, the Owls are tied for 36th in the nation and second in the conference averaging 9.0 made 3-pointers. Florida Atlantic is shooting 48.0 percent from the field, which is tied for 27th in the NCAA and second in the league. Vladislav Goldin is shooting 64.3 percent from the field, which is fifth in the country and best in the AAC. He is second on the team averaging 14.1 points per game and is tied for the team lead with 6.7 rebounds per game. He has a team-best 36 blocks. He has 20 assists and 12 steals. Johnell Davis leads the team with 18.5 points per game and is tied for a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. His 18.5 points per game are tied for 62nd in the country and tied for third in the AAC. He is tied for 66th in the nation and second in the conference with a free-throw percentage of 86.2 percent. He is second on the team with 69 assists to go along with 42 steals and five blocks. Alijah Martin rounds out the double-digit scorers with 13.3 points per game. He averages 5.6 rebounds per game with a team-best 45 steals, 40 assists, and six blocks. Bryan Greenlee leads the team with 76 assists. He averages 6.8 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Tale of the Tape 

USFCategoryFAU
74.8POINTS PER GAME83.3
68.0OPP. POINTS PER GAME72.1
.437FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.480
.421OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.435
.3653-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.368
.311OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE.331
.728FREE THROW PERCENTAGE.714
36.1REBOUNDS PER GAME38.4
-0.2REBOUNDING MARGIN4.1
14.9ASSISTS PER GAME15.3
10.8TURNOVERS PER GAME11.0
2.1TURNOVER MARGIN1.4
6.7STEALS PER GAME7.8
3.4BLOCKS PER GAME2.7

American Athletic Conference Standings (as of February 16)

1. South Florida – 18-5, 11-1

2. Florida Atlantic – 20-5, 10-2

3. Charlotte0 – 16-8, 10-2

4. SMU – 18-7, 9-3

5. UAB – 16-8, 8-3

6. Memphis – 18-7, 7-5

7. North Texas – 14-10. 7-5

8. ECU – 13-12, 6-6

9. Tulane – 13-11, 4-8

10. Rice – 9-15, 3-8

11. Tulsa – 12-12, 3-9

12. Wichita State – 10-15, 2-10

13. UTSA – 8-17, 2-10

14. Temple – 8-17, 1-11

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About USF Men’s Basketball

The South Florida men’s basketball team is led by Amir Abdur-Rahim, who was named the 11th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023. Abdur-Rahim was named the 2023 Mid-Major Coach of the Year (Hugh Durham Award) after leading Kennesaw State to its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2022-23. Abdur-Rahim’s Kennesaw State team set an NCAA record as the fastest team to ever reach the NCAA Tournament after a one-win campaign, accomplishing the feat in a span of just three seasons. He was also named the 2022-23 NABC District 3 and ASUN Coach of the Year after leading Kennesaw State to both the regular season and tournament titles, and a school-record 26 wins.
 
USF has retired three numbers in its history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30), and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
 
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to 
USFBullsTix.com.