UCF Knights Look To Stay Perfect Against UMass Minutemen

Ranked for the first time in school history, the No. 24 UCF Knights (10-0) will take their undefeated record into Amherst as they take on UMass (7-3) on Wednesday night at Mullins Center, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

Scouting the Knights: UCF entered the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday, the first time ever in the history of the program since joining Division I back in the 1984-85 season. The Knights are one of nine undefeated teams in the nation, joining a list that includes Duke, Kansas, Syracuse and San Diego State. UCF is also one of just four teams in the nation to be ranked in the BCS Top 25 in football (No. 25) and the Associated Press Top 25 in basketball (No. 24). UCF is led by a couple of sophomores in Keith Clanton and Marcus Jordan, son of NBA legend Michael Jordan. Clanton leads the team in points per game at 16.7 and rebounds per game at 8.8. He ranks No. 19 in the nation in field goal percentage at 60 percent a contest and has scored in double figures in every game this season. As for Jordan, he’s been nothing short of spectacular this season. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 16.0 points per game this season and is coming off a game in which he earned MVP honors after scoring 23 points UCF’s 84-78 win over the Miami Hurricanes last Saturday. Jordan is a game-time decision as he is nursing a sore ankle he injured in the final seconds of the game last Saturday.

Scouting the Minutemen: UMass is coming into the game off three consecutive losses at the hands of Boston College, Maine and Seton Hall, respectively. The Minutemen gave up 104 points to Seton Hall in their most recent defeat, the 14th-most points given up in school history. UMass fell by 25 points in the game, the third-largest defeat at the Mullins Center in school history. Offensively, UMass is led by guard Anthony Gurley, who is averaging 20.9 points per game this season. The redshirt senior has led his team in scoring in nine of 10 games this season, including a season-high 31 points in a season-opening win over Rider. The Minutemen have struggled defensively this season, giving up an average of 68.1 points per game to it’s opponents this season. Opponents are shooting 42 percent on the season against UMass and they are allowing their opponents to beat them on the glass with a 37.8 to 36.4 advantage.

The Knights will win if…
Marcus Jordan is healthy. The Knights have been on fire offensively this season, and a lot of that has to do with the inside-outside game of Clanton and Jordan. Central Florida will need a healthy Jordan to look to score on the perimeter as Clanton gets position inside. Keep in mind, UCF is the 12th-best scoring defense in Division I basketball, so look for them to pressure UMass all over the court and keep them from getting in any rhythm offensively.

The Minutemen will win if…
They get out and run in transition. The Knights have been frustrated this season when teams have run on them off long rebounds and misses. Miami was able to score 17 unanswered points against the Knights by forcing them into a transition defense, something head coach Donnie Jones’ club struggles with this season.

Keep an eye out for…
How UCF responds to actually traveling away from their home state for an away game. The UMass game will serve as the first away game outside of the state of Florida for the Knights.

Key players: Marcus Jordan and Anthony Gurley
Both players are what makes each team go. Jordan will have to be healthy to be effective for the Knights and watch out for Gurley, who is known for going on scoring binges and can tear the Knights apart for stretches in the game.

They said it: “In Clanton and Jordan, the Knights pose a solid inside-outside challenge to opponents whom, to this point, have yet to find the kryptonite.” – Evan Hibbert, FanHouse.com (Dec. 20)