The 2026–27 men’s basketball team looks less like a recruitment roster and more like a United Nations conference, as the 14 new players hail from Denmark, Latvia, London, Senegal, Cameroon and others.
This new team follows the 2025–26 season, which had 17 wins and 16 losses. With an unfortunate loss in the WCC tournament, the men’s basketball roster would need to change things up for the upcoming season. With just two players returning from last year’s team, the Dons would have to find 13 new players for the team. Eventually, they would end up finding 14 players through the transfer portal and international scouting to create a new team for the 2026–27 season.
When asked about the newly constructed roster, Head Coach Chris Gurlufsen said, “Fourteen of our 16 players are new, but I think we have a chance to be really connected as a group. I think we have hardworking guys who are interested in doing something bigger than themselves and being part of something special. From a character standpoint, we have the right guys in the locker room. I think we’ve upgraded our talent in some areas as well. I like the combination of those things. As the season progresses, we have a chance to be as good as we would like to be.”
One of the new international players that transferred to USF was Dylan Bordón from Corrientes, Argentina. The guard has some prior basketball experience with playing professionally overseas. Bordón spoke on how he feels about joining the team as an international player and said, “I like being here. The teammates and the coaches are so good. They help me feel comfortable playing here. They help me in class, too. So it’s nice. In the games, I bring creativity with the ball and create space for my teammates, so we can win games.”
Along with new players, USF also brought in new coaching personnel for the upcoming season. The new addition Ryan Boatright, was hired as the assistant coach and director of player development. When asked about the team and what he’s seen during his first week coach Boatright said, “The attitude that [the players] have, they show up with every day, and their willingness to learn and listen. We’ve got a good group of guys. They have something to prove and a chip on their shoulder, and they’re working hard every day.” Boatright also said he wants to bring a “winning pedigree, a championship mindset and championship habits.”
When asked about what we can expect of the Dons this season Gerlufsen said, “We’re going to play a really exciting style of basketball. We’re going to play the right way. This team just needs a little more time to gel and come together because we have so many new faces. … We just need a little more time to grow as a group. But I think the sky’s the limit for what we can be as the season goes along.”
One of the team leaders Ndewedo “Chips” Newbury is one of the two returning players to the Dons this season. The forward from London has played with the USF basketball team previously and spoke on the differences between previous rosters and this one: “Obviously, we have 14 new guys. We have 16 players and a lot of European talent overseas who are coming in as freshmen. … We’re experienced in surprising ways. Obviously, it’s a much more mature group. But what hasn’t changed is the gel. Everyone’s still connected, and it’s very much a family vibe.” When asked about the international players, Newbury said, “Like I mentioned with the overseas guys, [it’s great] how quickly they’ve been able to pick things up. Obviously, those guys have played a certain type of basketball, but it’s still at a high level. Being able to translate that to the college landscape has been easy for them.”
Even though the Don’s roster includes many new faces, students and fans should expect to see high-level basketball. All the players want to make each other better and do things for the benefit of the team. With 14 new players from across the world and two returning players ready to go into the season hungry to win, the Dons are in a great position to be a competitive team in the WCC this upcoming season.
