Isaiah Jones (left) and Izaiyah Nelson (right) during the University of South Florida’s 87-66 win over the University of Memphis on Feb. 19
Photo by Gabriel Ballester-Rivera | The Crow’s Nest
By Dominic Feo
A season-high 6,705 people and over 2,000 students packed the Yuengling Center on Feb. 19 to watch the University of South Florida’s 87-66 win over the University of Memphis. With a two-game lead over the American Conference, USF’s 11-3 conference record has clinched the team a spot in the conference tournament.
USF’s fifth straight win began with USF losing 17-13 after five minutes, Memphis hitting four of its first five three-point shots up to that point. However, a defensive switch to zone defense by USF led to Memphis finishing the night by making only 9 of 24.
First-year head coach Byran Hodgson almost chose not to run zone defense before the game, but his confidence in his own players and film of his opponents changed his mind.
“I watched a bunch of film, and the zones are giving them problems, especially here recently,” coach Hodgson said during the postgame press conference. “I was at the house [Feb. 18] about 11:30 p.m. watching film, I just kept thinking, man, this is the answer for tomorrow, so I texted [forward] Isaiah Jones last night at 11:30 p.m. and said it’s gonna be a big game for you tomorrow.”
A fifth-year senior transfer from Oakland University in Auburn, Michigan, Jones arrived in Tampa Bay with plenty of experience in a zone defense that upset No. 3 Kentucky during the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 21, 2024.
“Isaiah Jones is our best zone defender, one of the benefits of the transfer portal area is he’s coming from a school that played zone for 40 minutes, and he’s elite at it,”’ coach Hodgson said. “He’s an elite talker, he directs traffic, and he was kind of that anchor for us tonight, so I want to make sure to give him a proper shout-out because he was phenomenal.”
Another impactful defender for the Bulls was senior forward Izaiyah Nelson, who achieved his 200th career block during his fourth blocked shot of the game.
While Nelson recorded his seventeenth double (2nd most nationally) of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds, his defensive presence provided insurance for his teammates.
“I still try not to let my man get past me, but I know if he does, I have protection at the rim and trust in [Nelson] that he’ll be there and have my back,” guard CJ Brown said.
Photo by Gabriel Ballester-Rivera | The Crow’s Nest
Up by two with 7:46 left in the first half, Brown joined the block party when he emphatically spiked a layup attempt to the floor. USF soon pulled away to a 47-31 lead at halftime.
USF never looked back, staying in front for the rest of the night. Many fans spent the second half gathering above the student section, where they went tarps off, twirling their shirts in unison.
“I don’t know where those guys came from, but that was electric,” Hodgson said. “Someone told me security tried to get them out of there. We’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Guards Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion were the Bulls’ leading scorers with 20 and 19 points, respectively. USF’s best shot tonight, however, was at the free-throw line.
USF attempted 35 and watched 30 of them go through the net.
The team’s high-tempo offense forces an average of 28.4 free throw attempts a game, the highest average of any team in the country.
Opposing defenses this season may have a better chance chasing down an actual bull than USF’s stampeding squad.
“We play fast-paced, so everybody’s scrambling, running after us,” Brown said. “So it’s hard to stay disciplined and keep your defensive goals when you’re chasing after us.”
USF is on a chase of its own, seeking its first conference title since the 23-24 season. The Bulls need to maintain its conference lead to skip the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. USF wins in the semifinals and championship would give USF its first bid to the NCAA March Madness Tournament since 2012.
The Bulls travel to Houston on Feb. 25 to face Rice University. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
