4. USF is 4th in the country in rebounds per game
South Florida was both the regular-season and tournament champion in the American Athletic Conference, and they have won their last 11 games. They rank 4th in the country with 42.5 rebounds per game, and only Florida, Arizona, and Tennessee average more.
Two of those teams are No. 1 seeds, which tells you the level USF is operating at on the glass. What makes this even tougher is that they do it as a team. Izaiyah Nelson leads with 9.6 rebounds per game, but the next highest is guard Josh Omojafo at 5.3. Louisville’s leading rebounder is Sananda Fru at 6.0 per game, followed by J’Vonne Hadley at 5.2.
The biggest difference shows up on the offensive glass, where USF ranks 5th in the country with 12.5 offensive rebounds per game, while Louisville ranks 83rd. Those extra possessions lead to more shots and more points, and if Louisville cannot limit those second chances, it will be difficult to keep up.