Finally, after 14 long years, South Florida is back in the NCAA Tournament as the 11th seed in the East Regional. The USF Bulls will take on the 6th-seeded Louisville Cardinals.
The Bulls bring an 11-game winning streak and a 25-8 record into the NCAA Tournament, and will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament win since their last trip to the tournament in 2012.
Louisville is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, as this will be its 46th appearance, the sixth most in NCAA history. USF is making just its third all-time appearance in the tournament. Louisville is 29-4 all-time against South Florida.
While the Bulls enter the tournament with an 11-game winning streak, Louisville has a 6-4 record in its last 10 games. Louisville is 23-10 overall, and the style of play could not be more different between these two teams.
In addition to their 11-game winning streak, this South Florida team has been built on chemistry, confidence, and a team that found different ways to win throughout the season. Louisville’s offense begins and ends with the three-point shot, as 52 percent of its shots are taken from three-point range.
A concern for Louisville is the health of starting freshman Mikel Brown Jr., who has been ruled out for the game against USF. Brown, who has missed the last four games of the season, is second on the team in scoring at 18.2 points per game. Louisville is a different team with Brown not in the lineup, as their 7-5 record without Brown indicates. Louisville will look to J’Vonne Holliday to pick up the scoring slack with Brown out of the lineup. There is no guarantee that he will be ready for a second-round game should Louisville advance.
The Cardinals have two players on their roster with ties to USF. Guard Ryan Conwell is leading the Cardinals in scoring at 18.7 PPG. Conwell played for USF during the 2022-23 season. Forward Kasean Pryor also spent time at USF as he was on the 2023-24 squad.
One thing the Bulls cannot afford to do is turn the ball over. If USF lets Louisville get out in transition and control the tempo, that could be a problem for South Florida. Rebounding and second-chance points will also be key in this game. USF has been one of the top rebounding teams in the country this season, and getting offensive rebounds is key for the Bulls, as they create extra possessions.
Louisville also has a very good inside game, and USF will need to match Louisville’s physicality. The Bulls cannot allow offensive rebounds to Louisville or easy put-backs. USF snags offensive rebounds 38.4 percent of the time, while Louisville allows its opponents to grab just 28 offensive rebounds per game. The Bulls need to relax and play loose, like they have all season.
Louisville is the national brand in this contest, so all the pressure is on the Cardinals. South Florida enters this game with all the confidence in the world and has a real chance of pulling off an upset. Wes Enis discussed this matchup, saying that if the Bulls win, it would not be considered an upset.
Defensively, Wes Enis, known more for his scoring than his defense, has shut down the top shooters on the opponents numerous times this season, and Thursday against Louisville, he will be asked to do it again.
Izaiyah Nelson will pose a problem in the middle for Louisville defenders.
The Cardinals will need to guard the three-point line, as Joe Pinion, Wes Enis, and Josh Omojafo can all burn the defense from three-point range. The Bulls have five players who average double-digit scoring. Enis leads the Bulls in scoring at 16.8 PPG.
South Florida has not been stage quite this big this season. This veteran Bulls team will need to keep its composure from the outset and not be intimidated by the big stage.
Can USF handle the big moment in the game? How much will Louisville miss Mikel Brown? Who will win the possession battle?
Tip-off is at 1:30 p.m. from Buffalo.