Quick Thoughts, UCF 85 Michigan 71

Knights catch fire from deep and knock off Wolverines.

Brian Smith | Dec 30, 2021

Quick Thoughts, UCF 85 Michigan 71 /

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UCF found a way to get it done, and it's not exactly how one would think it would happen. The Knights absolutely scorched the nets in the second half to erase a 12 point deficit, and then pulled away late to beat the Wolverines by 14.

To put it mildly, this was not a game plan that one can plan. UCF shot 12/20 from behind the arc. Darin Green, Jr. was 7/9 from behind the arc and Brandon Mahan was 5/7 from the same distance. That's going to beat just about anyone.

Second, many of those shots were absolutely clutch. Michigan would make a big play, then Green or Mahan would knock down a shot from behind the three point line. That's not all either.

Timely deflections, and heads up basketball led to some easy buckets during the comeback that put UCF in the lead with a CJ Walker dunk. Sometimes it is just effort that gets it done. That effort even spilled over into the meeting room after the game.

.@Coach_Dawkins getting into it 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Rwbzhv0AfZ
— UCF Men’s Hoops 🌴 (@UCF_MBB) December 31, 2021

For UCF, they found a way to harass Michigan's shooters much better than Michigan did to them, and that's probably the biggest difference. UCF made Michigan move the ball even more than it wanted to, and that included keeping the basketball out of the post and away from 7'1" center Hunter Dickinson, an All-American candidate.

Overall, this was a game that UCF showed its potential and its ability to make clutch plays. That's going to carry over onto its resume for the NCAA Tournament Committee. Here are a few additional statistics to consider:

**Big-time freshman forward Caleb Houstan struggled against UCF. He was 0/7 from the floor and scored just one point.

**Jamille Reynolds had some good minutes off the bench for the Knights, including a big-time bucket during the second half run.

**CJ Walker scored just four points, but he was a menace as a defensive player with three blocks and that huge dunk that put UCF up 50-49.

**Green finished with 27 points, and Mahan was right behind him with 26.