FILE - March Madness branding is displayed a Wilson EVO NXT basketball before a first-round college basketball game between Kent State and Notre Dame in the women's NCAA Tournament Saturday March 23, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. The NCAA has presented a plan to Division I conference commissioners that would expand the lucrative men's and women's basketball tournaments by four or eight teams alongside an option to leave each field at 68 teams, according to a person familiar with the details. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File) (Michael Caterina, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
ORLANDO, Fla – It’s time to dust off those dancing shoes, UCF! The Knights are heading back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. Head coach Johnny Dawkins’ team is the 10 seed in the East region and will play 7 seed UCLA in a first round matchup in Philadelphia, Pa.
UCF, which finished tied for seventh in the Big 12’s regular season standings, boasts a 21-11 overall record going into the Big Dance. The Knights struggled a bit down the stretch, losing their final three regular season games before rebounding with a critical win over Cincinnati in the second round of the conference tournament. UCF’s stay in the Big 12 tournament ended the next day with an 81-59 loss to top seed Arizona in the quarterfinals. UCF matched a program record with three wins versus ranked opponents this season.
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The Knights’ roster features four players who are averaging at least 11 points per game, and is led by Orlando native Riley Kugel, who is averaging about 15 points per contest.
Stay tuned to News 6 for complete coverage of the Knights’ NCAA tournament run.
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Ryan Welch joined the News 6 Team as a sports anchor and reporter in July 2017. After nearly 15 years in the industry, Ryan gladly brings his passion for sports to Central Florida.
