Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Championship Sunday
South Florida will be looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to Temple when it travels to SMU on Sunday afternoon. The Bulls have struggled during conference play, losing six of their eight games. SMU has dropped two straight games and lost six of its last eight, falling to 7-14 overall this season.
South Florida’s season has been as streaky as any team in the country, which started when it lost five straight games to open the campaign. The Bulls proceeded to win seven of their next eight games, but that success has not held up in AAC play. They have lost six of their last eight contests, with their wins coming against East Carolina and UCF. Their latest game was a 79-76 loss to Temple in overtime on Wednesday, but they were able to cover the spread as 5.5-point underdogs. Despite their lack of wins within the conference, they have covered the spread in four of their last five games.
Gearing up for Dallas! #HornsUp?? | #AllInAllOut pic.twitter.com/Umpd1vqEzL
— USF Men's Basketball (@USFMBB) January 28, 2023
They have been a decent offensive team this season, ranked No. 132 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. South Florida ranks outside the top 200 in turnover rate and is one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country, knocking down just 64.2% of its attempts. Its strength has been on the offensive glass, where it ranks No. 42 in offensive rebounding percentage. The Bulls are facing a SMU defense that is No. 139 in adjusted efficiency. Senior guard Tyler Harris leads USF with 16.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, while Russel Tchewa (11.4) and Selton Miguel (11.0) are both scoring in double figures as well.