Jan. 12, 2011
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With UCF's 14-game winning streak over and a frustrating loss at Houston still fresh in the team's psyche, head coach Donnie Jones was eager to see how his Knights would respond being back on the practice court for the first time following a defeat.
Sometimes, Jones said, you can learn more about a team in adverse times than in successful ones, so Jones was eager to see if Saturday's first loss ate at the team and drove it to work to make sure it doesn't happen again anytime soon.
Not long after seeing players dive for loose balls, attack drills and bang bodies under the boards did Jones have his answers about the makeup of this No. 23/22 UCF team.
``I like how we came back. We came back with an edgy, competitive, bothered attitude instead of the guys just sort of saying, `Well, coach it's just one loss after winning 14,''' Jones said. ``I don't want that complacent attitude because it comes sometimes when you have success. Our guys have found out how valuable it is (to put together a winning streak), and they are determined now not to let it go.''
UCF, 14-1 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA play, saw its best-ever start at the Division I level come to an end with the 76-71 loss at Houston. The Knights got off to a rugged start, falling behind by as much as 18 points in the first half as they made five of their first 22 shots. The Knights scored 50 second-half points (on 52 percent shooting) against the Cougars, but it wasn't enough to overcome a shaky start.
The Knights don't play again until Saturday at Southern Miss (12-3, 1-1), giving them time this week to work out the kinks of their slow starts and find different combinations on the starting and reserve squads. Jones opened up the competition at a couple of starting slots, hoping that the raised level of competition would bring some intensity to the week of workouts.
UCF point guard A.J. Rompza said the loss taught the Knights that as a team that started the season with 14 consecutive wins and got ranked for the first time in school history, they are the hunted now.
``We came in (on Monday) and guys were diving for loose balls and going 100 percent. Great teams come back from something like that, regroup and get right back at it again,'' the fiery junior guard said. ``The most important thing is that great teams know how to get past one loss and know how to bounce back.
``This year it's so different now being ranked and having the expectations on us,'' Rompza continued. ``We saw it when we were first getting ranked. We've had to take a different approach because teams are going to make shots and do things you have never seen on film because they are coming after us. We have to be ready for it and react differently.''
Jones, who is as active with the new forms of social media as any coach in America, has been busy on his Twitter account of late, sending out inspirational messages to his players. He said that UCF's true worth as a team will be shown in its ability to correct mistakes and play with more of a purpose.
``Show me anybody who's had success and I'll show you someone who's probably been through adversity,'' Jones said. ``Now, it's a new test for our basketball team. We've haven't had a loss so we really haven't had any true adversity. With a loss now, we've had some bumps in the road. It was important seeing how we came back in the gym afterwards. It's a good week for us after a loss to try and get better at some things.''
Rompza said one thing the Knights need to get better at is their first-half focus after struggling somewhat early on in the previous two games against Marshall and Houston. He thinks that the increasing pressure of the winning streak might have actually had an adverse impact on a Knights' team that is still relatively young.
``It's my job as the captain of the team I have to make sure everybody is ready to play. So I'll take the blame for that,'' Rompza said of the tentative start in Houston. ``(The loss) was good for us in a way. We talked about it after the game that we're not used to losing around here and we don't like that feeling. It's something that we don't want to feel again.
``The good thing is the streak is done with and it's time to start a new streak now,'' Rompza continued. ``It was almost like we were tight at times and scared to make mistakes because that streak was on the line. But now we can play more freely and go back to playing the way we were. It's time to just go play now.''
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.