UCF Men’s Basketball Begins Conference Play Wednesday
The UCF Knights will face the Wichita State Shockers on Wednesday as UCF will enter its final conference season as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
The Knights own the third best record in the AAC thus far in the season at 9-3, behind #3 Houston and Memphis. Those three losses have come by a combined seven points. Incredibly, that 9-3 record is actually tied for UCF’s worst non-conference record since 2015-16 (excluding the 2020 shortened season). Yes, that is actually true. In each of those previous seasons, the Knights’ play faltered once conference play began.
Is this year’s team different from previous years? Can the Knights play well enough in conference play to grab an NCAA Tournament bid? If there is one thing that separates this year’s team from previous ones, it is Taylor Hendricks.
The Knights have not had a guy as impactful as Hendricks since Tacko Fall was around. Having a difference-maker of his caliber could pay huge dividends for UCF down the stretch, as they have often lacked a go-to guy when the game is on the line.
The Knights will be tested early in the conference slate. After facing Wichita State at home Wednesday, UCF will travel to Houston for a date with the Cougars on Dec. 31. The Cougars are currently ranked as the No. 3 team in the nation.
That will be a tough game for the Knights to steal, but looking around the conference, it looks to be a significantly weaker AAC than in years past. The Knights may be the third best team in the conference. With that being said, there are plenty of opportunities for the Knights to pick up wins in bunches versus some of the AAC schools that have struggled to this point.
A path to an at-large bid selection for the NCAA Tournament would likely require the Knights to win at least one or two of their four matchups with Houston and Memphis. The Knights lack a Quadrant 1 win (beating a truly quality opponent), which is a metric the selection committee strongly favors. Outside of those four games, there are not many opportunities for resume-building wins coming up.
UCF still has a lot to prove on the court, and will need contributions throughout the roster to continue the success they have seen so far.
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