2017–18 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team

The 2017–18 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represents the University of South Florida during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marks the 46th basketball season for USF, the fifth as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the first season under head coach Brian Gregory. The Bulls play their home games at the USF Sun Dome on the university's Tampa, Florida campus. The Bulls finished the season 10–22, 3–15 in AAC play to finish in last place. As the No. 12 seed in the AAC tournament, they lost in the first round to Memphis.

2017–18 South Florida Bulls men's basketball
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Record10–22 (3–15 AAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaUSF Sun Dome
Seasons
2017–18 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 6 Cincinnati162 .889315 .861
No. 21 Houston144 .778278 .771
No. 16 Wichita State144 .778258 .758
Tulsa126 .6671912 .613
Memphis108 .5562113 .618
UCF99 .5001913 .594
Temple810 .4441716 .515
UConn711 .3891418 .438
SMU612 .3331716 .515
Tulane513 .2781417 .452
East Carolina414 .2221020 .333
South Florida315 .1671022 .313
2018 AAC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

The Bulls finished the 2015–16 season 7–23, 1–17 in AAC play to finish in last place. As the No. 11 seed in the AAC tournament, they lost in the first round to UConn.

The Bulls were led by head coach Orlando Antigua for the first 13 games of the season until he was fired amid academic fraud allegations.[1][2] Following Antigua's firing, they were led by interim head coach Murry Bartow. On March 14, 2017, the school hired Brian Gregory as the next head coach.[3]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Jahmal McMurray0G6'0"165SophomoreTopeka, KSTransferred to SMU
Mike Bibby Jr.10G6'3"175FreshmanPhoenix, AZTransferred to Appalachian State
Jake Bodway11G6'3"201RS JuniorBloomington, MNWalk-on; didn't make the roster
Geno Thorpe13G6'4"170RS SeniorPittsburgh, PAGraduate transferred to Syracuse
Malik Fitts24F6'8"237FreshmanRancho Cucamonga, CATransferred to Saint Mary's
Ruben Guerrero33C7'0"235JuniorMarbella, SpainTransferred to Samford
Bo Zeigler35F6'6"207RS JuniorDetroit, MIGraduate transferred to George Washington
Luis Santos42F6'9"266SophomoreBronx, NYTransferred to Saint Louis

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Stephan Jiggetts0G6'1"205RS SeniorForestville, MDTransferred from Fairleigh Dickinson. Will be eligible to play immediately since Jiggetts graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson.
Terrence Samuel2G6'3"208RS SeniorBrooklyn, NYTransferred from Penn State. Will be eligible to play immediately since Samuel graduated from Penn State.
Laquincy Rideau3G6'1"204JuniorWest Palm Beach, FLTransferred from Gardner–Webb. Under NCAA transfer rules, Rideau will have to sit out for the 2017–18 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility.
Payton Banks4F6'6"223RS SeniorOrange, CATransferred from Penn State. Will be eligible to play immediately since Banks graduated from Penn State.
T. J. Lang10G6'7"210SeniorMobile, ALTransferred from Auburn. Under NCAA transfer rules, Lang will have to sit out for the 2017–18 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility.
Nikola Scekic41C7'1"255JuniorBelgrade, SerbiaJunior college transferred from Hutchinson CC.

2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Alexis Yetna
#17 PF
Baltimore, MDPutnam Science Academy6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg)Apr 19, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN grade: 79
David Collins
SG
Pittsburgh, PAFirst Love Christian Academy6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205 lb (93 kg)Apr 26, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN grade: NR
Justin Brown
SF
Birmingham, ALHargrave Military Academy6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg)Apr 10, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:    247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 6, 2017.

2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
NameHometownHigh school / collegeHeightWeightCommit date
Rashun Williams
SF
Edison, GACalhoun County High School6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)180 lb (82 kg)Sep 4, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN grade: 79
Michael Durr
C
Atlanta, GAOldsmar Christian School6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)210 lb (95 kg)Sep 11, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN grade: 79
Xavier Castaneda
PG
Chicago, ILWhitney Young High School6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)185 lb (84 kg)Sep 12, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN grade: 78
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Preseason

At the conference's annual media day, the Bulls were picked to finish last in the AAC.[4]

Roster

2017–18 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G0Stephan Jiggetts6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)195 lb (88 kg)RS SrFairleigh DickinsonForestville, Maryland
F1Isaiah Manderson6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)247 lb (112 kg)SrTexas TechBronx, New York
G2Terrence Samuel6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)208 lb (94 kg)RS SrPenn StateBrooklyn, New York
G3Laquincy Rideau (I)  6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)210 lb (95 kg)JrGardner–WebbWest Palm Beach, Florida
G/F4Payton Banks6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)223 lb (101 kg)RS SrPenn StateOrange, California
F5Malik Martin6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)214 lb (97 kg)RS JrUSCMiami, Florida
G10T. J. Lang (I)  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg)SrAuburnMobile, Alabama
G11David Collins6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg)FrFirst Love Christian AcademyYoungstown, Ohio
G/F13Justin Brown6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg)FrHargrave Military Academy (VA)Birmingham, Alabama
G14Henry Beard (W)6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)177 lb (80 kg)SoSeminole High SchoolSeminole, Florida
F15Yito Alvarado (W)6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)206 lb (93 kg)RS SoUniversity School of NSUSan Juan, Puerto Rico
F21Tulio Da Silva6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)206 lb (93 kg)RS SoArlington Country Day SchoolFormiga, Brazil
G22Joey Coffaro (W)5 ft 11 in (1.8 m)170 lb (77 kg)FrJohn Hersey High SchoolArlington Heights, Illinois
F23Alexis Yetna6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)220 lb (100 kg)FrPutnam Science Academy (CT)Paris, France
G25Troy Holston6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg)RS JrOldsmar Christian SchoolQueens, New York
C41Nikola Scekic7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)250 lb (113 kg)JrHutchinson Community CollegeBelgrade, Serbia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank#Opponent#ResultRecordSite (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Nov 3, 2017*
7:00 pm
FlaglerW 94–66 
USF Sun Dome (1,307)
Tampa, FL
Non-conference regular season
Nov 10, 2017*
8:00 pm, ESPN3
Florida AtlanticW 60–59 1–0
USF Sun Dome (4,192)
Tampa, FL
Nov 13, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3
Morgan StateL 53–63 1–1
USF Sun Dome (2,116)
Tampa, FL
Nov 15, 2017*
8:00 pm, ESPN3
at StetsonW 75–72 2–1
Edmunds Center (836)
Deland, FL
Nov 19, 2017*
6:00 pm, BTN
at Indiana
Hoosier Tip-Off Classic
L 53–70 2–2
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222)
Bloomington, IN
Nov 22, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3
Howard
Hoosier Tip-Off Classic
W 75–52 3–2
USF Sun Dome (2,080)
Tampa, FL
Nov 24, 2017*
12:00 pm
Arkansas State
Hoosier Tip-Off Classic
W 72–61 4–2
USF Sun Dome (2,284)
Tampa, FL
Nov 26, 2017*
4:00 pm, ESPN3
Eastern Michigan
Hoosier Tip-Off Classic
L 47–65 4–3
USF Sun Dome (2,050)
Tampa, FL
Nov 30, 2017*
7:00 pm
at ElonL 78–79 OT4–4
Alumni Gym (1,534)
Elon, NC
Dec 2, 2017*
7:00 pm
at Appalachian StateL 61–84 4–5
Holmes Center (1,506)
Boone, NC
Dec 11, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3
FIUL 53–64 4–6
USF Sun Dome (2,040)
Tampa, FL
Dec 14, 2017*
7:00 pm
Bethune–CookmanW 83–63 5–6
USF Sun Dome (2,091)
Tampa, FL
Dec 18, 2017*
7:00 pm
Northern ArizonaW 70–56 6–6
USF Sun Dome (2,016)
Tampa, FL
Dec 21, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3
CharlotteW 78–76 7–6
USF Sun Dome (2,099)
Tampa, FL
AAC regular season
Dec 28, 2017
7:00 pm, ESPNews
HoustonL 60–79 7–7
(0–1)
USF Sun Dome (2,273)
Tampa, FL
Dec 31, 2017
8:00 pm, ESPNU
at SMUL 39–79 7–8
(0–2)
Moody Coliseum (6,477)
Dallas, TX
Jan 3, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3
East CarolinaL 65–67 7–9
(0–3)
USF Sun Dome (2,148)
Tampa, FL
Jan 7, 2018
4:00 pm, CBSSN
at No. 9 Wichita StateL 57–95 7–10
(0–4)
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)
Wichita, KS
Jan 13, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPNews
No. 14 CincinnatiL 55–78 7–11
(0–5)
USF Sun Dome (3,609)
Tampa, FL
Jan 17, 2018
6:00 pm, ESPN3
at East CarolinaL 52–90 7–12
(0–6)
Williams Arena (2,857)
Greenville, NC
Jan 20, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPNU
UCF
Rivalry
L 69–71 7–13
(0–7)
USF Sun Dome (4,611)
Tampa, FL
Jan 25, 2018
9:00 pm, ESPNU
at TulaneW 80–75 8–13
(1–7)
Devlin Fieldhouse (1,717)
New Orleans, LA
Jan 28, 2018
3:00 pm, ESPN3
at HoustonL 40–63 8–14
(1–8)
H&PE Arena (3,121)
Houston, TX
Jan 31, 2018
8:30 pm, ESPNews
MemphisL 74–86 8–15
(1–9)
USF Sun Dome (2,754)
Tampa, FL
Feb 4, 2018
2:00 pm, ESPN3
TulsaL 54–63 8–16
(1–10)
USF Sun Dome (2,484)
Tampa, FL
Feb 7, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPNU
at UConnL 65–68 8–17
(1–11)
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (6,636)
Storrs, CT
Feb 10, 2018
12:00 pm, ESPNU
TempleL 55–73 8–18
(1–12)
USF Sun Dome (2,576)
Tampa, FL
Feb 14, 2018
6:00 pm, ESPNews
at UCF
Rivalry
L 57–72 8–19
(1–13)
CFE Arena (4,310)
Orlando, FL
Feb 18, 2018
3:00 pm, ESPN3
at TulsaL 61–73 8–20
(1–14)
Reynolds Center (4,120)
Tulsa, OK
Feb 24, 2018
12:00 pm, ESPNU
TulaneL 68–79 8–21
(1–15)
USF Sun Dome (2,228)
Tampa, FL
Mar 1, 2018
9:00 pm, ESPNews
at MemphisW 75–51 9–21
(2–15)
FedEx Forum (5,945)
Memphis, TN
Mar 4, 2018
2:00 pm, ESPNews
SMUW 65–54 10–21
(3–15)
USF Sun Dome (2,593)
Tampa, FL
AAC tournament
Mar 8, 2018
2:30 pm, ESPNU
(12) vs. (5) Memphis
First round
L 77–79 10–22
Amway Center (7,856)
Orlando, FL
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

References