After a 74-61 victory over Saint Thomas Saturday to open the 2011 campaign, the UCF basketball team travels to Tallahassee less than 48 hours after the win to take on Florida State in its first road game of the early season.
The Knights (1-0) don’t have much time to prepare as they get a huge early-season challenge against a Seminoles (1-0) team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in last year’s NCAA tournament, and has posted three consecutive 20-win seasons under coach Leonard Hamilton’s guidance.
This will be the first time UCF has played Florida State since 1988, when the Seminoles rolled to a 97-64 victory. The Knights will be seeking their first win against FSU, who leads the all-time series 8-0.
UCF got a strong outing in its season opener from Keith Clanton, who posted 18 points and six blocks, while Isaiah Sykes had career highs of 15 points and six assists in just his second start as a Knight.
A.J. Rompza, Marcus Jordan, P.J. Gaynor and Josh Crittle were all suspended against St. Thomas, and it remains unclear whether any of the foursome will be available against the Seminoles Monday night.
FSU, who was predicted to finish third in the ACC in preseason polls, is coming off a 79-67 win over Jacksonville in its season opener. Michael Snaer and Deividas Dulkys led the Noles with 16 points each, while forward Terrance Shannon came off the bench and set career highs with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
UCF was victorious against another in-state program early last season when the Knights upset the No. 18 Florida Gators at the Amway Center in Orlando by a narrow 57-54 margin.
The Knights will be looking for another early-season upset against an in-state foe Monday night vs. the Seminoles. UCF has won seven-straight games over Florida teams, including six wins over in-state programs last season.
While FSU lost Chris Singleton to the NBA, they still have significant talent in the frontcourt, as well as the backcourt.
Guards Deividas Dulkys and Michael Snaer can create matchup problems for the Knights with their height and length. UCF is limited at guard play with the current suspensions, so they will need big games from Sykes and Jeff Jordan.
If Coach Donnie Jones decides to play Jordan, who is out for violating team rules, it would be a huge boost. The Knights will also need strong performances from Keith Clanton and McCombs in the frontcourt.
6’6″ freshman Rod Days had a promising outing in his first game Saturday, posting 14 points and five rebounds. His talents and size will be needed against a versatile and lengthy FSU team.
If Jordan, Crittle and Gaynor are allowed to play, the Knights have a chance of making an early-season upset bid. Regardless, this will be a tough road game for UCF and a good test on where they will stand this season.
“Anytime you play a team like Florida State, a Sweet 16 team- they’re well coached and very athletic- anytime you play on the road it’s tough,” Coach Jones said. “It’s always tough to play on the road. This will be a great early challenge for our team to go in a tough atmosphere with a great team like Florida State.”
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. tonight.
