The shots won't fall and the dream won't last as USF loses to Louisville in NCAA tourney

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Mar 19, 2026

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For the better part of four months, outside shooting defined the USF basketball team.

Outside shooting drove the Bulls, it carried them, it legitimized them.

And on Thursday, it killed them.

No. 11 seed USF lost, 83-79, to sixth-seeded Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., thanks mostly to missing 17 consecutive 3-point shots at one point.

Once they cut down on the 3-point attempts, the Bulls were able to match Louisville point-for-point for long stretches but had dug themselves too large of a deficit. USF trailed by 23 points in the second half but made the Cardinals sweat in the final minutes.

USF finished with one of its lowest percentages of the season (15.1%) on 3-point shots. Joseph Pinion was 5 of 14 from long range but his teammates were 0 for 19.

The defeat ends one of the most impressive seasons in the program’s 53-year history. The Bulls remade the roster and bounced back from a 13-17 season to win both the regular-season and tournament championships in the American Conference. The NCAA appearance was the program’s first in 14 years.

Pinion led the Bulls with 27 points and American Conference Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson had 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

The shooting percentage was bad enough on 3-pointers, but it was compounded by the Bulls firing them up at such a rapid pace. Twelve minutes into the game, Louisville was up 24-11 and 60% of USF’s shots from the field had come from beyond the arc.

The overemphasis on outside shooting also kept the Bulls from getting to the free-throw line as much as usual.

The Bulls had their moments. After falling behind 5-0, they scored seven unanswered points for their lone lead of the afternoon. They also went on an 8-3 run late in the second period to cut Louisville’s 13-point lead down to 30-22.

Unfortunately, USF was never able to hold the momentum. Between dominating the boards and more consistent shooting from the perimeter, the Cardinals kept the Bulls from getting any closer than four points in the final 30 minutes.