Next game: USF at Alabama. Wednesday, December 17, 8 p.m. on the SEC Network and Bulls Unlimited.
The 81-75 win by the USF men's basketball team Wednesday over the College of Charleston was notable for more than the outcome. It was a coming out party for two freshmen who figure to play increasingly significant roles as the season progresses.
Forward Tristan Beckford contributed a career-high 17 points along with nine rebounds, while guard Adriel Nyorha had a solid overall night with seven points, four rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Nyorha logged 20 minutes of court time after playing just 19 minutes combined in USF's first nine games. Beckford had played just four minutes during that time before getting 28 minutes against the Cougars. Their contributions did not go unnoticed by head coah Bryan Hodgson.
"I'm proud of Tristan, Adriel, and our freshmen in general," Hodgson said.
Beckford saw no action in seven games before Charleston, but Hodgson kept encouraging him in practice.
"I told him, stay the course. Continue to stack days. II've been doing this for 18 years. I've told him it's coming. It's coming. Stay the course. Don't don't quit, don't give up. It's easy to give up. You know, you don't play in seven games. You're thinking, well, I'm not gonna play," Hodgson said.
"He didn't know this, but I texted his parents on Monday, I said, he's had a great four or five days, great attitude. He's watched a ton of film. He was on scout team this week. We couldn't guard him. I said, if he continues this Monday and Tuesday, just tune in on Wednesday."
The emergence of both Beckford and Nyorha comes as the Bulls head to Tulscaloosa on December 17 to face Alabama. The Crimson Tide is 10th in the NET rankings with a 7-2 record and a game Saturday against top-ranked Arizona.
"We get deeper, right? I think we've got some older guys that have floated at times and taken some plays off. Well now you can't take a play off. You got Tristan sitting behind, he comes in and does this, he might not come out of the game," Hodgson said.
Also, USF announced the Bryan Hodgson Radio Show will launch at 6 p.m. on December 12. Hodgson, along with host Jim Lighthall, will update fans on what's happening with Bulls basketball and include player interviews and other information.
Thge show will air on 1010 AM and will also be available on Bulls Unlimited, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. Video of the show will be posted on YouTube and GoUSFBulls.com.