What To Watch For: South Florida vs. South Carolina St.
TAMPA, Fla., (Nov. 8, 2023) – The Amir Abdur-Rahim era officially begins on Thursday night as South Florida hosts South Carolina State to open the 52nd season of Bulls men’s basketball. USF is 8-2 in its last ten home openers.
The new look Bulls enter the 2023-24 season after going 14-18 overall last season including a 7-6 mark during the non-conference slate. Only three players return from last season.
USF took a nice step forward in their first game action of the season last Thursday with an impressive 94-49 victory in an exhibition game over Edward Waters at Yuengling Center.
Last season SC State finished 5-26 (2-12 MEAC) then lost seven players to the NCAA transfer portal, including its top four scorers, its leader in assists and steals.
BullsInsider.com has your quick facts and what to watch for against South Carolina State:
Quick Facts
Matchup: USF (0-0) vs South Carolina State (1-0)
Date: Thursday Nov. 9
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Tampa, Fla. | Yuengling Center
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (TuneIn)
History: USF is 1-1 all-time against SC State. Two years ago the Bulls lost 65-64 to SC State when T.J. Madlock hit a corner three with 0.6 seconds to play.
The Opponent: Erik Martin is in his second season as head coach of the Bulldogs. He has eight newcomers and returns six players from last year's team who finished 5-26 overall, 2-12 in the MEAC.
SC State opened its regular season at home Monday with a win over Voorhees. Redshirt Junior Omar Croskey and Mitchell Taylor each had 12 points in the victory. Croskey, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound wing is in his fourth season with the Bulldogs but he missed all of last season. During the 2021-22 season, 62 percent of his shot attempts were threes.
Freshman guard Mitchell Taylor was a bright spot in the win over Voorhees. Not only did the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder score 12-points but he had six assists, four rebounds, a steal and zero turnovers in 26 minutes of action.
Freshman big man Drayton Jones, 6-foot-10, 240-pounds, is an energy bringing post with good size. Jones is still somewhat raw, but can finish with either hand, is active in the paint. He posted 12 rebounds and three blocks against Voorhees despite foul trouble limiting him to 14 minutes of playing time.
Sophomore guard Jordan Simpson was selected on the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Simpson averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds last season and was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team.
Last season SC State played mostly man defense (88.1 percent) but we would not be surprised to see them start in a zone defense. SC State likes to mix up its defenses and they will get after you. Coach Martin is a disciple of Bob Huggins and his defenses reflect that. The Bulldogs will also use a 2-2-1 press.
Keys To A Win
USF must limit turnovers – they committed 18 against Edward Waters – defend the perimeter, win the rebound battle and make open shots.