USF Males’s Basketball Journey to Kennesaw for Inaugural “Love Wins Classic”

TAMPA, Fla., November 15, 2025 – The University of South Florida males’s basketball workforce (2–1) will journey to Kennesaw, Georgia, to face Kennesaw State (3–0) within the inaugural “Love Wins Classic” on Sunday. Tip-off is about for two p.m. at VyStar Arena. The sport will air on ESPN+ with radio protection out there on Bulls Unlimited.

Both applications will honor the life and legacy of their former head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, who handed away earlier than the 2024–25 season. The ‘Love Wins Classic’ was created to have fun his influence on each applications, their student-athletes, and the broader basketball group. The occasion will proceed subsequent season, with South Florida internet hosting the sport in Tampa.

Kennesaw State will maintain a halftime recognition celebrating Abdur-Rahim’s life, legacy, and the message he shared by the sport he liked. The Bulls can be debuting particular ‘Love Wins’ uniforms.

 

The uniforms, modeled after the basic black bomber jacket Abdur-Rahim liked to put on, are designed together with his phrases and mantras stitched all through the design.

E.D.G.E, T.R.U.T.H., This ain’t the identical previous South Florida, and Bulls Nation are all displayed on the brand new South Florida threads that can debut on Sunday.

 

At Kennesaw State, Abdur-Rahim led the Owls from a one-win season to a 26–8 report, Atlantic Sun championships, and this system’s first NCAA Tournament look in 2023.

At South Florida, Abdur-Rahim led the Bulls to their first nationwide rating in program historical past and an American Conference common season championship in 2023-24.

Ranking Comparison

South Florida (2-1) enters this sport with a KenPom score of 92 and a BPI of 85. Kennesaw State (3-0) has a KenPom score of 135 and a BPI of 100. The Owls are sixth within the nation in offensive tempo, and the Bulls sit at seventh.

Last Time Out

South Florida defeated Coppin State, 100–50, on Wednesday on the Yuengling Center, marking the second-largest margin of victory in program historical past. Junior ahead Joseph Pinion led the Bulls with a career-high 24 factors and 6 three-point subject targets.

Five Bulls scored in double figures for the second time this season. Alongside Pinion’s 24, Wes Enis added 11 factors with three three-pointers, sophomore CJ Brown completed with 11 factors and 4 assists, Izaiyah Nelson recorded his second double-double of the season with 14 factors and 13 rebounds, and Caleb Sanders contributed 12 factors off the bench, hitting two threes.

South Florida continued their defensive consistency by forcing no less than 18 turnovers and recording 11 steals for the third straight sport.

Kennesaw State performed at dwelling final Wednesday, Nov. 12, defeating Point University 111-60. Their different two wins have come at FAMU (92-72) and vs. Paine College (105-29).

Series History

Sunday marks the second-ever assembly between South Florida and Kennesaw State. The groups final confronted off on November 28, 2016, when the Bulls defeated the Owls 71–69 in Tampa.

Connections

• Head coaches Bryan Hodgson and Antoine Pettway coached collectively on the University of Alabama on Nate Oats’ employees from 2019 by 2023.
• Homecoming: CJ Brown and Izaiyah Nelson each hail from Marietta, Georgia, and Cobb County.

Up Next
Following this sport, the Bulls journey to Stillwater, Okla. to face Oklahoma State University on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. ET. The sport will stream stay on ESPN+, with radio protection out there on Bulls Unlimited.

Tickets:

Men’s basketball single-game and season tickets will be bought by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls or by visiting USFBullsTix.com.

 

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About USF Men’s Basketball

South Florida males’s basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as this system’s twelfth head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson got here to Tampa from Arkansas State, the place he led this system to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason look since 1999 in his two seasons on the helm.

 

The program, getting into its 55^th season in 2025-26, most not too long ago received the American Athletic Conference common season championship in 2023-24 and has made 13 postseason appearances, together with three NCAA Tournaments, 9 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 dwelling video games on the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.

– #GoBulls –