NOSTALGIA: USF men’s basketball faces a ranked team on Thursday. It hasn’t beaten one since 2012.
As USF gears up to take on No. 10 Memphis on Thursday, previous misfortunes against ranked opponents linger.
The Bulls (9-5, 2-1 AAC) have lost 37 consecutive games against teams ranked in the AP Poll.
The last victory was on Feb. 27, 2012 – a thrilling 58-51 victory against No. 19 Louisville. The game served as a catalyst for arguably the most successful season in program history.
Junior guard Jawanza Poland led the Bulls with 16 points, taking down a Cardinals squad that would boast several future NBA draft picks.
Related: ‘This ain’t the same old South Florida’: USF basketball first-week impressions
Louisville fell out of the AP Poll after that week. Despite the loss, it would finish the season with a 30-10 record, losing to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
It was the Bulls’ second win over a ranked opponent in the 2011-12 season, previously beating No. 23 Seton Hall on Jan. 13.
USF finished that season with a 22-14 record, earning its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1992.
The Bulls defeated California and Temple before a 62-56 loss to Ohio in the third round – the furthest USF would ever go in the tournament.
Since their unlikely March Madness run as a No. 12 seed, it has been a tumultuous decade for the Bulls.
A roller coaster of coaching hires and struggles in conference play have marred USF – the program has only seen one winning season since 2012.
Its most successful season since then came in 2019, where then-head coach Brian Gregory led the Bulls to a program record 24-win season and a CBI Championship over DePaul.
Gregory could not replicate the success and was fired after the 2022-23 season.
But a tournament bid isn’t off the table for the Bulls this season, who have surpassed early expectations under first-year head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.
Related: Bulls showing signs of improvement under Amir Abdur-Rahim
An unlikely road upset over the Tigers (15-2, 4-0 AAC) would be momentous –a win over one of the top teams in the country would be USF ‘s biggest victory in a decade and a remarkable addition to the Bulls’ tournament resume.
USF men’s basketball will face No. 10 Memphis on Thursday at the FedExForum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and Bulls Unlimited.
See The Oracle’s original coverage of 2012’s Louisville game below:
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