USF Men’s Basketball Punches NCAA Tournament Ticket

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 15, 2026 - The University of South Florida men's basketball team made history Sunday afternoon, defeating Wichita State 70-55 at Legacy Arena to win the American Conference Championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

The win marked the first time in program history that South Florida won both the conference regular-season and conference tournament titles in the same season, as the Bulls enter the NCAA Tournament riding an 11-game winning streak. It also marks the program's second postseason conference championship, and first since the 1990 Sun Belt title in the same arena where they played today.

led the Bulls with 19 points while adding three steals in another strong two-way performance, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team and the Most Outstanding Player Award. finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks, and added 10 points while anchoring South Florida's interior defense and rebounding effort.

provided a spark off the bench with eight points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block, while chipped in six points and three assists.

South Florida set the tone from the opening possession. scored the game's first basket on a driving layup, and the Bulls immediately established their defensive presence with steals, blocks, and relentless pressure.

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- USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) March 15, 2026

The first half quickly developed into a defensive battle, with South Florida dictating the tempo on that end of the floor. broke the game's three-point drought at the 8:33 mark, knocking down a three to extend the Bulls' lead to six as Wichita State struggled to find consistency from the perimeter.

The Bulls began to create separation late in the half. buried a three with 3:53 remaining, added a pair of baskets, and Omojafo finished the half with a dunk in the closing seconds to send South Florida into the break with a 33-26 lead. At that point, Wichita State had made just one of its previous seven field-goal attempts and was 1-for-8 from three-point range.

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- USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) March 15, 2026

Wichita State briefly cut the deficit to one early in the second half, but South Florida quickly responded. The Bulls leaned on their defense, rebounding, and execution to regain control, and found for a three-pointer at the 13:38 mark to shift the momentum back in South Florida's favor.

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- USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) March 15, 2026

Jones knocked down another three with 12:08 remaining, and Enis followed with a deep three at the 11:16 mark to push the lead to double digits. South Florida's defensive pressure continued to dictate the pace, and a 6-0 Bulls run later in the half stretched the lead to 13 - their largest of the game - and effectively put the championship out of reach.

South Florida's defense again proved to be the difference. The Bulls held Wichita State to 34 percent shooting from the field and just 4-for-19 from three-point range while forcing 14 turnovers. South Florida's limited Shockers standout Kenyon Giles to just five points after he scored 22 and 24 points in the teams' two regular-season meetings.

Two of Wichita State's lowest-scoring games this season came against South Florida, including the Shockers' 55-point performance in the championship game.

The Bulls also controlled key hustle areas, finishing with a 40-40 rebounding margin while turning offensive rebounds into several critical second-chance opportunities. South Florida added 20 fast-break points, scored 34 points in the paint, and assisted on 13 field goals in another balanced offensive effort.

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- USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) March 15, 2026

also added another milestone to his remarkable start as a head coach, becoming just the fourth head coach in NCAA history to reach a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons, joining Mark Few, Brad Stevens, and Fran McCaffery.

With the victory, South Florida also broke the program's single-season record for field goals made and tied the program record for single-season wins.

The Bulls now head to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history and the first time in 14 years, earning the No. 11 seed and a matchup against No. 6 seed Louisville on March 19 in Buffalo, New York.

Note-a-Bulls:

• Program History- South Florida advanced to their first conference championship game since 1990 and extended their winning streak to 11 games.
• Defensive Difference- The Bulls held Wichita State to 34 percent shooting and just 21 percent from 3-point range while forcing 14 turnovers.
• Championship Control - The Bulls earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2011-12 season and the fourth NCAA Tournament berth in program history. The No. 11 seed ties the highest in program history.
• Record Watch- The Bulls tied the program record for wins in a season and broke the single-season program record for field goals made.
• Historic Coaching Start - became just the fourth head coach in NCAA history to reach a conference championship game in each of his first three seasons as a head coach.
• Historic Offense- South Florida set a new program record for single-season points scored, surpassing the previous mark of 2,752 points set by the 2018-19 team.
• Awards- and were named to the All-Tournament team, and Enis was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

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About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as the program's 12th head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he led the program to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason appearance since 1999 in his two seasons at the helm.

The program, entering its 55^th season in 2025-26, most recently won the American Athletic Conference regular season championship in 2023-24 and has made 13 postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournaments, nine NITs, and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls - Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras - have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.

- #GoBulls -