American Conference squads run it back on Thursday night, as the UAB Blazers host the South Florida Bulls at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Bulls (11–7, 3–2 American) have won three of their last four games since suffering a double-overtime loss at home to UAB on Jan. 4. They enter the matchup, also eager to rebound from Sunday’s overtime defeat against Wichita State.
The Blazers (12–7, 3–3 American) have won two of four since beating USF on the road. They’re also looking to bounce back from a Sunday loss — a 22-point drubbing at home against Tulsa.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. South Florida enters as a 2.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while UAB sits as a +114 underdog. The game total is set at 166.5 points.
Bulls vs. Blazers Preview
South Florida Bulls Preview
South Florida has gotten off to a strong start under first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson. The Bulls currently own KenPom’s 81st-ranked net rating, while leading the American Conference in nearly every major metric.
Playing at the fastest tempo in the conference, USF paces its peers in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game. Meanwhile, the Bulls have knocked down the second-most threes at a 33.8% clip.
Catalyzing the attack is Izaiyah Nelson, who followed Hodgson from Arkansas State. The senior forward is averaging 15.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game — the latter of which leads the conference and ranks 17th in the nation.
Nelson is flanked by sharpshooting guards Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion (also an AR State transfer), each of whom adds 14 points a night. They also rank first and third in the conference in threes per game, with Enis burying 10 of 22 triples in the first meeting with UAB. CJ Brown leads the Bulls with 5.3 assists, also contributing double-digit points alongside Josh Omojafo.
South Florida’s frenetic pace has carried over to the defensive end, yielding mixed results. While the Bulls lead the American Conference in steals per game, they also surrender the most opponent points and commit the most fouls.
UAB Blazers Preview
UAB has also shown promise early in the season. While the Blazers are just 3–3 in conference play thus far, they’ve notched some solid wins — headlined by the double-OT triumph at South Florida. They rank outside KenPom’s top 100 in net rating, though they have matched up well with the rest of the American Conference.
UAB has scored the conference’s fourth-most points per game, while ranking third in assists and second in rebounds. Despite playing at a lightning pace, like South Florida, the Blazers are extremely polished on both ends of the floor — leading the conference with the fewest turnovers and fouls per game.
Leading the way is sophomore guard Chance Westry, a former top-40 recruit coming off a redshirt season at Syracuse. He’s averaging a team-high 14.9 points and 4.5 assists per game — and dropped 24 points off the bench in his last meeting with USF.
Junior forward Evan Chatman adds 8.3 points and 8.3 rebounds a night, the latter mark ranking third in the American Conference. Jacob Meyer chips in 14 points, while KyeRon Lindsay-Martin, Daniel Rivera, and Ahmad Robinson each contribute double-digit points, as well.
However, like its acronymous counterpart, UAB has struggled to keep a lid on opposing squads. The Blazers have surrendered the conference’s fourth-most opponent points, along with the third-most three-pointers per game.
Bulls vs. Blazers Pick, Best Bet
South Florida and UAB both play fast, score a lot of points, and don’t do much to limit teams on the other end. The squads combined for 166 points in regulation before amassing 213 in the double-OT thriller earlier this month. Expect the Bulls and Blazers to bring the same level of intensity this time around — and surpass the 166.5-point over on Thursday night.
