South Florida Basketball: Bulls Face Saint Joseph's in Annapolis Veterans Day Game

South Florida basketball is in the spotlight as the Bulls prepare to face Saint Joseph's in a Wednesday college basketball game from Alumni Hall in Annapolis, Maryland. The early afternoon matchup, with a 3 p.m. ET tip, opens the Veterans Classic hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy on Veterans Day.

The game pairs two teams starting their seasons with mixed results. Saint Joseph's of the Atlantic 10 is 2-0, while South Florida of the American has also opened with two games. It is the first meeting between the schools since 2022.

Saint Joseph's looks to build on a strong start

The Hawks were picked to finish sixth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 this season, but they have won their first two games at home against Longwood and Lafayette. The Longwood win required overtime, which Saint Joseph's won by 10 after a 12-0 run in the extra period.

Junior guard Khaafiq Myers scored a career-high 24 points in that game, including six of the team's 12 points in overtime. Junior guard Jaiden Glover-Toscano, a preseason first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection, averages 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. Forward Sean Logan, a transfer from Davidson, leads the country in blocks per game at 6.0, though he is 2-for-12 from the free-throw line.

The Hawks have not been an NCAA Tournament team since 2016. Coach Steve Donahue, in his first season with the program in 2025-26, led the team to 24 wins, a third-place finish in the Atlantic 10 and a quarterfinal loss in the NIT. Donahue was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year that season.

South Florida adjusts under a new coach

South Florida is on its fifth head coach in five seasons. Chris Mack took over after Bryan Hodgson left for Providence. Last season the Bulls won 25 games and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, when they were in the Big East.

The Bulls opened with a win over Charleston Southern but lost 82-80 at DePaul last Thursday. After trailing 50-35 at halftime, they nearly rallied, but their bench was outscored 36-8. Guard Sonny Wilson, a transfer from Toledo, leads the team in scoring at 17.5 points and in assists at 8.0. Chris Davis Jr., who followed Mack from College of Charleston, averages 16.0 points.

Forward Garrett Johnson, a George Washington transfer, has past experience against the Hawks. He had 13 points and five rebounds against Saint Joseph's in February while playing for George Washington, and he scored 26 points in the DePaul loss.

Shooting and ball security stand out

Both teams have shown contrasting strengths. Saint Joseph's was 3-for-22 from three-point range against Longwood, its worst mark from deep under Donahue, yet it still won thanks to 16 steals, its most since 2006. South Florida has made at least nine three-pointers in each game and ranks sixth nationally in averaging only seven turnovers per game.

Betting markets showed heavy early support for South Florida, which is a 7.5-point favorite on the spread at one sportsbook. According to CBS Sports, most of the early money and bets were on the under of 151.5 total points. Those figures reflect early betting activity and may change before tip-off.

What we know so far

The game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET from Alumni Hall, and it is the first non-home game of the season for Saint Joseph's. South Florida is still building under Mack, while the Hawks are looking to show their early form holds against a team with a strong guard group. The result will give both programs an early read on their season.

Veterans Day remains a special occasion in Annapolis, where the Veterans Classic continues through the day with a second game featuring Penn and Navy.