ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball season is off to a roaring start and the Knights will look to keep that momentum rolling on Tuesday, Nov. 13 as UCF welcomes Jacksonville to Addition Financial Arena in Orlando for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Marc Daniels will be on the call on FM 96.9 The Game.
Following a 2-0 start to the season, including their most recent, 95-89, win at Miami on Saturday, the Knights will look to make it three straight wins to start the year for just the third time under head coach Johnny Dawkins.
"[Jacksonville University head coach Jordan Mincy] has brought a new energy to that program," said Dawkins. "They're playing very hard defensively, and they run a very good offense. They're going to be a tough team, like all teams in college basketball. They're going to be a great challenge and we are going to be really prepared for a 40-minute basketball game."
The Knights are among the leaders in the country with 97 percent of their points scored and 96 percent of their minutes played from 2020-21 returning for this season. Key returners suiting up for the black and gold again include Darius Perry, Brandon Mahan, Isaiah Adams, Darin Green Jr., Dre Fuller Jr., C.J. Walker, Jamille Reynolds and Sean Mobley.
The Knights also added to their already solid unit as Dawkins brought in 6-foot-11 UNLV transfer Cheickh Mbacke Diong and JUCO transfer Tyem Freeman as well as a trio of freshmen in Darius Johnson, P.J. Edwards and Ed'Xavier Rhodes.
For Jacksonville, the Dolphins are off to a nice, 2-0, start under first-year head coach Jordan Mincy. The Knights and Dolphins haven't met since Dec. 17, 2013, when UCF won 104-64. The series is tied at 12-12 all-time, with the Knights holding an 8-4 advantage over Jacksonville at home.
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 16
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game
HANDLED THE HURRICANES
- UCF took care of business on the road Saturday afternoon in Miami as the Knights (2-0) bested the Hurricanes (1-1), 95-89, at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
- The Knights' 95 points marked the most they have scored since Feb. 24, 2019, when UCF defeated SMU 95-48 in Orlando.
- UCF's Dec. 22, 2015 win over Bethune-Cookman was the last time the Knights have scored more than 95 points in a game (101).
- The Knights' win at Miami marked UCF's first over the Hurricanes since Nov. 21, 2013, when UCF won 63-58.
- Darin Green Jr. and Darius Perry knocked down a pair of early threes to give UCF the quick 10-4 lead and the Knights didn't look back from there as they didn't surrender the lead for the remainder of the game and were up as high as 17 points after going on a 9-0 run to open the second half.
- Darin Green Jr. finished three points shy of his career-high as the junior led the team with 23 points after hitting 5-of-9 from three-point range.
- C.J. Walker posted the first double-double of the year for UCF, scoring 14 and grabbing 11 rebounds, while two more Knights contributed with double-digit points in Brandon Mahan (15) and Isaiah Adams (12).
- UCF posted 16 offensive rebounds (27 total) in the win, the most offensive boards the Knights have tallied in a game since Nov. 28, 2019 against Penn.
SOLID START
- The UCF men's basketball team opened the season with a 69-59 win over Robert Morris on Nov. 10 in front of 4,869 fans at Addition Financial Arena.
- UCF wasted no time establishing itself in the win over the Colonials—allowing the first basket of the night to Robert Morris and then going on a 14-2 run while hitting four of its first six three-point attempts (two each by Darius Perry and Darin Green Jr.).
- UCF followed up its stellar opening Knight victory with a 95-89 road win at Miami on Nov. 13, putting them at 2-0 to start the year for the first time since 2017-18.
- The Knights have outscored opponents, 164-148, to open the season.
- UCF has hit 83.8 percent of its free throw opportunies, which leads the conference and is 17th in the nation to open the year.
- UCF is also top three in The American in three-point field goal defense (20.4), three-point field goals per game (8.5), scoring offense (82), rebound margin (+5), field goal percentage (46.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.16) and assists per game (14.5).
GREEN IS GOOD
- Darin Green Jr. debuted with a solid 14 points in 2021-22, including six from beyond the arc, to open his junior season with a win over Robert Morris.
- He followed up the solid opening game with a team-high 23-point effort in UCF's 95-89 win at Miami on Nov. 13., earning him American Athletic Conference honor roll honors for the week.
- Green is averaging 18.5 ppg to open the season and is 7-of-13 from three-point range to open play.
- Green was solid in year two for the Knights during the 2020-21 season, averaging 11.3 points per game, which ranked 17th in the conference and third on the team.
- The Charlotte, North Carolina product also led the Knights with 53 made 3-pointers in 2020-21 and ranked seventh in the league with 2.3 made threes per game.
- Green was also monumental in UCF's 86-74 win over then 15th-rated Florida State last season as he knocked down six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 20 points against the Seminoles.
- In his freshman season in 2020-21, Green set a UCF freshman record with 68 made 3-pointers
- He led The American with 41.7 percent shooting from 3-point range and 2.3 threes made per game.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
- Highlighted by home games against Michigan and Oklahoma, as well as matchups against Florida State, Miami, and Auburn away from home, UCF will play 11 non-conference games in total to open the year.
- Three of the Knights' 11 non-conference opponents are ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll in No. 6 Michigan, No. 20 Florida State and No. 22 Auburn.
- The Knights defeated then No. 15 Florida State at their place, 86-74, last season and took down Auburn, 63-55, to open the 2020-21 season at home.
- Home games at Addition Financial Arena are back at 100% capacity for the 2021-22 season.
WHO IS BACK?
- The Knights are among the leaders in the country with 97 percent of their points scored and 96 percent of their minutes played from the 2020-21 season returning for the upcoming season.
- Key returners suiting up for the black and gold again this season include Darius Perry, Brandon Mahan, Isaiah Adams, Darin Green Jr., Dre Fuller Jr., C.J. Walker, Jamille Reynolds and Sean Mobley.
- Each one of those players saw over 250 minutes of action for UCF last season.