The South Florida men's basketball team suffered a tough blow when it was announced that guard AJ Dancler will miss the upcoming season following surgery for a knee injury.
In a release announcing the move, the team revealed that Dancler had suffered the injury during summer workouts. He was projected to be a starter for the Bulls.
"It's obviously disappointing for AJ and our team that he won't be able to compete this season," head coach Mack said.
"He is a 1,000-point scorer that brings a lot of experience and talent to our roster. He will remain with the team and we'll support him through his surgery and a great rehabilitation of the knee until he can get back on the court and begin practicing again."
Dancler transferred to USF from Coastal Carolina, where he averaged 15.6 points per game. Before that, he played two seasons at Le Moyne of the Northeast Conference.
He is a career 38.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Dancler came to USF as a senior but will have one year of eligibility remaining.
The Bulls have an exhibition game set for October 19 at the Yuengling Center against Saint Leo University. The regular season tips off in two months on November 2 against Charleston Southern, also at home.
Mack took over as head coach following Bryan Hodgson's departure to Providence. The Bulls were 25-9 last season and won both the American Conference regular-season and tournament championships before dropping an 83-79 game to Louisville in the NCAA tournament.
Mack spent the last two seasons at the College of Charleston, where he compiled a 45-20 combined record. Before that, he had stops at Louisville and Xavier. He has led nine teams to the NCAA tournament and his 2017-18 Xavier team finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll after compiling a 29-6 record.
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