ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) –UCF men’s basketball is making its historic return to the NCAA Tournament. Johnny Dawkins and the Knights earned the program’s first at-large berth to the tourney Sunday evening and will be the nine seed in the East Regional.
UCF (23-8) will take on eighth seeded VCU (25-7) on Friday in Columbia, S.C. The winner of Friday’s First Round game will take on the winner of top seeded Duke (29-5) and either NC Central or North Dakota State in Sunday’s Second Round action.
This marks UCF’s fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the Division I ranks in 1984-85, but the first at-large berth in program history. The four previous tournament appearances came in 1994, 1996, 2004, 2005 when the Knights won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
At nine, it is the highest seed UCF has ever had at the NCAA Tournament, previously being seeded as high as 14th in 2004.
UCF’s NCAA Tournament History
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1994 | #16 | First Round | #1 Purdue | L, 98-67 |
| 1996 | #16 | First Round | #1 UMass | L, 92-70 |
| 2004 | #14 | First Round | #3 Pittsburgh | L, 53-44 |
| 2005 | #15 | First Round | #2 UConn | L, 77-71 |
| 2019 | #9 | First Round | #8 VCU |
VCU is making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its eighth in the last nine years. The Rams have advanced past the First Round nine times and made the Final Four in 2011. This year VCU is 25-7 and went 16-2 in league play to win the Atlantic 10 regular season title.
Friday will be the first meeting between UCF and VCU in men’s basketball. The Knights have not played any of the potential opponents of the first weekend, also having never met Duke, NC Central or North Dakota State on the hardwood.
Tickets for the First and Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbia, S.C. will be very limited. Those interested in purchasing can put a ticket order in by CLICKING HERE, but orders are not guaranteed. The priority deadline for tickets is Monday at noon.