Wilson started in 49 games for the Tigers in two seasons and was second in The American in APG in 2020-21.
The Ontario native is the second former Tiger to join the Bulls during the offseason.
TAMPA (June 18, 2021) –University of South Florida head women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez announced on Friday the signing of University of Memphis transfer point guard Aerial Wilson to a financial aid agreement. Wilson is the second Memphis player to join the Bulls during the offseason following former Tigers teammate Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (Nkongsamba, Cameroon) to Tampa. The duo will join Patience Williams (Minneapolis, Minn.), Odeth Betancourt (San Cristobal, Venezuela), and Bella Weary (Jacksonville, Fla.) for the 2021-22 season.
“Aerial gives us added depth at the point guard spot,” said Fernandez. “She has started 49 games in this league (The American) and averaged over 30 minutes a game. She fits our style of play and our program on and off the floor.”
Wilson, who hails from Dundas, Ontario, Canada, is coming off two solid seasons with Memphis where she played in 50 games with 49 starts. During her short career with the Tigers, Wilson averaged 4.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 assists per outing.
The addition of Wilson will add one of the nation’s elite distributors of the ball to the Bulls’ roster, and an already impressive backcourt. During the 2020-21 campaign, the 5-foot-10-point guard was second in the American Athletic Conference, and ninth in the nation, in assists per game, averaging 6.1 dimes per game. Wilson only trailed, now teammate, Eliza Pinzan in assists per game. Pinzan was tops in The American and seventh in the nation. She also averaged 4.4 points per contest and 0.9 steals per outing for the Tigers.
Wilson dished out a career-high 10 assists, twice, this past season, and six or more assists 12 times.
During her high school years, Wilson – a four-star recruit – played at The RISE Centre in Brantford, Ontario, where she finished her scholastic career as the third-ranked Canadian player in the 2019 class by Crown Report Canada and was ranked as one of the top 100 players by the All-Star Girls Report. Following her senior season, Wilson was selected to play in the first-ever BioSteel All-Canadian game, after logging over 1,000 career points and 500 assists.
As a junior, she averaged 15 points with six assists, five rebounds, and four steals per game.
Also boasting international experience in 2018 with the Canadian National Team, Wilson played in seven games for her home country and contributed 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 21 assists.
This past season, USF posted a 19-4 overall record, and a 12-2 mark in The American, and capped off an unprecedented season with its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, and its sixth trip to the Big Dance in the last nine years. The Green and Gold finished the year ranked No. 19 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 18 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, and rose to as high as No. 12 in the AP poll on Feb. 15, USF’s highest ranking ever.
Included in their 19 wins are a thrilling 67-63 overtime victory over No. 6 Mississippi State, the highest-ranked team the Bulls have ever defeated, and two victories over rival UCF. The first win against the Knights secured the regular-season crown on March 2 (W, 65-62) and the second the AAC Tournament crown on March 11 (W, 64-54).
USF defeated Washington State, 57-53, in the NCAA Tournament first round for its first tournament win since March 19, 2016, when it defeated Colorado State, 48-45.
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USF has recorded its best season in program history during the 2020-21 campaign, all while navigating the unpredictable COVID-19 landscape. In doing so, the Bulls won their first-ever conference regular-season and tournament titles, and posted their highest ranking in the Associated Press Top25 poll, reaching as high as No. 12.
USF has made 16 postseason tournament appearances and had seven NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 21 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, and won more than 380 games. For his efforts on the sideline during the 2020-21 season, Fernandez was named a finalist for the WBCA and semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also tabbed the 2021 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
Also, during the 2020-21 campaign, the Bulls had five players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elisa Pinzan (Most Improved Player, All-Conference Second Team), Maria Alvarez (Co-Sixth Player of the Year), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference First Team), Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), and Sydni Harvey (All-Conference Third Team).
In addition, Harvey was named the American Athletic Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Tournament Team, while Mununga and Tsineke were also All-Tournament selections.
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