Drew
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Led by 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall, UCF may take a giant step by making the NCAA Tournament
In Johnny Dawkins' second season at the helm, UCF is the dark horse of a powerful American Athletic Conference. Newcomer Wichita State projects to be a top-10 team nationally, and will be challenged at the top of the American by Mick Cronin's always-tough Cincinnati squad that's ranked 13th in the preseason USA Today coaches' poll. SMU will be a nationally relevant team, and UConn and Houston both have legit collegiate stars in Jalen Adams and Rob Gray respectively.
But here's my prediction: UCF, ranked No. 29 in CBS Sports' preseason rankings of all 351 teams in the nation, is a team that will push Wichita State and Cincinnati at the top of the American, will be ranked in the Top 25 at some point during the season, and will make the NCAA Tournament – comfortably.
"The talent is here – it's a matter of putting it into action," said junior point guard BJ Taylor, the team's leading scorer last season.
Taylor's an Orlando native, and the idea of his city being known for something more than Disney World makes him giggly. He bristled when I told him I only thought of Mickey Mouse when I thought of his city. (I told him he needn't worry; I live in Minneapolis, and when anyone thinks of my city, they just think of skin-blistering cold. He corrected me and said that, because of the Mall of America, Minneapolis is known for shopping malls. I bristled when he told me this.)
Anyway, my point is: UCF is gonna be good! Maybe even really good. The school's football team is currently undefeated and ranked 18th in the country. It would not be surprising if the basketball team gets a similar buzz around it in this, the most anticipated season in UCF basketball history.
Good to see more PR for the league. Curious to see if UCF can win with the expectations put on them for this year- especially with Dawkins out for the year now.
In Johnny Dawkins' second season at the helm, UCF is the dark horse of a powerful American Athletic Conference. Newcomer Wichita State projects to be a top-10 team nationally, and will be challenged at the top of the American by Mick Cronin's always-tough Cincinnati squad that's ranked 13th in the preseason USA Today coaches' poll. SMU will be a nationally relevant team, and UConn and Houston both have legit collegiate stars in Jalen Adams and Rob Gray respectively.
But here's my prediction: UCF, ranked No. 29 in CBS Sports' preseason rankings of all 351 teams in the nation, is a team that will push Wichita State and Cincinnati at the top of the American, will be ranked in the Top 25 at some point during the season, and will make the NCAA Tournament – comfortably.
"The talent is here – it's a matter of putting it into action," said junior point guard BJ Taylor, the team's leading scorer last season.
Taylor's an Orlando native, and the idea of his city being known for something more than Disney World makes him giggly. He bristled when I told him I only thought of Mickey Mouse when I thought of his city. (I told him he needn't worry; I live in Minneapolis, and when anyone thinks of my city, they just think of skin-blistering cold. He corrected me and said that, because of the Mall of America, Minneapolis is known for shopping malls. I bristled when he told me this.)
Anyway, my point is: UCF is gonna be good! Maybe even really good. The school's football team is currently undefeated and ranked 18th in the country. It would not be surprising if the basketball team gets a similar buzz around it in this, the most anticipated season in UCF basketball history.
Good to see more PR for the league. Curious to see if UCF can win with the expectations put on them for this year- especially with Dawkins out for the year now.
