Preview: Knights Open Wooden Legacy Versus PennPreview: Knights Open Wooden Legacy Versus Penn

Preview: Knights Open Wooden Legacy Versus Penn

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ORLANDO –  The UCF men's basketball team, coming off of a thrilling home win over Charleston this past weekend, is set to head west to California to compete in the Paycom Wood Legacy tournament over the Thanksgiving Holiday.
 
The Knights (3-1) will open up on Thanksgiving night at 8:30 p.m. ET against Pennsylvania (3-2). The game will air on ESPNU and FM 96.9 The Game at 5:30 p.m. local time in Anaheim, California.
 
The winner of Thursday's opening round game will take on the winner of Arizona and Pepperdine in Friday's semifinal matchup at 11:30 p.m. ET, while the two losing teams will square off Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
 
All eight teams in the tournament will take Saturday off before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 1. Four games are scheduled on the final day, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET and concluding with the championship game at 9 p.m.
 
Providence, Charleston, Long Beach State and Wake Forest are on the opposite side of the bracket from the Knights.
 
Thursday marks the third meeting between UCF and Penn with each team winning once. The Knights defeated the Quakers 81-64 back in 2008 and then Penn won 58-49 in the most recent matchup in 2016, head coach Johnny Dawkins' first season in Orlando.
 
GAME INFO
Date: Thursday, Nov. 28
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPNU
Audio: FM 96.9 The Game
 
SETTING THE SCENE                                                                       

  • The new-look UCF men's basketball team has won three of its first four games, with all three victories coming by just four points or less.
  • The Knights will look to extend their two-game win streak out west, competing in the Wooden Legacy tournament Nov. 28, 29 and Dec. 1.
  • UCF opens up against Penn and will take on either Arizona or Pepperdine on day two.
  • Providence, Charleston, Wake Forest and Long Beach State are on the other side of the bracket.

 
COLLIN CAPS OFF BIG DAY AGAINST COUGARS                                                 

  • Collin Smith, who led UCF with 23 points in the win over Charleston, also hit the final two free throws with 13 seconds to play to defeat the Cougars on Saturday.
  • The Knights came back from down 13 points early in the first half to win 72-71 at home.
  • Smith went 9-for-10 overall from the free throw line, a career-high for free throws made.
  • The Knights were shooting just 59.3 percent from the free throw line going into the game, but went 21-of-26 as a team in the victory.Both Mahan and Diggs were inserted into the starting lineup for the second half after have impressive performances in the first 20 minutes.

 
CALL IT A COMBEACK                                                    

  • The Knights have trailed with 10 minutes to go in all of their games this season, but have come back to win three of the four contests.
  • In two of their three wins, the Knights have been trailing at both the five-minute mark and with just two minutes to go.
  • UCF has been able to get it done in late-game situations, winning all three of its games by foru points or less.
  • The Black and Gold's lone loss was a nine-point defeat to Miami.

 
NO DAYS OFF FOR DAZON                                                          

  • Dazon Ingram came to Orlando as a graduate transfer from Alabama, where he spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide.
  • Ingram started 93 games at Alabama, averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
  • The point guard also dished out 310 assists, recorded 85 steals and knocked down 314 free throws at Alabama.
  • Ingram has previous history with the Knights having lost to UCF each of the previous two years as a member of the Alabama squad.
  • Through four games, he is averaging 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In the game against Miami on Nov. 12, he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career.

 
THREE YEARS OF UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS                                                     

  • Johnny Dawkins led the Knights to the second-winningest three-year stretch in UCF history, and currently holds a 70-35 overall record since taking over the Knights.
  • The only better run during UCF's Division I era was when the Knights went 70-26 from 2002-05 as members of the Atlantic Sun.
  • Dawkins' 67-34 mark is the best first three seasons by a UCF head coach in program history.

 
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