The University of South Florida men’s basketball team advanced to the American Conference Championship game after defeating Charlotte 86–64 at Legacy Arena on March 14. The Bulls extended their winning streak to 10 games and improved their season record to 24–8, tying the second-most wins in program history and moving within one victory of the program record set in the 2023–24 season.
This achievement marks South Florida’s first appearance in a conference championship game since 1990, which also took place at Legacy Arena. Head coach Bryan Hodgson became only the fourth head coach in NCAA history to reach a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons as a head coach, joining Mark Few, Brad Stevens, and Fran McCaffery.
Joseph Pinion led the Bulls with 24 points and six three-pointers, setting a new program record for games with six or more made threes in a season. Pinion also reached the milestone of 1,000 collegiate career points during the second half. Wes Enis matched Pinion’s scoring output with 24 points and contributed four three-pointers, five assists, and three rebounds. Together, Enis and Pinion combined for 48 points and ten three-pointers.
Izaiyah Nelson added 16 points and eight rebounds while continuing his strong season after earning Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year honors from the American Conference. Josh Omojafo led on rebounds with ten boards. The Bulls controlled both ends of the court throughout the game, building an early lead that they never relinquished.
South Florida set a new single-season program record for total points scored by surpassing the previous mark of 2,752 set by the 2018–19 team. The Bulls will face either Tulsa or Wichita State in Sunday’s American Conference Championship game at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
Bryan Hodgson was named as South Florida’s head coach on March 24, 2025. In his previous role at Arkansas State, he led that program to consecutive seasons with more than twenty wins and its first postseason appearance since 1999. This year marks South Florida’s second regular season American Conference Championship title and its fourteenth postseason appearance.
