Dec. 25, 2010
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Over the summer, when UCF head coach Donnie Jones and his staff finalized the field for the UCF Holiday Classic presented by EA Sports, the coaches thought that they had created a tournament that would test the Knights. They did not know that the event, which starts Wednesday at the UCF Arena, would feature three squads with serious NCAA Tournament hopes.
The 24th-ranked Knights, who at 11-0 are one of only eight unbeaten teams in the nation, will open the two-day tournament against Furman at 7 p.m. Northeastern will meet Princeton following the first game.
Furman (8-2) is coming off of a 91-75 victory over South Carolina. The Paladins have won five-straight games.
Things will get no easier for the Knights Thursday. Princeton is 8-2 and has already registered wins over Saint Joseph's and Conference USA program Tulsa. The Tigers have won their last seven games. A postseason NIT participant a year ago, Northeastern (4-6) is expected to finish near the top of the competitive Colonial Athletic Association.
When his team returns to Orlando from Christmas break Sunday, Jones will instruct his squad that there will be no easy games at the tournament.
"It is going to be a huge challenge," he said. "When we scheduled this tournament, we knew that these teams would be good. Furman is 8-2 and just had a great win over South Carolina. We knew it was going to be a tough battle. And then, we'll play either Northeastern or Princeton. We have a chance to play against some potential NCAA Tournament teams in our tournament."
The Knights continued their undefeated start to the campaign, and Jones' tenure at UCF, last Wednesday with a 64-59 win at UMass. Since UCF defeated 16th-ranked Florida and Miami, and entered the national rankings for the first time in program history, the Knights have garnered more attention, both from the media and their opponents. But Jones has been pleased with how his team has handled success. The Knights are not overlooking any foes.
"We have done a good job of focusing for 40 minutes. It has not been about our talent, it has been about our preparation. They have really focused on who our opponent is. We have to be different. We can't be the same all the time. It is about how hard we play and how hard we prepare," Jones said.
Tickets for the UCF Holiday Classic presented by EA Sports are available at Ticketmaster.com or at UCFAthletics.com.
A special UCF-Conference USA ticket pack is now available. The pack allows fans to grab a lower level ticket to watch the Knights play their eight C-USA home games for only $96, offering a $24 savings over single-game prices. Packages are also available for $80 for upper level seating. To order the pack today, visit UCFAthletics.com or call (407) UCF-1000.