The 2023–24 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marked the 52nd basketball season for USF, the eleventh as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the first (and only) season under head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. The Bulls played their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus.
In the Week 14 poll on February 12, 2024, USF received five votes in the Coaches Poll (unofficially ranking them 40th), marking the first time since the final poll of the 2011–12 season in which USF has received votes in the Coaches Poll. In addition, the school also received seven votes in the AP poll (unofficially ranking them 43rd), also marking the first time the school received votes in both polls in the same week, along with only the third time the school received votes in the AP poll, after receiving 58 in the Week 6 poll in 1991–92 and two in the Week 13 poll in 2009–10. The following week (Week 15), the school set a record for most votes received in the Coaches Poll, receiving 45 in AP and 35 in Coaches (unofficially ranking them 31st and 29th, respectively).
In their February 18 win against No. 24 Florida Atlantic, USF set a new attendance record with 10,659 fans packing the Yuengling Center.
On February 25 after their win against SMU combined with losses by Charlotte and Florida Atlantic that weekend, USF clinched at least a share of the conference regular season title for the first time in school history. On March 2, they would clinch the outright title with their win over Charlotte.
In the Week 16 poll on February 26, 2024, USF was ranked No. 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls, marking the first time in school history the team was officially ranked in either poll.
The Bulls were ranked No. 24 in both the AP and Coaches polls during week 17. After a loss to Tulsa in the final game of the season, USF would drop out of the AP Top 25 for week 18; however, they would receive votes, unofficially ranking them 27th in the nation. That loss would also snap the Bulls program record setting 15-game win streak.
On March 15, Amir Abdur-Rahim was named a Naismith College Coach of the Year semifinalist. Two days later, the Bulls were given a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, their first postseason berth since 2018–19. They beat rival Central Florida in the first round their 25th win of the season setting a new program record before losing to VCU in the second round, ending their season.
Previous season The Bulls finished the 2022–23 season 14–18, 7–11 in AAC play, to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the AAC tournament to East Carolina.
On March 10, 2023, the school fired head coach Brian Gregory after six seasons. On March 29, the school named Kennesaw State head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim the team's new head coach.
Offseason Departures Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure Ryan Conwell 0 G 6'4" 195 Freshman Indianapolis, IN Transferred to Indiana State Tyler Harris 2 G 5'9" 150 GS Senior Memphis, TN Graduated DJ Patrick 3 F 6'6" 200 Sophomore Powder Springs, GA Transferred to Charleston Southern Dok Muordar 4 F 6'11" 200 Freshman Rumbek, South Sudan Transferred to Cleveland State Jake Boggs 5 F 6'7" 200 Junior Charlotte, NC Transferred Serrel Smith Jr. 10 G 6'4" 175 Senior St. Petersburg, FL Graduated Trey Moss 11 G 6'3" 180 Sophomore Orlando, FL Transferred to William & Mary Mark Calleja 13 G 6'2" 185 Senior Hudson, FL Walk-on; graduated Kenu Louissaint 22 G/F 6'3" 205 Senior Port-au-Prince, Haiti Graduated Keyshawn Bryant 23 F 6'6" 190 GS Senior Winter Haven, FL Graduated Jamir Chaplin 24 G 6'5" 200 Junior Norcross, GA Transferred to Little Rock Russel Tchewa 54 C 7'0" 280 Junior Douala, Cameroon Transferred to Georgia
Incoming transfers Name Num Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school Josh Placer 2 G 6'1" 184 RS Senior Orlando, FL North Florida Chris Youngblood 3 G 6'4" 218 Senior Tuscaloosa, AL Kennesaw State Kobe Knox 4 G 6'5" 195 RS Sophomore Tampa, FL Grand Canyon Brandon Stroud 5 G 6'6" 200 Senior Atlanta, GA Kennesaw State Kasean Pryor 11 F 6'10" 200 Junior Chicago, IL Northwest Florida State College Kasen Jennings 13 G 6'3" 202 Senior Atlanta, GA Kennesaw State Gerald Jones III 21 F 6'11" 225 Junior Wolfeboro, NH Saddleback College David Ogunleye 22 F 6'9" 235 Junior Houston, TX Chabot College
Recruiting classes 2023 recruiting class
Roster
Preseason AAC Coaches Poll USF was selected to finish ninth out of 14 in the American Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll. 1Florida Atlantic167 (11)2Memphis159 (3)3Tulane1424UAB1285East Carolina1056North Texas1007SMU978Wichita State909South Florida6210Tulsa5911Rice5612Temple4913Charlotte4614UTSA14
Schedule and results
!colspan=12 style=| Exhibition
!colspan=12 style=| Non-conference regular season
!colspan=12 style=| AAC regular season
!colspan=12 style=| AAC tournament
!colspan=12 style=| NIT
Source
Awards and recognition Players Conference Player of the Year Chris Youngblood
All-Conference First Team Chris Youngblood
All-Conference Second Team Selton Miguel
All-Conference Freshman Team Jayden Reid
Coaches Conference Coach of the Year Amir Abdur-Rahim (unanimous)
Source
Rankings
References