South Florida Men’s Basketball senior transfer guard AJ Dancler will miss the 2026-27 season after undergoing surgery to correct a knee injury suffered during team workouts this summer, head coach Chris Mack announced Aug. 31.
Dancler underwent the surgery last Thursday. The 6-foot-2 guard joined South Florida in April after playing two seasons at Le Moyne College and one at Coastal Carolina, where he started 32 games last season.
Dancler averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game at Coastal Carolina. He entered South Florida with 1,122 career points, 356 rebounds and 206 steals, and he is a career 38.8 percent 3-point shooter with 168 made 3-pointers.
“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.”
South Florida Men’s Basketball schedule details
South Florida Men’s Basketball will open the 2026-27 season Monday, Nov. 2, against Charleston Southern at the Yuengling Center in Tampa. The team will play an exhibition game against St. Leo on Oct. 19 at the Yuengling Center.
The 2026-27 nonconference schedule includes 14 games, with eight home games, four road games and two neutral-site contests. Alabama is scheduled to play at South Florida on Dec. 19.
South Florida won the American Conference regular-season and tournament titles last season and made the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 years. The program returned no players from its 2025-26 team and added 15 new players, including 12 transfer portal additions and three high school signees.
Source: Original report