TAMPA, Fla., October 2, 2025 – As you travel along Fowler avenue, the giant USF basketball banner spells out an unmistakable message:
Tampa Bay’s Home For Hoops.
One week into the official fall practice tenure of new men’s basketball coach bryan Hodgson, the running of the Bulls has begun. They’ve been running. And running. And running some more.
Heading into USF’s home opener against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Monday, nov. 3, Hodgson pledges that the Bulls will be fun to watch.
“If you live in the Tampa Bay area and you love ball, you need to come check us out,” said Hodgson, a former Alabama assistant who was 45-28 in two seasons as head coach at Arkansas State. “Give us a chance to earn your fandom. I think we’ll play an entertaining brand of basketball that’s probably as similar to the NBA as you’re going to get from a college standpoint.”
“We’re competitive. We’re going to fight.We’re blue-collar. If you make your way to the Yuengling Center and watch us this year, you’ll be coming back for more. tell a friend – and tell that friend to tell a friend. We’re going for it, and we want to pack this place out every single game.”
If you haven’t guessed by now, Hodgson is filled with intensity.
And that should be manifested through the on-court product.
“It’s going to be a high-tempo, fast-paced kind of game,” said forward Daimion Collins, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound former five-star prospect who began at Kentucky, then shifted to LSU, where he started 22 games last season. “You’re probably going to see a lot of three’s, a lot of dunks, just a lot of fun basketball.”
Collins,or ‘DC’ as his teammates call him,is the oldest player on the roster and one of the thirteen new players on this fifteen-man roster.
“These are some of the hardest practices I’ve ever seen,” said De’Ante Green, who’s one of just two returning USF players (along with sophomore guard CJ Brown). “Man. Wow.We’re going to play hard and we’re going to go fast. There’s no question about that.”
Green suffered a season-ending injury last year and is expected to still miss significant time during his recovery. Brown,meanwhile,is a high-flying talent who’s hoping to build upon last season,when was selected to the American Conference All-Freshman Team.
In another era, 13 new players on a roster would be cause for concern. But in the transfer-portal era, it’s a way of life.
Two of Hodgson’s former players at Arkansas State – 6-10 senior forward Izaiyah Nelson
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