ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – Another SEC opponent is on the schedule. The UCF men's basketball team will play a home-and-home series with Alabama, starting Dec. 3, 2017 in Tuscaloosa. A return visit to CFE Arena is scheduled for a yet-to-be-determined date in 2018.
The 2017-18 slate of games is set to be one of the most challenging in recent memory for the Knights, who have already scheduled Missouri and No. 1 ranked recruit Michael Porter Jr. to come to Orlando in November. UCF will also play three games at the AdvoCare Invitational at ESPN's Wide World of Sports over Thanksgiving.
The Crimson Tide, under the leadership of third-year coach Avery Johnson, went 19-15 last season with the former NBA Coach of the Year at the helm. Alabama earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament as a three seed and fell to Richmond in the first round.
With four starters returning and a Top-10 recruiting class in the nation coming in, many are predicting a big year for the Crimson Tide. CBS Sports has ranked Alabama 20th in the country in their recent 2017-18 preseason poll, while NBC Sports has SEC squad at 21st.
With the return of Tacko Fall, B.J. Taylor and A.J. Davis, and the addition of the UCF "Grey Squad" after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, the Knights are also primed for another promising season in 2017-18.
UCF went 24-12 in its first season under Johnny Dawkins, doubling the team's win total from 2015-16 and matching the second most victories by a Knights team in the 33-year NCAA Division I history of the program. UCF was also in the NIT, advancing all the way to the semifinals as a four seed.
UCF and Alabama have met three times in the all-time series, with the Crimson Tide coming away victories on each occasion. The first meeting was at the Orange County Civic Center as a part of the Red Lobster Classic in 1987. The last two matchups were in Tuscaloosa in 1988 and most recently in 1994.
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Season tickets are on sale now. Fans looking to purchase new tickets can call (407) 823-1000 or click here: www.ucfknights.com/jointhefamily. To renew season tickets before the June 15 deadline, click here: www.ucfknights.com/18hoops.
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