TAMPA, Fla. — South Florida men’s basketball senior transfer guard AJ Dancler will miss the entire 2026-27 season after undergoing knee surgery, head coach Chris Mack announced today.
Dancler had the surgical procedure last Thursday to address a knee injury he suffered during team workouts earlier this summer.
“It’s obviously disappointing for AJ and our team that he won’t be able to compete this season,” Mack said. “He is a 1,000-point scorer that brings a lot of experience and talent to our roster. He will remain with the team and we’ll support him through his surgery and a great rehabilitation of the knee until he can get back on the court and begin practicing again.”
The 6-foot-2 guard transferred to South Florida in April. Before arriving in Tampa, Dancler played two collegiate seasons at Le Moyne College and spent last season at Coastal Carolina. As a 32-game starter for Coastal Carolina, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Over his collegiate career, Dancler has recorded 1,122 points, 356 rebounds, and 206 steals. He enters the program with 168 career 3-pointers while shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The Bulls are entering their first season under Mack, following a campaign in which they captured the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships to earn their first NCAA Tournament berth in 14 years.
South Florida opens its schedule on Oct. 19 with a home exhibition matchup against Saint Leo at the Yuengling Center. The regular season officially tips off Nov. 2 against Charleston Southern in Tampa.
The team’s 14-game non-conference slate includes eight home contests, four true road games, and two neutral-site matchups. The non-conference schedule features a home game on Saturday, Dec. 19, against Alabama. The Crimson Tide finished 25-20 last season, reached the NCAA Sweet 16, and ranked No. 14 in the final NET and No. 16 in the Associated Press poll. The game in Tampa is part of a two-for-one series following Alabama’s 104-93 victory over the Bulls in Tuscaloosa last season
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