USF BASKETBALL FANS- USF PICTURES ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT
USF Basketball Heads to Chicago for Showdown with DePaul
South Florida men basketball hits the road for the first time in the young 2026 season as they travel to Wintrust Arena to face former conference rival DePaul in Chicago on Thursday night. Both programs enter the matchup sitting at 1-0 after securing double digit victories in their respective season openers earlier in the week. For the Bulls, this contest represents an early test on a neutral style away court and a chance to move to 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
The game marks the next step in the era of head coach Chris Mack, who earned his first victory at the helm of South Florida with a dominant 98-71 home win over Charleston Southern. Highlighting that opening performance was North Carolina transfer Zayden High, who powered the frontcourt with a career high 20 points and eight rebounds. The Bulls displayed high efficiency offensive execution throughout the second half of their opener, shooting 60 percent from the field during the final twenty minutes of play.
DePaul welcomes South Florida after taking care of business in their home opener against West Georgia, claiming a 75-58 victory backed by an array of impact transfers. Koree Cotton led the way for the Blue Demons with 20 points while Magoon Gwath provided interior presence with 19 points and two blocks. DePaul holds a narrow 16-14 edge in the all time series between the schools, though South Florida won the most recent meeting at Wintrust Arena back in 2019.
With point guard Sonny Wilson directing traffic after coming off a 19 point and six assist night, South Florida will try to push the pace against a DePaul defense looking to protect home court. Tipoff in Chicago promises an intense regional matchup between two programs building early momentum for November.
