We are delighted to share a recap of our first NIL event of the ’24-’25 season hosted by Hilltop Club Co-Founder, Phil Spiegel at his spectacular downtown San Francisco restaurant and venue — The Holbrook House and The Conservatory at One Sansome.
The evening was a resounding success, bringing together USF Men’s Basketball coaches, administration, players, and supporters for an evening of celebration and forward thinking discussions re: Dons basketball.
USF Athletics Director, Larry Williams outlined the impact a winning USF basketball program can have in elevating the university and lifting up the entire city of San Francisco. Larry also touched on the strength of the WCC conference with the additions of WSU and OSU (for the next two years), along with permanent new WCC members Grand Canyon and Seattle U (joining in 2026).
Head coach Chris Gerlufsen introduced his stellar coaching staff and credited The Hilltop Club members and supporters for not only helping USF recruit and bring in new, high- caliber talent, but also ensuring that the core of the current team, stayed intact.
The event saw the players introduce themselves and share where they were from and their goals for the season. In addition to our key, returning players, it was an opportunity to meet transfers Carlton Linguard (C), Jason Rivera-Torres (Wing), and Drew Ardouin (G), as well as incoming freshman, Tyrone Riley Jr., (Wing) and James O’Donnell, (PF/C).
Thank you to everyone who attended and who’s contributed to the Hilltop Club and USF NIL. Your support is invaluable as we look to build on the recent success and elevate the Dons basketball program and the entire University.
To further support USF NIL and The Hilltop Club, click here
While we continue to build out our individual support, we are also working to bring on new corporate and business partners. If you or your company are interested in partnering with The Hilltop Club and USF Dons players, please reach out to Hilltop Club Executive Director, Ryan Oppelt at ryan@thehilltopclub.com.
Thank you, and Go Dons!
See the video recap of the event here.
