DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — South Florida wants to bring its own brand of ugliness to the NCAA tournament.

The Bulls (20-13) got to the First Four because of their ability to make getting a basket the ultimate challenge. They set a Big East record by allowing only 56.9 points per game. Their defense is so unrelenting that opponents often come unglued.

The flip side: South Florida doesn’t score much, either. The Bulls don’t have a player averaging in double figures heading into their game Wednesday night against California (24-9), a balanced team that has four players in double figures.

Don’t look for a lot of points. Louisville coach Rick Pitino compares playing South Florida to getting a root canal, and the Bulls take that as a compliment. They want to make it painful.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.