ORLANDO, Fla.- Now that the magical football season has come to an end, your focus should shift to the basketball teams. This article is meant to catch you up on the men’s team, if you have been sleeping on them (girls update coming tomorrow). UCF men’s basketball program is having quite the season so far. Coach Dawkins has lead this team to a 12-4 (3-1 in the American Conference) record.
This good start shows the depth that Coach Dawkins has attained. Aubrey Dawkins is out for the year due to a shoulder injury, and B.J. Taylor has been out since mid-way through the first game. Those two were projected to lead the Knights offense this season.
The team has been held up by big contributions from players such as; A.J. Davis, Ceasar DeJesus, Djordjije Mumin, and of course Tacko Fall.
Since BJ Taylor went down, A.J. Davis has been leading this team. Averaging 11.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Davis has given Coach Dawkins an ability to play a variety of styles of basketball. Even playing Davis at the 5 for some minutes in the Absence of Tacko Fall. His contributions go well beyond his statistics though. A.J. Davis’s temperament has been great for this young team. He does a great job of being intense and composed at the same time, and the younger players follow suite.
Ceasar DeJesus has played well beyond his years through 16 games. The Freshman has averaged nearly 10 points per game. DeJesus has been the offensive presence the Knights have desperately needed in the absence of B.J. Taylor. DeJesus gets to the rim at will, and is a creative finisher. Knight Nation should be very excited about having DeJesus on their campus for the next few years.
My favorite storyline of this young season has been the emergence of Djordjije Mumin. Coach Dawkins inserted Mumin into the starting lineup to help with the poor shooting of this team, and it has worked. Mumin is shooting 44.4% from deep, which is major for this team. The team is only shooting 30% from deep, and Mumin has accounted for 21% of their makes.
Tacko Fall has been a force for UCF. The big man has put on weight since last year, and has owned the paint for UCF. Teams are shooting 37% from the floor against UCF. This has been a big part in UCF’s solid start. This is what the team expected going into the year. Once we get B.J. Taylor back running the offense, with Tacko Fall controlling the defense, UCF should compete for the conference championship.
This team has stayed afloat during a plague of injuries. They are 12-4 with a couple of nice wins. B.J. Taylor should return soon, but will not be available for tonight’s matchup against Connecticut. Now that the celebration of our historic football season has slowed down it is time to go all in on this basketball team. They deserve your attention. The play tonight in Connecticut at 7:00 on CBS sports Network.
