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To God Be the Glory, South Florida’s Emotional Season

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Joey Johnston

Athletics Senior Writergousfbulls.com your source for all things USF

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After USF men’s basketball victories this season at the Yuengling Center, Bulls forward Kobe Knox said his mind sometimes wandered. Knox looked wistfully to the end-zone seats when the SoFlo Rodeo student section was in full celebration mode, and the Rumble Pep Band played a particular song.

“I knew he wasn’t going to be there, but I looked over there anyway,” Knox said. “That spot was where he climbed into the seats so he could dance with the students. I’d feel sad that he was not there, but the memory of what we had and what he brought to us made me so happy at the same time. Still, it’s hard for me to comprehend what has happened.”

Even on the busiest days at the Muma Center, when he was knee-deep in scouting reports and film study, assistant coach Griffin McHone often stared at the nameplate on the adjoining sealed-off office.

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Amir Abdur-Rahim
Head Coach
Men’s Basketball

“It’s not like you can just forget … but you don’t want to forget,” McHone said. “You try to honor him with your effort and habits because that’s what he was about. Everywhere you go in our building, there are photos and reminders. The feelings will stick with you forever.”

During the rough moments, guard Kasen Jennings openly questioned his faith. He wondered why his 43-year-old coach — a devoted husband, a father of three, a man so full of life — was taken away when he seemingly had so much more to give.

“I have my dark days, and I have my good days,” Jennings said. “It still makes zero sense. But I know when God calls you, you just got to go. The thought of Coach Amir being at peace that’s what settles me. That’s what I’m leaning on. And I know for a fact that Coach would say we’ve got to keep moving forward.”

For USF men’s basketball, in an incredibly emotional season, moving forward means heading to the American Athletic Conference Tournament at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. That’s where the No. 9-seeded Bulls (13-18, 6-12) will face the No. 8 Wichita State Shockers (18-13, 8-10) in Thursday afternoon’s opener. It’s win or go home. The Bulls must win four games in four days to reach the NCAA Tournament.

It’s a stark contrast to last year when Abdur-Rahim’s Bulls soared into AAC play with a No. 1 seed after a magic ride that included a 15-game winning streak, the program’s first national ranking, and the cutting down of nets following the AAC regular-season championship.

Abdur-Rahim’s USF debut year, following a similar resurrection at Kennesaw State, was supposed to be just the start. In truth, though, nothing about this season would ever be easy.

“Adversity is a word that’s tossed around a lot in basketball,” said forward Quincy Ademokoya. “They talk about missing shots, going through injuries, not playing well at the end of games, or the ball just not bouncing your way. For sure, our team has seen plenty of adversity.

“But none of it compares to what happened on October 24.”

Season Of Hardship

Abdur-Rahim’s tragic death, just 11 days before the season began, sent shock waves through USF’s program, the entire university, the Tampa Bay community, and college basketball as a whole. Abdur-Rahim’s chief assistant, Ben Fletcher, was elevated to interim head coach. While dealing with his own grief, Fletcher said his priorities have been clear.

“The first thing I always think about — and it continually breaks my heart — is how Amir constantly talked about not getting carried away with his career to the point where he wasn’t there for his three kids,” Fletcher said. “He was very intent on being a good father. His intentions were so good.

“I could wallow in all of that, but I know Amir would’ve wanted me to keep things going. So, you must change your mindset, clear your head, and be there for these players daily. You keep getting them better. You’re there as a sounding board for them. Last season was absolutely great, but we knew there would be new challenges. That was going to be the case whether Amir was here or not.”

The transfer portal claimed USF’s three leading scorers — Chris Youngblood (Alabama), Kasean Pryor (Louisville), and Selton Miguel (Maryland).

Non-conference scheduling was frustrating. No one — literally no one — was eager to take on USF’s revitalized program and its rabid student section. So, the Bulls, with their power ranking in mind, signed up for five notable opponents away from Tampa. Against Florida, the College of Charleston, Middle Tennessee, Loyola-Chicago, and Utah State combined for a 117-38 mark during the regular season, and USF lost them all.

With an exhibition scrimmage being canceled and the entire team attending memorial services in Atlanta and Tampa, the start of the season was disjointed. At times, things clicked. More often, they did not.

Following a 77-69 home loss against Bethune-Cookman—when Fletcher presided over an emotional team meeting where no punches were pulled—the Bulls went on a four-game winning streak. It was punctuated by a resounding 91-72 road victory against Wichita State on Jan. 6. The Bulls never trailed, building an 18-point lead in the first half and shooting 62.9 percent in the second half. It was a display of how good the team could become.

But after a 100-91 double-overtime home victory against Temple — on a night when the AAC saluted Abdur-Rahim posthumously as its honorary Coach of the Year — the Bulls have lost seven of their last eight games. The win was a riveting 78-72 victory at UTSA when the Bulls rallied from a 20-point deficit with 9:04 remaining.

Down the stretch, USF’s inside play was hampered by the loss of DeAnte Green, a Florida State transfer who suffered a season-ending injury on Jan. 28.

Still, there’s hope.

“The thing about March Madness is you get to turn the page on your season, and you can make big things happen,” forward Brandon Stroud said. “The thing nobody can take away from this team is we have championship DNA. Nobody has gone through what we’ve gone through. I have to believe we have an inner strength that is going to be there for us.”

Moving Forward

It has been a season unlike any other, featuring a brotherhood that could be sustained for years.

“More than anything, we have each other,” Knox said.

However, in the short term, the Bulls have fallen short of projections (they were No. 3 in the AAC preseason poll).

“We were never sneaking up on anybody this year,” Fletcher said. “When you do what we did last season when you get crowned as the conference champion, a certain level of respect comes with that. So, our guys had the responsibility of knowing that everybody was coming for us every single night. We need every scrap of toughness or resilience we can get.”

Point guard Jayden Reid said this season has been like a “deja vu experience.” As a Long Island Lutheran High School freshman, Reid’s team was ranked in the top 10 nationally and defeated Los Angeles Sierra Canyon (featuring Bronny James). Heading into his sophomore season, Reid’s AAU teammate and best friend, Jomani “Jo-Jo” Wright, was killed in a car accident.

“He would’ve been big-time, probably headed to the NBA,” Reid said. “We grew up together and stayed at each other’s house all the time. I feel like I’ve had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As a USF freshman, having a top-25 ranking and a championship was amazing. Then another person who I love dearly (Abdur-Rahim) passed away. I wouldn’t wish these things on anybody. It doesn’t get worse than losing people you love.

“Listen, Coach Amir got on me all the time. There were times I left the gym when I kind of hated him. But it was all designed to make me better. He taught me so many lessons. Never give up. When the hard times hit, it’s all about how you respond. So even though he’s gone, what he taught me will never leave.”

Assistant coach Desmond Oliver said his biggest takeaways from the season are the life lessons learned by USF players.

“The trauma and sadness come out at times,” Oliver said. “It’s hard to imagine what these young guys have gone through. I know they probably look in the mirror, and they are disappointed (with this season’s record). But this is the one if there were ever (mitigating) circumstances to a season.

“Coach Amir was a star, a Hall of Famer in the making. He was hungry and self-motivated. He had an aura that is difficult to describe. In one year, he built a legacy that will last forever at USF. We’re working as hard as we can to honor that legacy.”

Knox said he would always remember the conversations with Abdur-Rahim, who was also a middle child with an older brother who played in the NBA.

“Coach Amir said he could be overlooked at times as the middle child, but he always said he never overlooked me,” Knox said. “He had confidence in me. That still sticks with me today. He’s still with me.”

He’s still with everyone.

At each game, USF keeps a seat open for Abdur-Rahim on the bench, usually with a seat cover that features his signature line: “To God Be The Glory.” And in the end zone, it’s now called the “Amir Abdur-Rahim Student Section.”

“I constantly feel his spirit,” Jennings said.

Stroud has occasionally assisted Abdur-Rahim’s widow, Ari, and taken the kids to school. Once, while play-wrestling with the young son, Aydin, he was taken by the child’s resemblance to the father. Putting a smile on Aydin’s face was meaningful.

“I’m not sure if Aydin really knows who I am, but I just want to be his friend,” Stroud said. “I bought Girl Scout cookies from the girls (Laila and Lana). I called them my ‘besties’ and we made a video together. If I can impact those kids positively in any way, I will do it. Coach Amir always taught us to make an impact by serving others.”

Can the Bulls make an impact at the AAC Tournament after an emotion-filled season? Regardless of the results, the season has been a triumph of resilience, admirable perseverance, and determination.

“Coach Amir set the standard that USF is a winning program,” Jennings said. “We’ve set a standard for ourselves, and we’ve definitely come up short in some games. Some days, we’ve been fighting a lot of pain. Now we get a second chance.”

“Some people are so special, you don’t think they have an expiration date,” Ademokoya said. “I still struggle with the loss of Coach Amir. He always believed in us. Let’s give it everything we have. I still believe this team can play with anyone. Let’s get on a run. Let’s do it for Coach Amir.”

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About USF Men’s Basketball
The University of South Florida men’s basketball, led by interim head coach Ben Fletcher, is a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls enter their 2024-25 campaign, presented by Tampa General Hospital, on the heels of their best season in program history, in which they claimed their first-ever regular season conference title, won a record 25 games, and earned a Top 25 ranking for the first time in program history. A presence on the college basketball scene for more than five decades, South Florida has earned two conference titles and three NCAA tournament bids (1990, 1992, and 2012), appeared in the NIT eight times, and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational. 

South Florida is wearing patches with the initials AAR this season in memory of their head coach, Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away in October 2024.

The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center, located on South Florida’s Tampa campus. 





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McLaren’s Lando Norris wins wet and wild Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton finishes 10th

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — McLaren’s Lando Norris won a chaotic rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, his first victory at Albert Park, with the British driver just managing to stay ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a third safety car late in Sunday’s season-opening Formula 1 race.

Lewis Hamilton had a miserable Ferrari debut. The seven-time champion finished 10th and was annoyed by constant radio messages from his pit team.

Norris started Melbourne’s first wet race since 2010 from pole position and initially came under increasing pressure from his teammate Oscar Piastri, who set a series of fastest laps until his team told him to hold position. Later, the Australian driver spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 as the rain intensified and dropped down the order.

A late-race fightback helped Piastri recover to take ninth place — including passing Hamilton on the final lap — and two championship points.

Verstappen finished 0.895 behind Norris after starting from third on the grid, and took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune and the final safety car and tire stops. Mercedes’ George Russell closed out the top-three.

“I knew I had a good pace, but I made one mistake in turn six and he (Verstappen) got me in the DRS and the DRS around here is probably like a second or something so that allowed it to keep staying within that second,” said Norris, who scored McLaren’s 12th win in Australia to take the outright record from Ferrari.

“I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do, but obviously it’s just round one, so we need to go and do it again next weekend and then continue from there. A long season ahead, we’ve just got to keep our head down and keep pushing.”

Williams endured a mix bag, with Alex Albon finishing fifth to secure his best result since Abu Dhabi in 2020, and new recruit Carlos Sainz – who won here last year driving for Ferrari – out at the final turn on the opening lap.

Mercedes was thrilled to get two cars in the top four, with Russell on the podium, his first since winning in Las Vegas last year. Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton on the team, showed his class with a superb fightback drive from 16th on the grid, following his qualifying exit, to finish fourth – after his 5-second penalty for an unsafe pit stop release was successfully appealed.

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll also made the best of the chaotic conditions to move up from 13th to sixth, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, bringing home eight points in what has been a difficult weekend for the team with its car uncompetitive in dry conditions.

Ferrari is one of the most successful constructors at the Australian Grand Prix, with 11 wins since its first in 1987, but it will leave Melbourne disappointed with just five points after Charles Leclerc finished eighth and Hamilton 10th.

The Scuderia was seen as a potential championship challenger ahead of the season but has plenty of work to do ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix next week.

The Melbourne race had a thrilling start with Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar out on the formation lap, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan joining Sainz in crashing out on the opening lap.

There were just 14 finishers, after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso hit the turn eight barriers on lap 34, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashed out of the race 10 laps from home in the treacherously wet conditions.

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AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one





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12 Hours of Sebring: 12 Hours of Sebring: Tandy adds to his legacy with a win for Porsche, Penske

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Race Results

By John OreoviczIMSA.COM THE HOME FOR THINGS IMSA RELATED

Porsche Penske Motorsport is clearly on a roll in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, and Nick Tandy is reaping the benefits in historic fashion.

By co-driving the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor to victory in the 73rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Tandy became the 10th driver to claim overall wins in international sports car racing’s three most prestigious endurance races – Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Nasr crossed the line 2.239 seconds ahead of Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 Porsche he shared with Matt Campbell and Kevin Estre as Porsche Penske Motorsport earned its 22nd 1-2 finish in IMSA competition and first since Road America last August.

The result gives the No. 7 – the 2024 GTP class champions with a driver lineup consisting of Nasr and Dane Cameron – a solid 91-point lead over the No. 6 in the GTP standings early in the new season.

Porsche’s Saturday joy at Sebring also included a win in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class for the No. 77 911 GT3 R (992) fielded by AO Racing. But the major story was Tandy’s historic feat.

Over the last seven weeks, the 40-year-old Englishman added crown jewel race wins at Daytona and Sebring to accompany his overall triumph at Le Mans in 2015. All were achieved with Porsche.

“You rarely see a sports team or operation that does a single event without any faults or mistakes, and we’ve just celebrated with 40 people who have flawlessly run a car for 36 hours at Daytona and Sebring combined,” said Tandy. “Just a testament to what Porsche and Penske have put together to allow us to go racing. It’s just incredible that we’ve had this run the last two events.

“The ‘Triple Crown’ is probably one of the more historic accomplishments or accolades,” he added. “You look at the names of the people on that list that you are linked with, and that’s an unbelievable thing.”

At Sebring, Nasr qualified the No. 7 Porsche third fastest, then led most of the first hour after BMW Team RLL’s Motul Pole Award winning No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 incurred a start procedure penalty.

Nasr was in the No. 7 when it took control of the race just before the halfway mark. From that point, its chief competition came from the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, which paced most of the 10th hour. But Tandy made an aggressive overtake on Frederik Vesti for the lead, and the Cadillac’s speed faded in the cooler night conditions, allowing the No. 6 Porsche and the No. 93 Acura to claim the final two podium positions.

“It was incredible to get the job done once again,” exclaimed Nasr after his 13th career IMSA race win. “After the Rolex 24 At Daytona, we spoke among ourselves and said, ‘What a dream it would be to win Sebring if we can.’ And here we are. It’s just sinking in.”

Jaminet and Campbell were visibly frustrated after coming second best to the Porsche Penske team’s No. 7 car for the second consecutive race.

“They had a little bit more pace than us, and it was pretty much a pace race, with very little yellow,” observed Estre, the No. 6 team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver. “Very little frustration, from my side at least. Still good points for the guys (Campbell and Jaminet) and at least we beat everyone else.”

Acura’s sister No. 60 car, the aforementioned No. 31 Cadillac and the pair of BMW M Hybrid V8 cars also factored but all faded from the podium due to some issues in-race. The debuting Aston Martin Valkyrie also ran consistently on debut to finish in ninth place.

LMP2: Efficient Win for Dillmann, Inter Europol

Tom Dillmann and the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07 did not reach the front of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class field until the very end of the 10th hour of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Dillmann, the defending WeatherTech Championship LMP2 class champion for Inter Europol with Nick Boulle, led a total of 12 out of 347 laps during Saturday’s 12-hour endurance contest in the car he is sharing with Bijoy Garg and Jeremy Clarke. But they crucially included the last eight, as Dillmann crossed the finish line 1.117 seconds ahead of Sebastien Bourdais (along with John Farano and Sebastian Alvarez) in the No. 8 ORECA prepared by Tower Motorsport.

Clarke, the No. 43 team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver, was unhappy with himself after qualifying 10th in class in his first visit to Sebring. But he gained three places during his opening quadruple stint, setting the stage for Garg and Dillmann to advance the car into the top three in the race’s sixth hour.

“It’s a whirlwind,” said Clarke, who won in his WeatherTech Championship debut. “I worked really hard to get up to pace and had an unfortunate ‘qualy.’ My focus today was to bring the car home safe and sound and hand it over to Bijoy and Tom to take it to Victory Lane.”

The final two hours featured a three-way scrap between Dillmann, Bourdais, and Malthe Jakobsen in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA that held the class lead for more than 50 percent of the race before a late penalty dropped it to sixth place at the flag. It was left to Dillmann to hold off the vastly experienced Bourdais down the stretch for his second career IMSA victory. Garg also owns two WeatherTech Championship race wins (2023 Petit Le Mans in LMP3), plus a 24 Hours of Le Mans class win (2024 in LMP2).

“It feels super to win the 12 Hours of Sebring, such a legendary race,” remarked Dillman. “When you race in IMSA you have the chance to compete for the win in some amazing events like Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans.

“We had a plan; we wanted a quick car in the night, so we had to suffer a bit with the balance in the afternoon. But it worked out well. A mega job by everyone with the team.”

The No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA that Steven Thomas drove to the LMP2 Motul Pole Award finished third in class.

After opening 2025 with a pair of iconic events counting toward the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship resumes April 11-12 with the first sprint race of the 2025 season – the 50th anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, for GTP competitors. The LMP2 field has an extended brea





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ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel proves #1 Duke has firepower that goes well beyond Cooper Flagg

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It wasn’t a surprise that a Duke freshman was named the Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday night.

What may have been surprising is that he wasn’t named Cooper Flagg.

Kon Knueppel, take a bow.

With Flagg out for most of the ACC Tournament with a sprained ankle, the 6-foot-7 Knueppel showed that he’s more than capable of carrying the load for the top-ranked Blue Devils, who beat No. 13 Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night to win their second championship in three seasons under coach Jon Scheyer.

The consistent Knueppel averaged 21 points on 48.7% shooting to go along with 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists over three games to earn tournament MVP honors, a step up from his season averages of 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

So while the multi-talented Flagg has grabbed most of the national headlines, Duke’s opponents in the upcoming NCAA Tournament had best not sleep on the fellow true freshman from the Milwaukee area.

“He’s so solid and made so many winning plays,” Scheyer said.

Knueppel had 28 points in Duke’s quarterfinal win over Goergia Tech, a game where Flagg left in the first half after stepping on an opponent’s foot.

He never let up from there.

“I didn’t really feel like I tried to turn it up a notch,” Knueppel said of Flagg’s absence. “I was trying to make the right play. With Cooper being out I knew some of the burden, especially the minutes and having to play a lot more. So I was just trying to be sharp. Nothing spectacular. Nothing crazy.”

Knueppel is considered one of Duke’s top marksmen, shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc.

But on a night when his 3 wasn’t falling — he was 0 for 5 — he found other ways to hurt Louisville, scoring on drives and finishing at the basket through traffic. He got to the foul line six times and made them all.

Knueppel’s success in the tournament didn’t surprise Scheyer, who fell in love with his game after seeing him compete at an NBA camp. It’s a different environment than high school games or even AAU tournaments, where players are forced to use their individual skills.

“I saw his ability to create shots for himself, and then I saw his ability to guard,” Scheyer said. “And then, more importantly, I saw what a competitor he was. I left there and I was like, ‘He belongs at Duke.’ Our staff from that point on was all out to get him to come to Duke.”

Then Scheyer smiled and said, “I’m sure glad he chose Duke.”

Flagg will be back for the NCAA Tournament.

But if nothing else, the ACC Tournament proved the Blue Devils are more than just the Cooper Flagg show. They have a team full of talent, a deep bench and players committed to defense.

And that is a daunting reality that opposing teams will have to contend with as Duke, which almost certainly be the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, looks to run the table over the next few weeks and win a sixth national championship.

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