The 麻豆原创 men鈥檚 basketball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, earning an at-large bid to college basketball鈥檚 premiere postseason tournament.

The Knights head to Philadelphia as the No. 10 seed and will play 7-seed UCLA on Friday, March 20, at 7:25 p.m. The game will air on TBS and stream on HBO Max and NCAA March Madness Live.

麻豆原创 is one of eight Big 12 teams featured in the 68-team tournament, matching a league record.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 Bracket Outlook

麻豆原创 was slotted into the East Region, which features Duke as the No. 1 seed. The Knights will play their first-round matchup in Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

麻豆原创 (21-11) meets UCLA (23-11) for the first time in school history on Friday, March 20. UCLA has won six of its last eight games and defeated Rutgers and Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals before falling to Purdue.

If the Knights advance, they will face the winner of No. 2-seed UConn and No. 15-seed Furman on Sunday, March 22.

The Final Four will be held April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

The Road to March Madness

With 13 newcomers and zero points returning from last year鈥檚 squad, 麻豆原创 was dismissed as a bottom-dweller in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll. But the Knights produced a resume worthy of selection with their second-straight 20-win season in one of the best basketball conferences in the nation.

麻豆原创 pulled out a gutsy road win at Texas A&M early in its non-conference schedule and went on to upset three ranked teams during conference play (No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 19 BYU), tying a school record for the most wins over Top 25 opponents in a season.

After edging Kansas in their Big 12 Conference opener, the Knights cracked into the Associated Press national poll for the first time since 2019 at No. 25.

麻豆原创 advanced to its first quarterfinals appearance in the Big 12 Conference Tournament after clinching a thrilling overtime win against Cincinnati in the second round.

麻豆原创 March Madness Events

• Team Bus Send-off (Orlando)

Date: Wednesday, March 18

Time: 3:45 p.m.

Location: Alleyway between Garage F and the The Venue (4275 E Plaza Drive, Orlando)

Free parking available at Garage F. Bring signs, flags, and don’t forget the palm fronds.

• ChargeOn Tailgate (Philadelphia)

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Location: The Pub at Stateside Live! (1100 Pattison Ave, Philadelphia)

RSVP:

• Watch Party (Orlando)

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 7:25 p.m. (tip-off)

Location: Miller’s Ale House – Waterford Lakes (641 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando)

鲍颁贵鈥檚 NCAA Tournament History

麻豆原创 earned its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the Division I ranks in 1984-85. This year鈥檚 selection marks second at-large berth in program history.

The Knights earned automatic qualifiers in 1994, 1996, 2004 and 2005 when the Black and Gold won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. 麻豆原创 received its first at-large bid in 2019, following a successful season in the American Athletic Conference.

The last time 麻豆原创 appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019, the Knights made history with their first win in the tournament in school history before meeting top-ranked Duke in what would become an instant classic.

Electrical engineering doctoral student Ganesh Marasini tests real-life grid control operations in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 鈥� a training ground for rising engineers to collaborate, learn and help reimagine the energy grid of the future.

Hundreds of fans celebrated 麻豆原创 men’s basketball’s upset win over No. 3 Kansas at Addition Financial Arena.

麻豆原创 broke ground on the transformational Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion at Lake Nona, which is anticipated to open in 2025-26. The new 90,000 square-foot home of the College of Nursing will help 麻豆原创 graduate more highly qualified, compassionate nurses for the future.

A student practices with a manikin hand at 鲍颁贵鈥檚 state-of-the-art in the College of Nursing, which is equipped with advanced medical devices and technology to train nursing students for clinical practice.

Since kicking off the outdoor season with a top 10 national ranking, the 麻豆原创 women鈥檚 track and field team has clocked some of the world鈥檚 fastest times this year.

During the 10th anniversary of 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts 鈥� a聽multi-day festival honoring creative expressions 鈥� artists competed in Creative Clash, a live art event where they raced against the clock to create large-format artwork with markers in front of spectators at Seneff Arts Plaza.

A graduate walks across the stage during a Spring 2024 commencement ceremony that took place in Addition Financial Arena.

Three students dove into their studies while hanging out in their dorm room at the .

A Summer 2024 graduate beams with pride, holding his diploma as he walks across the commencement stage.

Knightro shows off a 麻豆原创 specialty license plate while filming a new at Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy鈥檚 Studio 500. To Knight Your Ride, click here.

麻豆原创 students are conducting groundbreaking research at labs, paving the way for the future of space exploration and innovation.

Two fighter aircrafts flew over FBC Mortgage Stadium during the pregame ceremony for the Family Weekend football game, where the Knights defeated the Sam Houston State University Bearkats, 45-14.

Running back RJ Harvey crossed into the end zone for a touchdown during the Knight’s second home game of the season against Sam Houston.

A student guides TapeMeasure, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 semiautonomous dog-like robot, up the steps of the John C. Hitt Library, demonstrating its advanced navigation capabilities for innovative research by students and faculty.

A member of 麻豆原创 Air Force ROTC Detachment 159 salutes while being filmed on campus for , showcasing 麻豆原创 as a place for those who dare to invent the future.

Annika Emmett, a health sciences student, and Limbitless Solutions intern and past bionic arm recipient, tries on a bionic arm, showcasing its advanced technology that empowers children with limb differences.

This year, 麻豆原创 Downtown, in partnership with Valencia College, celebrates five years of educational excellence. The campus has welcomed more than 7,000 students and awarded 10,300 degrees since opening in 2019.

Two space scientists operate a rover on the world鈥檚 largest simulated lunar surface, located in 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Exolith Lab. The lab鈥檚 Lunar Highland Regolith Test Bin was developed in partnership with the Florida Space Institute to support space exploration research.

Before the 麻豆原创 Knights took on the Colorado Buffaloes, two cheerleaders interacted with a young 麻豆原创 fan during Knight Walk at IOA Plaza, the lively pregame tradition where fans, the marching band, and the cheer and dance teams rally together to welcome the football team before kickoff.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 cheer team amped up the crowd as the Knights took on the University of Cincinnati Bearcats at FBC Mortgage Stadium.

Rapper NLE Choppa performed at Concert Knight presented by 麻豆原创 Homecoming at Addition Financial Arena.

The cheer team hyped up the crowd with a high-energy stunt routine before students charged into the Reflecting Pond to catch homecoming rubber ducks at Spirit Splash.

Knightro surfed over a crowd of students at Spirit Splash, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 biggest homecoming tradition.

During Spirit Splash, Knightro even secured a cowboy-themed rubber duck, celebrating this year鈥檚 theme: Cowboys vs. Aliens.

Knightro posed with a constellation-themed SpaceU cape in front of a giant moon backdrop at 鲍颁贵鈥檚 2024 SpaceU Luncheon, honoring the university鈥檚 ties to space exploration and innovation.

麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright stands next to rocket engines while touring facilities during a visit to NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center.

麻豆原创 men鈥檚 basketball coach Johnny Dawkins made his declaration Jan. 4 prior to the Knights鈥� Big 12 Conference opener at Kansas State, and in front of a raucous, sellout home crowd six days later, they proved it.

Built upon a second-half surge and stifling efforts on the defensive end, 麻豆原创 put its new conference on notice, toppling the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks by a 65-60 final score before 9,469 fans at Addition Financial Arena, marking the third largest crowd in program history and the second highest in a regular season game.

The victory ranks among the most prolific in program history, representing the first against a top-three nationally ranked opponent, the second against a top-five foe, and the ninth against a squad ranked within the top 25. En route to the team鈥檚 upset, the Knights (10-4, 1-1 Big 12) erased a Jayhawks (13-2, 1-1 Big 12) lead that grew to as many as 16 points with 3:45 remaining in the first half.

鈥淚t was a great night for 麻豆原创. Our guys kept fighting in a game in which they got down early in the first half to a very good Kansas basketball team,鈥� Dawkins says. 鈥淲hen they get that type of lead, you start to get knocked back a little bit. In our timeouts, I was trying to settle them down and stress that we have to take it possession by possession. We talked about working our way back in it in that last four-minute segment, and we were able to do that.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the way we fought back with great courage, effort and energy throughout the entire night.鈥�

Dawkins’ Notable Streaks

In the first meeting between the two programs, the Knights also notched their first win within Big 12 Conference play and extended a few notable win streaks Dawkins himself owns against Kansas and its head coach, Bill Self 鈥� who in his 20 seasons at Kansas has led the Jayhawks to two national championship titles.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 effort Wednesday represented Dawkins鈥� second win against the Jayhawks as a head coach, joining his 2014 triumph over Kansas as the head coach of Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Dawkins improved to 4-0 against the Jayhawks in his career, having bested Kansas twice as a player with Duke in the 1985-86 season.

Dawkins soaked up the team鈥檚 win Wednesday among the onslaught of fans who euphorically rushed the court.

Fantastic Finish

With the two squads trading blows throughout much of the second half, the Knights finally claimed a lead they would not relinquish with 2:57 to play in the final half.

Fifth-year forward Ibrahima Diallo grabbed a pass from junior guard Jaylin Sellers just outside the paint and finished a turnaround jumper moments later, giving his team a 59-57 advantage.

Fellow fifth-year forward CJ Walker, who made his first start for the Knights since March 11, 2022, gave 麻豆原创 a bit of breathing room with a pair of free throws, and a Sellers layup coupled with two more converted free throws from junior guard Darius Johnson iced the Knights鈥� first win against a top five-ranked opponent since the team prevailed against then-No. 4 UConn by a 68-63 final score Nov. 25, 2011.

The timely shot by Diallo punctuated one of the better all-around games authored by the Saly, Senegal native, finishing with a season-high 13 points and five total rebounds.

鈥淗e was great,鈥� Dawkins says of Diallo. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going against arguably the best 鈥榖ig鈥� in college basketball, Hunter Dickinson is a terrific player. For Ibrahima to go toe-to-toe with him and have to battle him in the low post, he did a great job, and I鈥檓 proud of the way he stepped up and gave us a huge effort tonight.鈥�

The final sequence, one that saw the Knights outscore the Jayhawks 8-3 and limit Kansas to one field goal in the game鈥檚 final 3:23 of play, represented a microcosm of the team鈥檚 dominant second half in the face of one of college basketball鈥檚 blue bloods.

鈥淲e knew we had zone (defense) in our bag,鈥� Dawkins says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something that we work on and we felt it was timely to play some today. That鈥檚 why you saw our guys play it so well, because they鈥檙e accustomed to playing it in practice. We were able to stay with it longer because it was effective at times in the second half.鈥�

Up Next

The Knights have a quick turnaround to their next Big 12 test when the Black and Gold welcome the No. 18/17 BYU Cougars to Addition Financial Arena Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the contest is slated for 4 p.m. Jan. 13 and will be streamed on ESPN+.

For everything you need to know about attending a men鈥檚 basketball game, visit .

Pop quiz: Name the five youngest universities among the current Power 5 conferences.

All before the invention of bubble gum, you鈥檝e got UCLA in 1919, Texas Tech in 1923, Miami in 1925 and Houston in 1927.

By far and away the youngest is 麻豆原创, founded in 1963. Initially named Florida Technological University, it was established to provide a pipeline of talent for the United States space program at nearby Cape Canaveral.

It鈥檚 impossible to appreciate the journey of 麻豆原创 Athletics without a timeline that exhibits the youth of the institution and the manner in which the athletics program has skyrocketed to success.

• In 1963 麻豆原创 was founded.
• In 1968 the first classes were held.
• In 1969 the first varsity athletic event was held 鈥� a men鈥檚 basketball game at Massey Institute in Jacksonville. And several other sports began competition in the 1970s.
• Ten years later, in 1979, 麻豆原创 played football for the first time at the Division III level with no scholarships in its first three years. Its first game was held in a muddy cow pasture.
• In 1984-85, the majority of 麻豆原创’s sports programs were playing at the Division I level.
• Four decades of a rollercoaster ride 鈥� including the football team鈥檚 first FBS game (the current highest Division I level) in 1996 鈥� led to national notoriety
• On July 1, 2023, 麻豆原创 begins an exciting new chapter as one of four schools to join the Big 12 Conference.

鈥淎 lot of the national powers right now were playing (football) at the turn of the 20th century. 鈥� And to understand what you鈥檝e got to make up in that time, it’s generations of donors, it鈥檚 generations of parents taking their kids to games, it鈥檚 generations of players growing up watching the team play and say, 鈥業 would give anything to play for that team,鈥� says Andy Staples, senior writer for The Athletic

鈥�麻豆原创, without the advantage of decades and generations of all this, has put itself in position to be very competitive in its new league,鈥� Staples says.

Sunshine State Conference (1975-84)

麻豆原创’s first conference affiliation was with the Sunshine State Conference, starting in 1975. The Knights were a charter member of the Division II league which included Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University), Eckerd, Florida Southern, Rollins and Saint Leo.

Following the 1983-84 season, 麻豆原创 withdrew from the Sunshine State Conference and moved to the NCAA Division I level in the majority of its programs. The Knights competed as an independent until 1990.

Highlight of the Sunshine State Era: 麻豆原创 won six Sunshine State championships in men鈥檚 basketball, three in men鈥檚 tennis, two in men鈥檚 golf and one in baseball.

New South Women’s Athletic Conference (1986-90, Women鈥檚 Only)

麻豆原创 was a charter member of the New South Women’s Athletic Conference, the forerunner of the Atlantic Sun. The women鈥檚 cross country, basketball, golf, tennis and volleyball teams competed in the conference. During 麻豆原创’s stint in the league, Florida A&M, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Mercer and Stetson were members.

Highlight of the NSWAC Era: 麻豆原创 women’s soccer’s Michelle Akers 鈥�89 helped lead the Knights to the 1987 NCAA Final Four and was honored with collegiate soccer’s top honor, the Hermann Trophy, a year later. Akers went on to be recognized as the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century after a longstanding and decorated career with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

American South Conference (1990-91)

In 1990, the Knights joined the American South Conference, its first Division I league affiliation for all sports except football. 麻豆原创 spent one campaign in the league which also featured Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, Texas-Pan American and Southwestern Louisiana.

Highlight of the American South era: The American South Conference provided a home for the first time for both the men’s and women’s programs at 麻豆原创.

Sun Belt Conference (1991-92)

Following the 1990-91 academic year, the American South merged with the Sun Belt (which retained its name), forming an 11-institution league. 麻豆原创 competed in the league for just one year against the likes of Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Jacksonville, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, South Alabama, Louisiana, Texas Rio Grande Valley and Western Kentucky.

Highlight of Sun Belt era: 麻豆原创 was crowned with the women鈥檚 golf title thanks in part to individual champion Liz Earley 鈥�92, who won the individual title in a sudden-death playoff. Jannet and Mike Shumaker were recognized with the Coach of the Year award.

Atlantic Sun Conference (1992-05)

麻豆原创 joined the Atlantic Sun (then known as the Trans America Athletic Conference) in 1992. During 麻豆原创’s tenure in the league, membership changes occurred frequently. Including 麻豆原创, 16 institutions were part of the conference since 1992 鈥� including 鲍颁贵鈥檚 biggest rival at the time, Stetson, located just up the road in DeLand.

麻豆原创 was extremely successful in the ASUN 鈥� winning nine league titles in women鈥檚 soccer, eight each in baseball and women鈥檚 outdoor track and field, seven in volleyball, five in women鈥檚 tennis, four in men鈥檚 basketball, three each in men鈥檚 soccer, men鈥檚 golf, women鈥檚 golf and men鈥檚 tennis, two in women鈥檚 basketball, one in softball (who fielded its first team in 2002).

Highlight of the ASUN era: The 2001 baseball team (pictured below) that climbed to its highest national ranking in program history (No. 7, Baseball America) and earned the top seed in the NCAA Columbia Regional. From 2000-02, the Knights dominated the league with a combined record of 67-17 against ASUN opponents.

Milestone: Knights Head to FBS (1996)

Although the football team remained independent from conference affiliation until 2002, quite likely the biggest move in 麻豆原创 Athletics history came in 1996 when the football team first began competing at the NCAA FBS level. Below are excerpts from the April 1993 press release announcing that jump (at that time 麻豆原创 had only been playing football for 14 seasons). Many of the same sentiments still ring true for 鲍颁贵鈥檚 transition to the Big 12:

The 麻豆原创 will upgrade its football program to the NCAA Division I-A level beginning with the 1996 season, President John C. Hitt announced today.

“Just as a great city needs a great university, a big-league city like Orlando should have a big-league college football program,” Hitt said in making the announcement at the Florida Citrus Bowl, 麻豆原创’s home field. 鈥�

“We expect to reap a number of benefits by making the move to major college football,” Hitt said. “Historically, many elements of the community first become involved with a university through quality intercollegiate athletic programs and then expand that involvement into other areas of the university.”

鈥淚n addition to increased revenues, the elevation of the football program is expected to result in greater national visibility for the university and Central Florida, increased alumni and donor activity, increased interest and camaraderie among the student body, and easier recruitment of student-athletes and students in general, the president said. Local merchants should also benefit financially through increased fan support at 麻豆原创 athletic events and therefore the support of the business community, including the major attractions, should increase dramatically,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his change isn’t something that will just happen; we will have to earn it,鈥� Hitt said. 鈥淥ne of key requirements in moving up to Division I-A is for us to reach an average attendance of 17,000 per game prior to 1996. For this to happen, we will need support from all of 麻豆原创’s friends, from the student body and the campus community to alumni, community leaders and business leaders throughout Central Florida.鈥�

This was also the era of Daunte Culpepper, a Central Florida standout out of Ocala Vanguard High School, who put 麻豆原创 on the map nationally (literally 鈥� in 1998, the Knights made their first national television appearance on ESPN against Purdue). Culpepper finished his career as the Knights鈥� first NFL first-round draft pick.

鈥淒aunte Culpepper helped 麻豆原创 become a bigger thing than it had been because it was just getting into the FBS at the time, coming out of I-AA,” Staples says. “It made people sit up and take notice and then Daunte goes to the NFL and has this long, productive pro career as well. Now you鈥檙e thinking, 鈥極K this is a program that can produce that kind of player, that can nurture that kind of player, get them to the NFL and then they can be successful in the NFL.鈥� 鈥�

Mid-American Conference (2002-04, Football Only)

After 24 seasons as a football independent, 麻豆原创 joined the Mid-American Conference in 2002 as a football-only member. While it may not have made sense geographically to be playing teams like Kent State, Toledo and Western Michigan as conference opponents, options for joining a league were slim and it provided 麻豆原创 stability and reliability in its scheduling.

Conference USA (2005-12)

麻豆原创 became an all-sports member of Conference USA in 2005 and advanced to the inaugural football championship that same year. It was a period of transition for CUSA, with Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP also joining the league in 2005.

The 麻豆原创 men’s basketball team made immediate strides on the court in a competitive league, finishing second during the 2006-07 regular season and saw Kirk Speraw named conference coach of the year. 鲍颁贵鈥檚 Jermaine Taylor was also a bright spot for the Knights from 2005-09. He was chosen as the conference’s Player of the Year his senior season and selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

麻豆原创 won five CUSA titles in women鈥檚 soccer, four in women鈥檚 outdoor track and field, three in men鈥檚 golf, two each in football, women鈥檚 basketball and women鈥檚 indoor track and field, and one in softball.

Highlight of the CUSA era: The excellence of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 women鈥檚 teams. Women鈥檚 soccer advanced to NCAA Sweet 16 in 2011 for first time in nearly three decades and was ranked among the top 10 nationally the following year in its final year as a member. The track and field team鈥檚 dynasty of six indoor and outdoor championships in three years resulted in the first NCAA individual champion in school history and a top-five finish at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship. Women鈥檚 basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament twice thanks to two tournament titles and softball earned a bid to the NCAA regional with its second conference championship in program history in 2008.

American Athletic Conference (2013-23)

In 2013 麻豆原创 joined Houston, Memphis and SMU in leaving Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference 鈥� featuring members of the BIG EAST who played football. It also kickstarted the War on I-4 rivalry with nearby conference foe South Florida. 麻豆原创 went a perfect 7-for-7 in the annual all-sports standings before exiting The American in 2023.

麻豆原创 concluded its 10-year tenure in the AAC with more league titles during that decade than any other conference member. 麻豆原创 teams won 52 AAC titles from 2013-14 through 2022-23 鈥� 21 regular-season crowns and 31 more via conference postseason tournaments, league title games or other conference champion designations.

鈥淲ithout question that level of success (in the AAC) played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference.鈥� 鈥� Terry Mohajir, vice president and director of Athletics

鈥淲e take great pride in the tremendous accomplishments of our teams during their 10 years in the American Athletic Conference,鈥� says 麻豆原创 Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. 鈥淲ithout question that level of success played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference.鈥�

鈥淓very time some more stuff happened (with conference realignment), 麻豆原创 happened to be playing very good football and people noticed,” Staples says. “That鈥檚 why when the Big 12 lost Texas and Oklahoma, 麻豆原创 is coming off its most successful period in its history. And it was an easy choice. It was obvious where the Big 12 should go.鈥�

Highlight of the AAC era: The football team鈥檚 historical 25-0 run over a span of 745 days from 2017-19. The accomplishment is listed in the NCAA record book among the longest win streaks ever recorded and marks the fourth-longest win streak this millennium (Miami, 34 鈥� 2000-03; Florida State, 29 鈥� 2012-14; Alabama, 26 鈥� 2015-16).

Big 12 Conference (2023-present)

The Big 12 announced in September 2021 that 麻豆原创 would join BYU, Houston and Cincinnati as future members. The Big 12 does not sponsor men鈥檚 soccer, so the Knights will compete in the Sun Belt Conference (which features fellow Power 5 programs West Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina) in that sport.

Below are excerpts from the Sept. 10, 2021, announcement when the 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept an invitation for 麻豆原创 to join the Big 12. Mohajir was quoted:

鈥淭his is a landmark day for anyone ever associated with 麻豆原创 or 麻豆原创 Athletics. As we anticipate a future move to the Big 12 Conference, we first owe a vote of thanks to all those at 麻豆原创 who have gone before us. There鈥檚 a long list of student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, university presidents and support staff, fans and donors and, of course, our student body, plus so many others whose hard work and successes have helped pave the way for today鈥檚 announcement. The bases were already loaded, and I feel very blessed and honored to get to step up to the plate on behalf of 麻豆原创.

鈥淚 speak for all of us at 麻豆原创 in expressing our excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. I鈥檓 confident our Knight teams will rise to the challenges to come.

鈥淗ere at 麻豆原创 we are in the business of providing the best possible opportunities for our student-athletes to thrive while they are here and to have post-collegiate career success. We are convinced that competing as a member of the Big 12 Conference absolutely will help us accomplish those goals.

鈥淚n addition, Orlando is one of the most vibrant cities in the world 鈥� and the NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities for our student-athletes here are endless compared to many college towns.鈥�

鈥溌槎乖� has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that 麻豆原创 is going to come in and just try to fit in, that鈥檚 not going to be how it goes.” 鈥� Andy Staples, 聽The Athletic senior writer

鈥溌槎乖� has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that 麻豆原创 is going to come in and just try to fit in, that鈥檚 not going to be how it goes,” Staples says. “麻豆原创 is going to come in and try to take over. I think Cincinnati, Houston, BYU probably feel the same way, but you鈥檝e seen it with 麻豆原创. When 麻豆原创 went into the American, it was a step up in competition 鈥� but it didn鈥檛 take long before 麻豆原创 was one of the best programs in the league. It鈥檚 got everything it needs to be successful. It has all the ingredients.鈥�

鈥淛ust because Oklahoma and Texas are gone (in 2024 to the sec), no one is going to be able to walk through this league,” says Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic. “We鈥檝e seen Kansas State and Baylor and different teams make Big 12 title games recently, but I would not be surprised if 麻豆原创 is competing to win this league pretty soon after getting there.”

Hendricks, the program’s first one-and-done is now a first-round pick, which is also a first for the Knights.

Hendricks is the third NBA Draft selection in program history. He now joins Jermaine Taylor, formerly 麻豆原创’s highest draft pick, and Bennie Shaw. Taylor was the 32nd overall selection in the 2009 draft, just outside of the first round. The pick officially belonged to the Washington Wizards but was traded to the Houston Rockets before stepping on an NBA floor. Shaw was the 146th overall pick, making him a ninth-round selection, by Milwaukee in 1976.

A record nine-time American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week honoree, Hendricks led the Knights in scoring, minutes played, three-point percentage, rebounds and blocks during the 2022-23 campaign.

As of at least the 1992-93 season, Hendricks leads all 麻豆原创 rookies in single-season points, scoring average, field goals, field goal attempts, field goal percentage, free throw makes, free throw attempts, rebounds, offensive rebounds, rebound average and minutes played.

Hendricks scored 15 or more points in 21 of 麻豆原创’s 34 games this season and reached double digits 28 total times. He recorded six games in which he scored 20 or more points, including his career-high 25 at Tulsa and at home against ECU. He finished the as the only player in the country to net 60 or more three pointers, 55 or more blocks and 35 or more dunks. The freshman phenom finished the year with a unanimous nod to The American’s All-Freshman Team and earned an All-Conference Second Team honor as well.

Once Hendricks steps foot in an NBA arena for an official contest, he will become the fifth Knight to play at basketball’s highest level. Tacko Fall (2015-19), Mark Jones (1997-98), Jermaine Taylor (2005-09) and Matt Williams (2012-17) are the four previous members of the Black and Gold to play in an NBA game. Taylor has played the most of the lot, suiting up for 39 games with the Rockets and 26 with the Sacramento Kings for a total of 65 contests. Fall second in total games played with 37 combined with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

With his Thursday evening selection, Hendricks joins the likes of Hall-of-Famers Dominique Wilkins (1982), John Stockton (1984) and Karl Malone (1985), among others, in a prestigious club of first-round draft picks by the Jazz.

I will be the first to admit that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.

But the 2019 men’s basketball team and its story were too compelling, even for a cynic like me.

It was 麻豆原创 head coach Johnny Dawkins against his mentor in Duke鈥檚 Coach K. It was a pair of seemingly superhuman sports figures in our beloved 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall ’19 and the Blue Devils鈥� future No. 1 NBA Draft pick, Zion Williamson. It was 鲍颁贵鈥檚 quickly rising brand against arguably the biggest brand in college basketball. It was the most watched sporting event in 麻豆原创 history. And it turned out to be an instant March Madness classic.

But it was more than that.

For those of us who were alongside Coach Dawkins every day in practice, with BJ Taylor getting ready for every game in the locker room, laughing with Chad Brown ’19 on all the road trips, that loss was heartbreaking, devastating 鈥� the truest definition of the agony of defeat.

And, yes, every school that loses in a tournament and has its season end says that.

But this group was truly special.

To fully understand and appreciate the impact of that March Madness team, you鈥檝e got to look back four years prior. As someone who was there for nearly all of working as the primary communications contact for the team during that era, let me take you back to where it started for me.

***

I remember when I first saw Tacko Fall on the court. I went to the Amway Arena for the Hardwoord Classic All-Star game in April 2015 to scope out and score some social media content of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 recently signed 7-foot-6 recruit who would be joining the Knights in the fall.

Tacko scored 10 points in that game, and I walked away thinking to myself, 鈥淭his is going to be cool, but is this really going to work out?鈥�

You could see his lack of true coordination. He struggled running up and down the court. Given that he had only picked up a basketball for the first time a couple years prior and grew to giant heights in a short amount of time, his awkwardness wasn鈥檛 surprising.

That day I wasn鈥檛 witnessing the kid that would turn into 鲍颁贵鈥檚 all-time leader in blocked shots, and a future leader for NCAA career field-goal percentage. This was not the 2017 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. I wasn鈥檛 witnessing some phenom who was going to take 麻豆原创 to new heights and eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics.

And it鈥檚 what makes the journey that transpired so much more special.

***

I鈥檝e heard Johnny Dawkins say on more than one occasion the best recruiting job he ever did was convince shooting guard Matt Williams 鈥�16 to stay for the 2016-17 season.

Williams was an Orlando native and had been with the Knights since his freshman year in 2012, but he was committed to transferring to Wake Forest at the time coach Dawkins took over 鲍颁贵鈥檚 program.

As the story goes, Dawkins invited Williams to continue training at 鲍颁贵鈥檚 facilities while he waited to move to North Carolina. Every day Williams showed up, he saw Dawkins in the basketball offices hard at work. He quickly had a change of heart and decided to stay for one last ride.

I could tell immediately with the first tournament that season in South Carolina things were going to be different. Tacko had made great strides. You could see the way the coaching staff was working with him that it knew the lovable center was going to be the key in taking the program a step forward.

The Knights blew out Mississippi State and beat Charleston on its home floor. They took Villanova to the wire. That first weekend was big for 麻豆原创 and hinted at what was to come.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 run to NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 2017 was significant for the program, which hadn鈥檛 been to the postseason since the 2012 NIT. That season holds some of the best memories of my career.

A.J. Davis 鈥�17鈥檚 free throws that . Knocking out on the road, and less than 48 hours later suiting up for the against Illinois.

Electric atmosphere. Court rush. Coach Dawkins bites the apple. in Times Square. Marching Knights atop an serenading the city. The MSG (Madison Square Garden) freight elevator ride with coach Dawkins, BJ and everyone.

Most of all, Matt Williams鈥� impassioned speech in the locker room after 麻豆原创 lost to TCU; how he was so fulfilled by his decision to stay. His love for coach Dawkins and his teammates. How excited he was for the future.

I truly believe that whole experience was the reason two years later the Knights were able to do what they did.

***

After a 2017 campaign plagued by injuries to our key players, saw a walk-on starting the majority of the season and still somehow managing to pull out 19 wins, 鲍颁贵鈥檚 2018-19 season was finally going to be the year.

Only it did not start out auspiciously.

In the second game of the year, 麻豆原创 lost to Florida Atlantic. At home.

All due respect to the Owls, that was not the same team that just made the 2023 Final Four.

Our locker room was dejected. The goal from the jump was NCAA Tournament or bust.

It鈥檚 really something to watch the ups and downs of young adults. And I always found it interesting to watch when coach Dawkins chose between chewing them out or building them back up. It鈥檚 an art form for a coach to have a pulse on what鈥檚 needed in the moment.

Credit to the team, they never gave up on their goal.

That season, coach Dawkins continually preached the message, 鈥淕et lost in the fight.鈥�

The Knights did that in their win at top-10 Houston. And again in their top-20 win over Cincinnati. And 麻豆原创 used its disappointing AAC conference tournament first-round loss to Memphis as fuel to get lost in that fight once again heading into the Big Dance for the first time since 2005.

I鈥檝e never seen a team more dialed in. We had CBS following us around for all-access content and it was as if they weren鈥檛 even there. BJ Taylor sat down to talk to the A-crew of Grant Hill, Jim Nantz and Bill Raftery and it was as if he was conducting an interview ahead of a regular season Tuesday night matchup at home.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 in the first round was the program鈥檚 first NCAA Tourney victory in history. And that was big.

What happened next was bigger.

We . In the pre-game press conferences. In Tacko Fall鈥檚 鈥淚 won鈥檛 allow (Zion) to put me on one of his highlight tapes鈥� . In the courtside handshake between coach Dawkins and coach K before tipoff. In Aubrey Dawkins 鈥�18 wanting to help his dad do something at 麻豆原创 no one else had.

We all know the game. At the buzzer: Duke 77. 麻豆原创 76.

The things that don鈥檛 get talked about enough are the tactics and the strategy the staff put in to defend the Blue Devils. It was unbelievable.

鲍颁贵鈥檚 fans were there and loud, and I remember noticing that from my courtside seat.

To this day, I鈥檒l see on my social media timelines when some random account poses the question, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the most heartbreaking sports moment?鈥� and people will still say .

Nearly everyone in the world saw the postgame locker room scene because it had millions of views on Twitter and YouTube. The tears and the sobs. The heartbreak. How real and true and honest coach Dawkins was in that moment.

I felt for them. I felt for the kids. They were so geared in and ready to shock the world.

I use that phrase only because Duke was the top-ranked team in the country and we had never advanced to that moment before.

But this wasn鈥檛 a Cinderella story.

I honestly think if 麻豆原创 plays that game 10 times, the Knights are winning four of the 10. We would have had a legit shot to make it to the Final Four if that tip-in goes in 鈥� that鈥檚 the kind of team 麻豆原创 had become over those last four years.

It was quite a journey to watch it all happen.

The fact that it came on the heels of the football team鈥檚 25-0 run was the perfect ante up.

We doubled down and it made the nation wonder, what can鈥檛 麻豆原创 do?

Between Shaquem Griffin 鈥�16, McKenzie Milton 鈥�19, Tacko, BJ 鈥� you had some of the most loveable characters in 麻豆原创 history on campus at the same time. And on top of that, there was crossover appeal.

McKenzie Milton was going to basketball games to cheer on his friend, BJ Taylor. Guys were shouting each other out in press conferences. There was a lot of 麻豆原创 synergy at that time. And it wasn鈥檛 just because of the success. It was the people.

I will be the first to admit, as I said at the beginning, that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.

With those guys, I did.

They were so invested. They were so in love with 麻豆原创 and with Central Florida and Orlando and that group just loved what it was doing. They loved being around the fans.

Chad Brown is just a big, loveable teddy bear. I respect Aubrey鈥檚 integrity and the bond he and his dad share.

I can honestly say Tacko Fall is the kindest, most genuine student-athlete I鈥檝e ever encountered. I saw him charm every reporter, every random stranger who stopped him in the airport for a photo, every person he interacted with. It was because of how likeable he was.

To this day, BJ Taylor asks me about my family every time we talk. He wants to see photos of my kids. I鈥檝e been in this industry a long time. I haven鈥檛 come across another young person like BJ.

Those guys had such an impact on my life. I think prior to that I didn鈥檛 really allow it to happen. And that鈥檚 the joy of what we do 鈥� we get to work with these young people who are so full of life and I don鈥檛 know if I was taking advantage of it enough.

I think these guys gave me the gift of seeing how powerful it can be to let myself get lost in the fight. I got lost in the fight with them.

I think that run and that team gave 麻豆原创 fans the hope for the future. I really do. The Knights can have success in anything they want.

And I can鈥檛 wait to watch it happen.

The Knights will now visit Oregon, the top seed of the region, on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET inside Matthew Knight Arena. The first meeting in program history between the Knights and Ducks will be televised on ESPNU.

“I thought our guys came ready and prepared, I think both teams played hard,” said 麻豆原创 head coach Johnny Dawkins. “After they got off to a 9-2 start, I thought our guys really locked in and were really focused. We were able to turn them over which gave us some chances to get some easy baskets and really get some momentum to end the first half.”

The Knights had a stellar defensive effort to thank for their first win in Gainesville in program history. Florida鈥檚 49 points marked the Gators鈥� lowest scoring performance on their home court since Jan. 13, 1962.

麻豆原创 flustered the Gators into committing 18 turnovers when the final buzzer sounded, the most in 麻豆原创’s NIT history.

Senior guard C.J. Kelly led the way for 麻豆原创 on the stat sheet, scoring 21 points while adding four rebounds and two assists. Freshman standout Taylor Hendricks added 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks while senior guard Ithiel Horton scored 12 points with four rebounds and three steals.

The Knights are now 22-8 against opposing schools from The Sunshine State during the Dawkins era. Two wins were added to that tally earlier this year as 麻豆原创 beat Florida State 68-54 on Nov. 11 and topped Stetson 73-58 on Dec. 21.

In the three victories over Florida foes this season, 麻豆原创 has outscored them by an average of 15.7 points.

“To me, it’s a really good win,” said Dawkins. “We look at it as we have a really good state with a lot of talented teams and really good coaches, and so I think the opportunity to play each other is always good and I’m glad we had the opportunity to play against the Gators today.”

The Knights advance past the first round of the NIT for the second time in program history in three total attempts. 麻豆原创’s 2016-17 team punched their second-round ticket with a 79-74 win at home over Colorado six years ago to the day, representing the program’s first postseason win. That victory sparked the Knights’ run to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York that season. The Black and Gold are now 4-2 all-time in the NIT.

Trailing 77-76, the Knights had two good looks at the hoop in the final seconds when senior guard BJ Taylor ’18 drove toward the basket and tried to bank his attempt. Redshirt junior forward Aubrey Dawkins ’18聽tipped Taylor’s miss, but both shots rimmed out, allowing the Blue Devils to escape to the next round.

“We left it all out there. We played as hard as we could. I think we showed a lot of people across the country that we were a serious basketball team and that we really could play with anybody,” Taylor said in the postgame press conference. “I know coming into this game a lot of people had us losing by 15-plus to these guys, and they’re a great team. Like coach said, they fought and played extremely hard, but I think we represented 麻豆原创 as best we could. I think we did everything we could to win that game. It just came down to a couple plays.”

麻豆原创 head coach Johnny Dawkins gave an emotional speech in the locker room to the Knights, who finished the year with 24 victories, just one victory shy of the program鈥檚 Division I record for victories in a season, set in 2003-04.

“We haven鈥檛 had a team play any better against us than they did. They were fantastic.” 鈥� Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski

Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was extremely complimentary of 麻豆原创’s performance following the final buzzer.

“They were deserving of winning. They were so good. I鈥檓 so proud that those kids played at the level of their coach,” said Krzyzewski, who coached Dawkins as a player from 1983-86 and later had Dawkins on Duke’s coaching staff from聽1998-2008. “It was a great game because both teams played hard. We haven鈥檛 had a team play any better against us than they did. They were fantastic.”

History Made

Despite the heartbreak, the Knights will be able to look back fondly on one of the best seasons in school history filled with milestones.

麻豆原创 punched its first at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and made its first appearance in the Big Dance in 14 years. Selected as a nine seed, the Knights earned their highest seeding, topping their previous best (14) by a substantial margin.

The Knights made the most of their opportunity and recorded their first NCAA Tournament win in program history 鈥� a 73-58 victory over VCU in Friday’s first round.

That win 鈥� the team’s 24th of the season 鈥� matched a best for 麻豆原创 under Dawkins’ leadership. He also led the 2016-17 squad, which advanced to the NIT Final Four, to 24 victories.

Taylor became the first Knight to average 15 or more points in three straight seasons. Fellow senior Tacko Fall finished with 280 blocks in his career, which is a program record. Fall also set a new NCAA Division I record for career field goal percentage.

“I’m just very proud of them. What we were able to do this year as far as competing at the level we wanted to compete at, making the NCAA Tournament, winning a game in the NCAA Tournament says a lot about our senior class because they led us all the way, and I’m just really proud of everything they’ve done for our program,” Dawkins said. “Going forward, we need to use these type of moments to build on. Now our guys understand what it takes to be in these moments, to be in the NCAA Tournament team, and now we need to grow from that. We’ll lose some valuable players, guys that helped do some things at 麻豆原创 that hadn’t been done before, and now we need the players that are returning to understand the importance of continuing that legacy that the seniors left behind.”

Women鈥檚 Season Finale

The historic season 麻豆原创 women鈥檚 basketball season came to a close on Friday evening as the Knights dropped a 60-45 decision to Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

麻豆原创 ended its season with a 26-7 overall record, setting a record for victories this season.

For the first time since 1996, the 麻豆原创 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams both appeared in the NCAA Tournament in the same season.

For the first time since 1996, the 麻豆原创 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams both appeared in the NCAA Tournament in the same season.

麻豆原创 and Michigan are the only two NCAA Division I programs in the country this year who can boast to have had their football team compete in a New Year鈥檚 Six bowl game and both their men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams compete in the NCAA Tournament.

All season long, the women’s team reached milestone after milestone. 麻豆原创 received votes in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll in each of the 19 weeks, and picked up its first-ever votes in the AP Top 25, appearing in 10 polls on the season. Posting a 13-3 record in the American Athletic Conference, the second-place Knights made their first appearance in The American鈥檚 title game for the first time since the league鈥檚 inception in 2013.

They made history again when the NCAA Tournament bracket was released 鈥� earning the program’s first at-large bid and the highest seed in the Knights’ five appearances.

The women spent the weekend in Uncasville, Connecticut, making a successful run through their tournament while the men are gearing up for their conference tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, later this week.

Monday鈥檚 Championship Matchup

Thanks to Sunday鈥檚 historical win against Cincinnati in The American Championship semifinal, the 麻豆原创 women鈥檚 basketball team advanced to compete in the league final for first time since the conference鈥檚 inception in 2013. The Knights will take on national powerhouse UConn at Mohegan Sun Arena at 7 p.m. Monday on ESPN2.

The Knights鈥� 66-58 win over the Bearcats marked the team鈥檚 26th win of the season and in effect set a new school record for the most wins in a season.

“We鈥檙e going to stick together, we鈥檙e going to play hard, we鈥檙e going to stay focused. This is our time.” 鈥� 麻豆原创 head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of these young women. It鈥檚 kind of fitting the Nike (warm-up) shirts say 麻豆原创 family. When we went in the locker room I just said, 鈥楩amilies back each other up. You guys are my daughters. You guys are your sisters. We鈥檙e going to stick together, we鈥檙e going to play hard, we鈥檙e going to stay focused. This is our time. We are going to try to get in this championship game.鈥� And everybody really stepped up,鈥� head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson says.

A win against UConn would deliver the team’s first conference trophy since the 2010-11 season and automatically punch the Knights’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament. While 麻豆原创 has also put together a strong resume for the program’s first at-large bid to the Big Dance, the Knights will have to wait a week to find out the details of their postseason fate.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship bracket will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 18, on ESPN.

Men鈥檚 AAC Championship Outlook

The men鈥檚 basketball team (23-7, 13-5 American)聽will head into the postseason with its most regular season victories in its Division I history (since 1984). The Knights鈥� 13-5 record in American Athletic Conference play is its best performance in league play since joining The American.

Thanks to back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents (No. 6 Houston; No. 19 Cincinnati), the Knights earned a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. As the No. 4 seed in the bracket, 麻豆原创 will appear in the quarterfinals at FedEx Forum on Friday, March 12, at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 against the winner of Thursday鈥檚 first-round matchup between No. 5 Memphis and No. 12 Tulane.

The championship final will be held Sunday, March 17, at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Later that night, the NCAA Tournament selection show will stream live from 6 to 7 p.m. ET on聽March Madness Live聽and broadcast nationally on CBS.

The 麻豆原创 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams both notched victories against American Athletic Conference opponents in Sunday鈥檚 doubleheader at CFE Arena to remain undefeated in league play.

The women took their game down to the wire against Cincinnati and came out on top, 56-55, thanks to junior guard Kay Kay Wright鈥檚 layup with five seconds remaining in the game.

Fueled by four Knights who scored in double digits, the men followed up with a 76-65 win over East Carolina.

The two squads are receiving votes in both the Associated Press top 25 and USA Today Coaches top 25 rankings. It marks the first time in school history that both programs are earning recognition in the polls in the same season.

Women鈥檚 Winning Ways

The women鈥檚 team has won four in a row and is off to a 3-0 start in conference play for the second straight year.

With a 14-2 overall record, the Knights are in the middle of one of their best seasons in program history. 麻豆原创 has defeated eight opponents that made either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT last season.

Part of the reason for the Knights鈥� success can be attributed to their stellar defense. 麻豆原创 leads The American and ranks among the top 10 in the nation for scoring defense, limiting opponents to an average of 53.6 points per game.

Wright, who scores 19.3 points per game, is also a major factor as the second leading scorer in the conference.

Ticket information for the women鈥檚 games can be found online at ucfknights.com.

Men’s Rise to the Top

With a 13-2 overall record, including 3-0 in conference games, the men’s team currently sits atop The American鈥檚 standings as the only remaining unbeaten team in league play.

The Knights are currently riding a seven-game winning streak 鈥� their longest streak since the 2010-11 season.

麻豆原创 boasts two of the conference鈥檚 top scorers in senior guards B.J. Taylor 鈥�18 (17.3 points per game) and Aubrey Dawkins 鈥�18 (15.9 points per game) and two of the league鈥檚 best shot blockers in senior forwards Tacko Fall (3.1 blocks per game) and Chad Brown (1.2 blocks per game).

In fact, Fall has already claimed the school record for career blocks and currently ranks seventh in the country for total blocks so far this season (47).

Ticket information for the men鈥檚 games can be found online at ucfknights.com.

Up Next

Fans can catch both teams at CFE Arena at their next doubleheader Saturday, Jan. 19. The men tip off first at noon against Tulsa, and the women will follow at 2 p.m. against SMU.

The teams are in action separately before the weekend. The men will play on the road at Wichita State at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, while the women are home on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Tulsa.

Fans can also enjoy a unique opportunity to interact with 麻豆原创 head coaches Johnny Dawkins and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson at today鈥檚 麻豆原创 Knight Talk.

Hosted by longtime play-by-play announcer Marc Daniels, 麻豆原创 Knight Talk is a weekly radio show held at Burger U at 6 p.m. on Mondays leading up to the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The show is free for all fans to attend and there will be opportunities to ask questions during the live program.