Men's Hoops Hosts No. 10 Iowa State Tuesday

ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team looks to earn its second win against a top-15 ranked opponent this season as it hosts No. 10 Iowa State Tuesday in Addition Financial Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, Fla.; Addition Financial Arena
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Rich Hollenberg (PxP), BJ Taylor (Analyst)
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talent: Marc Daniels (PxP), Taylor Young (Analyst)

KNIGHT NOTES

• Junior Keyshawn Hall became the latest Knight to reach the 1,000 career points milestone, doing so with a 19-point outing at Baylor on Feb. 8. Prior to UCF, he gathered 481 points with George Mason after tallying 97 with UNLV before that. He became the second Knight to accomplish the feat this season, as Darius Johnson hit 1,000 Nov. 19 vs. Tennesee Tech. Johnson became the 21st Knight to score all 1,000 points in a UCF uniform, becoming the first member of the Black and Gold to score all 1,000 with UCF since Tacko Fall did it in 2018-19. Darius’ dad Kelvin and brother Xavier both scored 1,000 points college. Xavier finished his five-year career with 1,452 points after three years with George Mason and two with Southern Ill. Kelvin finished with 1,400 in four years at Richmond.
• With Hall’s accomplishment, UCF now boasts four 1,000 point scorers: Keyshawn Hall, Jordan Ivy-Curry, Darius Johnson and Jaylin Sellers. As of the time of Hall reaching the 1,000 point mark, UCF is one of five Big 12 schools with four or more 1,000+ point scorers. The other four schools that meet the criteria are Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas and Oklahoma State.
• The Knights are looking to snap their four game losing streak and a stretch that saw them lose six of their last seven. Oddly enough, the same situation happened last season as UCF lost six of seven and four straight to fall to 4-9 in conference before snapping the skid against a ranked league foe at home, beating No. 23 Texas Tech 75-61 in what stood to be the biggest margin of victory in a Big 12 regular season game for UCF last season. The win over the Red Raiders sparked three wins in the Knights’ final five games of the 2023-24 slate.
• The Knights were victims of “Hilton Magic” in their first visit to Ames in program history, falling 108-83. The contest marked the first time UCF surrendered 100 points in regulation under Dawkins. It was the first time allowing 100 since Florida hung 100 on UCF in Gainesville on Nov. 18, 1997. The 108 points Iowa State finished the contest with was the most in regulation since Southern scored 127 on Feb. 24, 1993. The Knights held an early 18-15 lead in Ames, but saw Iowa State continue to make shots to keep pace. With a 28-26 Iowa State lead with just under eight minutes to play in the first half, the Cyclones had turned the ball over seven times. They would take care of the ball the rest of the way, turning it over just three more times after that. Jordan Ivy-Curry shone bright for the Knights in the contest, making six three-pointers to tie a career high while scoring a season-high 24 points. He added three assists and two steals on the night and was one of UCF’s two double-digit scorers.
• Prior to this season, UCF hung its hat on winning games on the defensive side of the ball. This season, its been the offense. In Dawkins’ previous eight seasons at the helm of the Black and Gold, the Knights averaged 68.9 points per game with the best clip in points per game sitting at 72.3 back in 2018-19, the last time UCF made the NCAA Tournament. This season, the offense has errupted, averaging 79.6 points per contest with 13 games of 80 or more points this season. The Knights’ defense has allowed an average of 65.8 points per game over the previous eight seasons under Dawkins and has allowed 79.9 on the current campaign. The previous season-high never eclipsed 69.4 points per game (2020-21). UCF’s defense allowed 90 points five times across Dawkins’ first eight seasons with UCF and has allowed seven 90+ point games this season.
• The Knights are one of six teams in the Power 4 and Big East to have three 14.0+ points per game scorers this season; joined by Creighton, Texas Tech, Stanford, Northwestern and Louisville. The trio of Keyshawn Hall (18.3), Darius Johnson (14.9) and Jordan Ivy-Curry (14.1) combine for 59.4% of UCF’s points, tallying an average of 47.3 PPG of UCF’s average of 79.6.
• The Knights go as their trio goes, with big differences in shooting percentages in wins vs. losses. Combined, the trio makes 8.1% more of their field goals and 5.1% more of their three-point attempts in games UCF wins.
  • In UCF Wins: Johnson: 44.8 FG%, 46.1 3PT%; Hall: 48.4 FG%, 43.5 3PT%; Ivy-Curry: 44.0 FG%, 34.9 3PT%
  • In UCF Losses: Johnson: 36.6 FG%, 37.3 3PT%; Hall: 40.1 FG%, 31.7 3PT%; Ivy-Curry: 35.7 FG%, 36.9 3PT%
• UCF has made 10 or more three-pointers in nine games so far this season, including seven times in the last 13 contests. The Knights hit 10 or more three pointers just twice last season. Additionally, UCF already has four games where they’ve shot 50% or better from the floor after doing that just four times in the previous campaign. The Knights average 8.8 made three pointers per game, tying the highest number of made threes during Dawkins’ tenure, matching the 8.8 during the 2021-22 campaign. That has helped UCF to its highest scoring offense as well.
• UCF’s home game against Iowa State marks the 13th game of conference play In the first 13 contests, nine of them presented NCAA NET quad one opportunities. UCF snagged two quad one road wins against Texas Tech and Arizona State, plus a home quad one victory opening night against No. 13/15 Texas A&M. Six of UCF’s first seven games in league play were quad one games.
• A victory in the second meeting with Iowa State would give UCF it’s fourth NCAA NET quad one win, the first time in program history doing so.
• The Knights have played eight teams in league play that lost the game prior, winning three against those determined teams. UCF’s four game stretch against No. 10/8 Houston, at No. 3/4 Iowa State, TCU and at No. 11/11 Kansas was the first stretch in program history where UCF played three top-11 teams in a four game span in a single season.
• Hall is currently leading the Big 12 in scoring in conference play, averaging 21.3 PPG in league play. He’s shooting 48.6% from the field and 55% from deep over the last five games, along with averaging 24.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.6 APG. Hall has seven 20+ point showings in Big 12 play, including two 34+ point performances. His four-straight game streak with 20+ points was snapped at Baylor with 19 points. The four straight games with 20 points prior to that were 26 vs. TCU (Jan. 25), 34 at #11 Kansas (Jan. 28), 20 vs. BYU (Feb. 1) and 23 vs. Cincinnati (Feb. 5).

THE MATCHUP

• The Knights and Cyclones have met just twice, with Iowa State earning victories in both meetings. The first was a 60-52 road win for the Cyclones, followed by this year's Jan. 21 meeting that saw Iowa State win 108-83.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

• At No. 10 in the AP Top 25, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for 22-straight weeks, the longest streak in the nation. Iowa State has been ranked in the Top 15 for 24-straight weeks. That is the third-longest streak in the country behind Tennessee’s 31 and Duke’s 28.
• Iowa State is one of 24 schools that have faced multiple Top 5 opponents this year, Iowa State has ranked wins over No. 5 Marquette (81-70), No. 25 Baylor (74-55) and No. 9 Kansas (74-57). Iowa State is one of 25 schools with at least three Top 25 wins this season.
• Iowa State is 18-5 through 23 games for the ninth time in program history. It is the first time ISU has been 18-5 or better in back-to-back seasons since the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
• A trio of Cyclones were named to late season watch lists last week. Keshon Gilbert was named to the Bob Cousy Award Top 10 list, while Curtis Jones was named to the Jerry West Award Top 10. Both Jones and Gilbert named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List. Tamin Lipsey was one of 15 players named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
• Five Cyclones are averaging double figure points this season in Jones (17.7), Gilbert (14.7), Joshua Jefferson
  (12.8), Milan Momcilovic (10.8) and Tamin Lipsey (10.6).
• ISU is one of 29 schools with five players hitting the mark and one of just 16 Power Five schools. Arizona State and Kansas State are the only other Big 12 schools on the list.
• Gilbert is averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game this year. He is one of just 14 players in the country to hit those marks this season.
• Lipsey is averaging 10.1 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in his career. He is one of 31 players since 1947-48 to average those numbers in a career while playing at least 90 games. Gary Payton (Oregon State) and Larry Bird (Indiana State) are other notable names on the list.
• Jones scored 12 combined points in his first four Big 12 games last season. He then scored in double figures in 22-straight Big 12 regular season conference games, a streak that lasted just over a year. It was the longest streak in the last five years in the league and the 16th longest in league history. Only Marcus Fizer and Georges Niang had longer streaks for the Cyclones.