South Florida Bulls Face Portland Pilots in Emotional Myrtle Beach Invitational Opener

The University of South Florida men’s basketball team, the Bulls, are set to face the Portland Pilots in the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational on Thursday, November 21. This matchup marks the first meeting between the two teams and is part of the eight-team tournament held at the HTC Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Bulls, currently 2-2, are navigating a challenging season following the unexpected passing of their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, last month. Interim head coach Ben Fletcher is guiding the program through these difficult times. Despite the adversity, the Bulls have shown resilience, rebounding from their first two losses with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and West Georgia. They are averaging 78.3 points per game and have been strong defensively, particularly in 3-point defense, holding opponents to just 23.6% from beyond the arc.

The Portland Pilots, also 2-2, are led by head coach Shantay Legans in his fourth season. The team has shown early signs of progress, taking Oregon to overtime and securing a 63-61 win over Long Beach State in their last outing. Key players for the Pilots include Vukasin Masic, who averages 15.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, and freshman forward Austin Rapp, who averages 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Bulls are favored by 9.5 points, with the over/under set at 146.5 points. SportsLine‘s advanced model, which simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times, is leaning towards the over on the total and suggests that one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations.

Rebounding is expected to be a significant factor in this contest, with both teams averaging around 39 rebounds per game. The Bulls’ balanced attack, led by players like Kasen Jennings, Kobe Knox, and Jamille Reynolds, will face off against the Pilots’ defensive challenges, which have seen them struggle to contain opponents on the road.