That's eleven wins in a row and counting for Bryan Hodgson and the red hot Bulls, who ran away from Wichita State in the second half on Sunday. Hodgson is widely rumored to be in the mix at multiple high profile job openings this carousel cycle, but he's got a dangerous team capable of making a second weekend run right now.

The Running of the Bulls

It's no secret Hodgson is a chip off the Nate Oats block. Hodgson started with Oats at Buffalo, near his hometown, before following him to Alabama, where he spring-boarded off the Alabama assistant launching pad into instant head coaching stardom at Arkansas State. An immediate turnaround there paved the way for his transition to South Florida, where a windfall of money has poured into the athletic department, as is evident in the impressive talent Hodgson at this disposal.

Still, Hodgson deserves credit for his keen recruiting eye, and identifying fit-for-system pieces who are exceptionally versatile. The straw that stirs the drink is former D-II standout Wes Enis, a silky smooth lefty with unbounded range. Next to former Arkansas defector Joseph Pinion, the Bulls boast two paradigm shifting scorers who can get buckets in bunches, especially out in transition. Fittingly, USF's opening round matchup against Louisville features two of the nation's most aggressive transition 3-point attacks - collectively, they've attempted a combined 319 triples in transition this season, per Synergy (Alabama, VCU, High Point, Georgia and Santa Clara are the other notable tournament teams at the top of the transition 3 leaderboard).

Digging in on D

The feverish pace at which the Bulls operate on offense is a distraction from what truly underpins their success: dogged defense. In the AAC finale against Wichita, the Shockers' talented perimeter corps was hounded by the bigger Bull backcourt, which is comprised of long-armed and barrel chested guards. Wes Enis, Isaiah Jones, Joseph Pinion and Josh Omojafo all fit this supersized prototype, while 6-0 CJ Brown has speed to burn and can heat up the ball himself.

The Bulls don't utilize a traditional 4-man but the interchangeability on the perimeter, coupled with the lateral and vertical explosiveness of Izaiyah Nelson at the 5, make this team a chore to score against. Nelson was the first player in AAC history to sweep the conference accolades, claiming Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in an emphatic breakout campaign. Nelson's ability to face up and drive from the perimeter allow the Bulls to play 5-out on offense but the defensive end of the floor is where he makes his money.

Bombarding the Boards

The Bulls are a far cry from a soft, shotmaking reliant team. Their 'superpower' on offense, especially when Enis isn't on fire, is relentlessly crashing the glass. Per CBBAnalytics, 20% of the Bulls' points this year came off 2nd chance opportunities, which ranks as the 2nd highest rate in the country.

Again, this is where Nelson shines, exemplifying his irreplaceable value to South Florida's identity, on both ends of the floor.

Similar NCAA Tournament efficiency profiles

Similar efficiency profiles and statistics via Bart Torvik.

Tournament Index evaluation

South Florida earned a No. 11 seed at the NCAA Tournament. In terms of seed strength, the Tournament Index grades the Bulls as the 23rd-strongest No. 11 seed of the last 13 tournaments (out of 52 R64 teams). For South Florida, the TI projects an average of 0.37 wins given its seed and team strength.