For more than two minutes Monday night, the scoreboard barely had a reason to turn on.
Then USF found its offense. Once the Bulls got moving, Charleston Southern couldn’t keep up.
Zayden High scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Sonny Wilson added 19 points, and USF opened the Chris Mack era with a 98-71 win at the Yuengling Center.
Five Bulls scored in double figures. USF finished with 13 steals and just eight turnovers. That is a pretty good debut for Coach Mack and a brand new team.
But Mack saw more than a 27-point win. He saw easy baskets his defense allowed, mistakes to fix, and a road test coming quickly.
“There’s a lot to work on, a lot to get better at,” Mack said. “But I’m excited. Good start.”
Sonny Wilson, Mike James, and Chris Davis Jr. got most of the preseason attention, but Zayden High might be one of the most overlooked players on this roster. He made a strong case Monday night for getting more attention.
High led USF with 11 first-half points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double in his Bulls debut. Against a defense that kept a seven-footer near the basket, he gave USF an inside scoring threat.
Mack said Charleston Southern’s unusual defense changed how the Bulls could use High. Rather than working mainly as a passer and playmaker, High needed to attack the big man waiting in the paint.
“I thought he did a terrific job,” Mack said.
High also helped USF move the ball after rebounds. His quick outlet passes allowed Wilson to push the ball before Charleston Southern could get its defense set.
Mike James got USF on the board with a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls a 3-2 lead. Wilson also added an early three, helping USF move ahead 10-6 with 14:40 left in the first half.
Charleston Southern stayed close and trailed just 24-20 with 5:44 remaining in the first half. USF outscored the visitors 19-13 over the rest of the half to take a 43-33 lead into the locker room.
The first-half numbers showed how much work remained. Both teams shot about 41 percent, and each grabbed 22 rebounds. USF’s edge came in taking care of the ball. The Bulls committed just three turnovers while forcing seven.
Then Chris Davis Jr. helped open things up. Davis hit two quick 3-pointers after halftime as USF built a 49-36 lead. By the midpoint of the second half, the Bulls led 74-54.
Charleston Southern never made a serious push after that. James and Davis finished with 14 points apiece. Omojafo added 12.
Chris Mack wants these Bulls playing fast. Playing fast often comes with a price: turnovers. USF kept that price low Monday.
The Bulls scored 98 points while turning the ball over just eight times, even against a defensive look Mack called a “very unique challenge.”
Wilson helped set that tone. He pushed the pace without letting the game become careless. Mack makes ball security a daily priority. The message is simple. Play fast, but value each possession. “We want to turn our defense into offense,” Mack said.
USF showed how that can work. Ball pressure produced steals, and those steals created chances to score before the defense could recover.
When asked whether too many turnovers might make him pull back the pace, Mack gave a clear answer. “We’re never going to slow it down.”
The Bulls’ defensive scheme was very effective in disrupting Charleston Southern’s outside game.
Mack said the visitors had averaged about 41 attempts from the 3-point range across three exhibitions and scrimmages. USF held them to 23 attempts and five makes.
But removing that option created problems elsewhere. Charleston Southern found openings on rolls to the basket, with its big men getting free for easy dunks late in the first half.
Mack said that was a main focus of the halftime discussion. He also thought USF fouled too much in the second half.
Just because you win the game doesn’t make those issues go away. Better opponents will make the Bulls pay. Still, the pressure was a useful starting point.
“I thought the ball pressure obviously led to a lot of turnovers,” Mack said. “It led to easy runouts.”
Josh Omojafo returned and gave USF another steady source of energy. His 12 points were part of a night that showed why Mack was so pleased to bring him back to the program.
Before adding Omojafo, Mack asked people around USF about his work habits, attitude, and relationships with teammates. “There wasn’t one person who had one negative thing to say about Josh,” Mack said.
That trust showed Monday. Omojafo played hard and gave the Bulls another scoring option.
“He’s been a great addition,” Mack said.
Up Next
A tougher test will come Thursday night when USF travels to DePaul for an 8:30 p.m. tip. The Bulls then face Saint Joseph’s in Annapolis, Maryland, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m.
Mack expects DePaul to provide a major defensive test. His first demand will be the same one he had Monday.
“I want to see us compete,” he said.
The opener gave Bulls fans plenty to like: balanced scoring, an active defense and a team willing to run.
Now comes the next step: to take that game on the road.