USF Basketball Opens Season Monday

South Florida University men's and women's basketball teams begin their 2026-27 seasons on Monday at the Yuengling Center in Tampa. The women face Furman at 5 p.m., while the men play Charleston Southern at 7 p.m. Both teams are under new leadership, with Chris Mack and Kristy Curry hired by the university on consecutive days in March.

Mack takes over the men's program after Bryan Hodgson departed for Providence. The Bulls were American Conference champions and made the NCAA Tournament last season. Mack has rebuilt the roster with 12 transfers and three high school recruits. He described his search for "everyday guys" during the offseason.

The men's offense centers on senior point guard Sonny Wilson. Wilson is a 6-foot-1 transfer from Toledo who started 98 games over three seasons. He recorded more than 1,300 points and 330 assists. Mack called Wilson one of the fastest point guards in the country. The coach said the team aims to play fast and rely on Wilson to create opportunities for teammates.

Support for Wilson comes from guards Mike James and Chris Davis Jr., and forwards Garrett Johnson and Zayden High. Josh Omojafo is the only player returning from last season's roster. James, a graduate student from Orlando who played for Mack at Louisville, said the team features players with diverse skills. He noted that Wilson pushes the pace while others handle shooting duties.

High, a 6-foot-10 junior from North Carolina, transferred after coach Hubert Davis was fired. Mack told High during recruitment that he would touch the ball often. Davis, a sophomore, hit eight 3-pointers in an exhibition game against Saint Leo last week. James described Davis as a special shooter who can catch fire quickly.

Curry leads the women's team after leaving Alabama, where she spent 13 years. She replaces Jose Fernandez, who coached the Bulls for 25 seasons before moving to the WNBA in 2025. Fernandez guided the team to four conference titles and 10 NCAA tournament appearances. Curry brought in nine newcomers, including senior guard Amourie Porter from Winthrop, who averaged 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.

Other key additions include senior guard Kate Novik from DePaul and senior guard Hannah Kohn from Clemson. Kohn made 79 3-pointers in her previous season. The frontcourt features 6-foot-3 forwards Mallory Collier from North Carolina State and Kendall Puryear from Purdue. Stefanie Ingram is the most experienced returnee. The senior point guard from Orlando averaged 9.9 points and 5.7 assists last season. She led the American Conference in assists and scored 27 points in an upset victory over Duke.

Curry stated she wants to play an up-tempo, position-less style. She emphasized quick decision-making and ball sharing. She also said she wants the team to shoot from the perimeter and defend well. At the American Conference Tipoff in Tampa last month, Curry said she wants to be the hardest-working head coach she can be. She described her goal as adding grit to help players become their best versions.

Mack and Curry both spoke about working together during a press conference last week. Mack said Curry is as easygoing as any coach he has worked with. He called her a coup for the women's program given its history. Curry agreed on the synergy, noting they are in the same building and have the same goals. She said they want to make Tampa Bay a home for winning and entertaining basketball.

Kohn expressed trust in Curry's experience at the conference tipoff. She noted that Curry has been a winner in a high-level league. Curry's teams at Alabama posted 20-win seasons in the past five years. Over a 28-year career, she also coached Texas Tech and Purdue, leading the latter to the 2001 national championship game. Her teams have reached the NCAA Tournament 14 times and won five conference titles.