USF’s Chris Youngblood enters NCAA transfer portal

*The Bulls will be tasked with upheaving their roster following the departure of key players like senior guard Chris Youngblood. USF ATHLETICS PHOTO*

USF men’s basketball senior guard Chris Youngblood, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, entered the transfer portal on Monday.

“It has been a great honor to play for the University of South Florida this past year,” Youngblood said on Instagram on Monday. “Thank you to [Bulls coach Amir Abdur-Rahim] and the coaching staff for making this experience one to remember.”

Abdur-Rahim also took to social media Monday to praise Youngblood and senior guard Selton Miguel in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Miguel, the reigning AAC Sixth Man of the Year entered the portal and declared for the NBA draft three days earlier.

“We operate in a different day and time in collegiate sports,” Abdur-Rahim posted on X. “Wish [Youngblood and Miguel] the best on their next step.”

Youngblood was recruited to play for Abdur-Rahim at Kennesaw State when he was 18 during the 2020 recruiting year.

He – alongside teammates Brandon Stroud and Kasen Jennings – joined Abdur-Rahim from Owls last offseason.

Youngblood’s exit means USF will have to replace a majority of its scoring from last season.

Junior forward Sam Hines Jr., who averaged 4.2 points per game last season, entered the portal in March.

It is also a strong possibility that junior forward Kasean Pryor will not be on the roster next year. He was honored during senior night festivities on March 5.

Abdur-Rahim said Pryor also received interest from pro scouts following their loss to VCU in the second round of the NIT.

“I’ve had a number of scouts call me throughout the year asking about them,” Abdur-Rahim said. “And we’ll see what the feedback is and we’ll go from there.”

Youngblood led USF in scoring with 15.3 points per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. He also shot a team-high 41.6% from three on 166 attempts.

The Alabama native provided stunning performances in USF’s most pivotal games this season. He scored 23 points against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 18 and 28 points in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament.

The senior guard led the Owls in four categories: points (513), points per game, three-point FGs made (81), and minutes played (1,092) in 2022-23. He was an All-SUN Conference first-team selection en route to help the Owls make its first NCAA tournament in program history.

Stroud also took to social media to honor his former teammate, Youngblood. They have been teammates since 2017 when they played at East Coweta High School in Georgia.

“Go be great,” Stroud said.