Bulls ranked No. 23 in latest AP Poll

The Bulls are ranked in the AP Poll for the first time this season at No.23. The team has been led by the impressive play of senior forward Bethy Mununga and her teammates. ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB

The Bulls have opened their season with a handful of encouraging performances, securing the team a spot in the latest AP poll rankings that came out Monday. USF is slotted in the No. 23 spot, sandwiched between No. 22 Texas (4-1) and No. 24 DePaul (2-2).

The Bulls have hit the ground running as they currently boast an impressive 3-1 record with wins over Jacksonville, Stetson and most notably Mississippi State.

The Bulls are also the only team from the AAC to be ranked in the top 25.

This early season success has been headlined by an overtime upset win over the then No. 6 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in early December.

The Bulls also took the former No. 4 ranked Baylor Bears down to the wire earlier that same week. Although they would ultimately fall to the Bears 67-62, it was an impressive performance nevertheless.

These two showings in conjunction with their other games versus Jacksonville and Stetson have clearly caught the attention of the AP voters. The Bulls were unranked in the preseason poll and were recipients of just one vote.

As conference play opens up Wednesday, USF is poised to continue their impressive start and maintain their climb up the rankings.

The Bulls have two games before the next AP poll rankings are released. Coach Jose Fernandez’s squad will face the Memphis Tigers (2-2) and the Houston Cougars (3-1) respectively in the upcoming week.

The Bulls’ next game will take place Dec. 16 versus the Memphis Tigers. The game tips off at 3:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+ and broadcast on 95.3/620 WDAE/iHeartRadio Bulls Unlimited.