Knights staying fighting for a tournament berth
By Adam Eaton | Sons of UCF
With wins over TCU and Utah, the UCF Knights men’s basketball team continues the fight to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. UCF (sitting at 19-7 through Monday) has a resume that includes a 9-7 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2 matchups, including wins against ranked opponents Kansas and Texas Tech. Of the Knights’ seven losses, four have come against teams ranked within the Top 16.
Despite their resume and NET rank of 45, the Knights find themselves among the final eight teams projected into the big dance as of ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi’s Monday bracketology update. This metric could certainly improve if UCF were to upset BYU (a Quad 1 game) in Provo on Tuesday night, but as a 9.5-point underdog, that will be a daunting task.
The Knights will have one more Quad 1 contest on the schedule, the regular-season finale at West Virginia. A win there, coupled with a win at home this Saturday against Baylor (Quad 2), would certainly help to keep the Knights in an advantageous position heading into the Big 12 Tournament.
The Knights also need to get healthy as they close out the regular season. Leading scorer Riley Kugel missed the game at Utah with a lower-body injury, and his status is day-to-day. Forward Jamichael Stillwell missed time with an ankle injury, and despite playing against TCU and Utah, he is still less than 100%.
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Two Knights heading to the NFL Combine
When the NFL Combine gets underway this week in Indianapolis, two former Knights will be in attendance to showcase their skills for prospective NFL Teams.
DE Malachi Lawrence, a four-year player for the Knights, closed out his career with 72 tackles, 28 tackles-for-loss, and 20 sacks. The 6’4”, 270-pound edge player earned high marks from his recent appearance at the Senior Bowl and will look to further impress NFL scouts with his testing at the combine.
DE Nyjalik Kelly spent two seasons at UCF after completing two seasons at Miami (FL). The 6’5” Kelly finished his collegiate career with 118 tackles, 22.5 tackles-for-loss, and 12.5 sacks. Kelly has a high motor and above-average flexibility, which could make him an intriguing prospect for teams looking for help at the edge position.
Ups and Downs on the diamond
UCF Softball continued its hot start, winning five of six games as host of the Space U Classic. Head Coach Cindy Ball-Malone’s team has now won 14 of their first 18 games, earning them a spot in the aggregated Top 25. The Knights will host one final tournament this weekend, The Charge On Classic, before they get into conference play.
UCF Baseball did not have as productive a week, highlighted by a gutting loss at Miami midweek, which saw the Knights blow a five-run lead in the 9th and lose in extra innings. The weekend did not get any easier, with lopsided losses to Indiana and LSU at the Live Like Lou Jacksonville Classic. The Knights (4-3) will look to re-group during a weekend series at home against rival South Florida (Tampa).
Golden Goal from the O
The USA Men’s Hockey team won the gold medal in Milan on Sunday, powered by a golden goal from Jack Hughes. While not a direct tie to UCF, the New Jersey Devils centreman was actually born in Orlando, where his father was an assistant coach for the minor-league Orlando Solar Bears. Congratulations to Hughes and the rest of Team USA for winning the first gold-medal in Hockey since 1980.
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