Bulls Basketball Newsletter: USF not up for the challenge against Hodgson's old team.
Let's recap a pair of USF games that happened last week.
Alabama pulls away in second half against USF
Three seasons ago, Bryan Hodgson left Nate Oats to become the head coach at Arkansas State after working under him for eight years. Wednesday night served as a reminder of who was the mentor and who was the mentee.
Alabama handled South Florida 104-93.
“They’re a good team,” Oats said of the Bulls after the game.
Hodgson is now 0-2 against his former team. He also fell to the Crimson Tide 88-79 last season while coaching Arkansas State.
Alabama showcased the full power of its patented high-pace, high-volume 3-point offense in the second half. The Crimson Tide scored 58 points and made eight of their 15 3-point attempts after halftime.
USF cut the deficit to three early in the second half on an Izaiyah Nelson dunk, but the momentum quickly shifted. With 16 minutes remaining, Bulls guard C.J. Brown was assessed a flagrant 1 foul after grabbing Alabama forward Keitenn Bristow’s arm and pulling him to the floor. The Tide capitalized, opening a 16-point lead during a decisive 17-4 run.
Alabama’s explosive second half was fueled by its backcourt. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway each scored 19 points after the break. Philon, the SEC’s leading scorer, finished with 28 points, while Holloway added 24.
Guard Wes Ennis scored 20 points, with 17 coming in the first half, marking his third 20-point game of the season. Forward Josh Omojafo also scored 20, his third such performance this year.
USF struggled offensively, shooting 38.9% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.
The Bulls did find success on the glass, outrebounding Alabama and generating 29 second-chance points to the Tide’s 18. USF also scored 14 fast-break points and limited Alabama to just nine.
USF fell to 2-5 in games away from the Yuengling Center.
The matchup represented the Bulls’ final opportunity to add a quality nonconference win. USF’s lone Quadrant 1 victory remains its home win over Utah State, which currently sits 18th in the NET rankings.
Bulls respond with dominant win over UMBC
In Hodgson’s first season at USF, he has emphasized resilience — and the Bulls responded once again.
South Florida bounced back Sunday with a 94-69 blowout of UMBC at the Yuengling Center.
USF improved to 4-1 following a loss this season and remained unbeaten at home at 5-0.
The Bulls topped 90 points for the second consecutive game and shot 51.5% from the field.
Guard Joseph Pinion led USF with a career-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers.
“Defensive game plans are built around Joseph Pinion,” Hodgson said. “He’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached.”
Forward Izaiyah Nelson added 20 points and 11 rebounds, recording his eighth double-double of the season — the fourth most in the country.
USF’s depth was on full display, with 11 players seeing action and 10 scoring. The Bulls’ bench contributed 26 points.
Five Bulls are averaging double figures this season.
Defensively, USF was relentless, forcing 15 turnovers and converting them into 24 points. The Bulls rank 28th nationally, forcing turnovers on 21.1% of opponents’ possessions.
USF has just one nonconference game remaining.
“I don’t think we’ve played a full 40 minutes of our expectation of basketball,” Hodgson said. “That’s something we’re going to hone in on as we hit our stride in conference play.”
The Bulls open American Athletic Conference play Jan. 4 against UAB at the Yuengling Center.