Courtney Williams brings the ball up center court while surveying the defense. ORACLE FILE PHOTO
USF has seen its share of men’s and women’s basketball talent rise through the Bulls’ programs over the years.Â
Former players like Chris Youngblood, Courtney Williams and Dominique Jones have carried their impact beyond Tampa and into professional basketball around the respective leagues.
And for each, their achievements helped open doors and set a blueprint for future generations of USF players.Â
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 Chris Youngblood
Youngblood, a reserve guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, capped his brief USF career as one of the team’s premier offensive weapons.
He started his collegiate career with Kennesaw State from 2020 to 2023, before following former coach Amir Abdur-Rahim to South Florida.
In his one-year stint with the Bulls, he led the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game.
His efforts helped lead USF to its first-ever American Conference regular-season title. Youngblood was also named the 2023-24 conference player of the year.
He still is tied at No. 1 for program records for free-throw percentage in a game at 1.000% and made 3-pointers in a conference game, with six.
Following the record-breaking season, he transferred to Alabama for one year. He averaged 10.3 points and 2.3 rebounds for the Crimson Tide.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, Youngblood signed a two-way contract with the Thunder and OKC Blue on Oct. 18, 2025.
Since then, he has averaged 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game with the OKC Blue. With the Thunder, he has 1.8 points per game in 27 games.Â
Courtney Williams
Williams became one of the most decorated players in program history during her four-year career with the Bulls from 2012 to 16.Â
The guard steadily improved through her South Florida career, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman before emerging as the lead scorer in the conference with 20.3 points per game in her junior season.
Williams’s senior campaign produced 763 points, ranking among the top Division 1 scoring totals in 2016. She was later inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame with her jersey retired in 2020.Â
Williams was selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA by the Phoenix Mercury.Â
Since entering the league, she has built a strong professional resume, becoming a consistent scorer and starter known for her physicality, rebounding ability and competitiveness as a guard.Â
In the 2025 season with the Minnesota Lynx, Williams averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds.Â
She earned WNBA All-Star honors as a reserve in 2025.Â
Williams continues her career with the Minnesota Lynx, where she remains a double-digit scorer.Â
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Dominique Jones
Jones arrived at USF during the 2007-08 season and quickly became one of the Bulls’ all-time great scorers.
By his junior season, Jones averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and three assists per game, establishing himself as the focal point of the Bulls’ offense.
His production helped elevate USF’s competitiveness in the Big East and played a key role in raising the program’s national profile during his tenure.Â
Jones was selected 25th overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies and was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
He played three NBA seasons, appearing in 80 games with averages of 3.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.Â
Jones extended his professional career overseas, where he became a consistent scorer and leader in international leagues.Â
During the 2024-25 season with Jilin Northeast Tigers, he averaged 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game.Â
He now plays for Changsha Yongsheng, where he has remained a high-level offensive contributor and veteran presence into his mid 30s.