Bulls Basketball Newsletter: USF heads back home looking to continue their strong play
USF has two home games this week and are looking to continue their winning ways.
Bryan Hodgson and the South Florida Bulls head back home for a pair of games against conference foes.
The Bulls appear to have hit their stride in Hodgson’s first season at the helm. USF has won seven of its past nine games.
USF’s wins over Utah State and Tulsa during that stretch are considered Quadrant 1 victories. The Bulls are ranked 56th in the NET rankings, the highest ranking in program history.
The Bulls’ strong stretch has been led by senior forward Izaiyah Nelson, one of the midseason front-runners for American Conference Player of the Year.
Nelson is averaging 16.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season. He is on pace to become the first Bull to average a double-double since Kentrell Gransberry during the 2007-08 season. Nelson has recorded six straight double-doubles and 12 overall this season. Only Kent State senior forward Delreco Gillespie has more double-doubles this year.
Nelson is the only player in the American averaging a double-double and is the conference’s leading rebounder. He also leads the American in field-goal percentage at 63.3%. The next best mark belongs to Tulsa graduate forward David Green, who is shooting 50.6% from the floor.
USF has struggled shooting from beyond the arc this season. The Bulls rank 234th nationally, shooting 32.9% from 3-point range. However, USF has improved in conference play, averaging 11.3 made 3-pointers per game on 34.9% shooting.
The senior guard duo of Joseph Pinion and Wes Enis has paced the Bulls from long range. Enis has made 50 3-pointers this season, while Pinion has 54. Both rank in the top 40 nationally in made 3-pointers.
Defensively, the Bulls have the worst scoring defense in the American, allowing 79.8 points per game. Given USF’s fast tempo, opponents scoring at a high rate is expected, but the Bulls’ adjusted defensive efficiency still ranks 84th nationally.
A major factor in USF’s defensive struggles has been a lack of rim protection. The Bulls are averaging 4.4 blocks per game and are blocking shots on just 13.1% of opponents’ possessions, ranking 349th in the country. Opponents are shooting 48.5% on 2-point attempts against USF this season.
The Bulls will look to defend home court this week. USF is 6-1 at the Yuengling Center this season.
First, the Bulls will take on the struggling East Carolina Pirates on Wednesday night.
The Pirates are 5-11 this season and have lost four straight games. East Carolina ranks in the bottom three in the American in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Senior guard Jordan Riley leads the American in scoring at 22 points per game. He ranks ninth nationally and is the only player in the conference averaging more than 20 points per game.
USF will then face the Wichita State Shockers on Sunday.
Wichita State’s style of play contrasts sharply with the Bulls. The Shockers rank 301st nationally in adjusted tempo.
Wichita State leans on its defense. The Shockers are allowing just 68.9 points per game, the second fewest in the American. Their opponents’ effective field-goal percentage ranks 39th nationally.
Senior guard Kenyon Giles leads Wichita State, averaging 18.6 points per game. Giles is shooting 42.6% from 3-point range, which leads the American.
A pair of USF wins this week could cement the Bulls as part of the American’s inner circle of title contenders.