With heavy hearts, USF opens season against No. 21 Florida

South Florida will take the court for a somber season opener when it meets No. 21 Florida on Monday at the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational.

The Bulls are still grieving the sudden loss of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who died Oct. 24 at age 43 while undergoing a medical procedure.

Abdur-Rahim was entering his second season at USF after a historic debut campaign. He was the unanimous choice for American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulls to a program-record 25 wins and their first regular-season conference championship.

"In a very short time, Coach Abdur-Rahim made an indelible impact on the University of South Florida. In his first season as our head coach, he brought an unmatched enthusiasm, achieved unprecedented success and helped generate unforgettable memories for Bulls Nation," university President Rhea Law said.

Ben Fletcher, a USF assistant coach, takes over as interim coach for the stunned and shaken program. Fletcher spent four seasons (2019-23) on Abdur-Rahim's staff at Kennesaw State amid that program's impressive rebuild.

Speaking at his introductory news conference Tuesday, Fletcher said he aims to continue building the legacy his late friend broke ground on last season.

"He will spearhead us through the season, I know. We will not try to forget or put emotions to the side. This is real life, you know?" Fletcher said.

"Those guys will have to grieve at their own pace. But what we want to do is continue to pour into those young men and make sure they have all the support they need. But as far as basketball, we will keep his name alive."

The Bulls' top returning players include guards Kobe Knox (8.4 points per game) and Jayden Reid (6.8 points, 3.1 assists per game).

USF will face a Gators squad coming off a 24-win season that ended with a first-round loss to Colorado in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Todd Golden's team is focused on strengthening an offense that averaged a school-record 85.6 points per game last season and ranked No. 12 nationally in offensive efficiency.

Walter Clayton Jr. should contribute heavily after averaging a team-best 17.6 points per game last season. The senior guard was named to the preseason All-Southeastern Conference first team.

Will Richard (11.4 points per game in 2023-24) returns for his third season at Florida. He and Clayton highlight a backcourt that also features Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin (13.1), who has Final Four experience from the Owls' run through the 2023 tournament.

Gators assistant Kevin Hovde met with current Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who won consecutive national championships at Florida in 2006-07, during the offseason for advice on how to push the offense into another gear.

Richard said he notices a greater intensity in the Gators' attack.

"We're still doing a lot of the same stuff, but I think we're just more aggressive with what we're doing. We're moving a lot harder," Richard said.

"I feel like we have more weapons. We've got monsters inside, shooters outside and everybody is playing for each other. It's been really good, so far."

--Field Level Media