Two -minute exercise: players’ championship, Spring high school sports
The players’ championship takes place in Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville this Thursday to Sunday; Secondary spring sports occupy the front of the stage.
- The UCF lost against Kansas 98-94 in overtime on Wednesday, marking its second consecutive outing in the second round of the Big 12.
- The Knights ended the season with a 17-16 file and can be selected for an after-season tournament, such as Nit or Crown Basketball.
- Despite a promising start, the UCF fought defensively and lacked size in painting, which finally led to a sequence of seven consecutive defeats in February.
Orlando-For the second consecutive year, the UCF left the male Big 12 basketball tournament in the second round, although it did just about the field against Blue-Blood Kansas.
The Knights forced overtime when Jordan Ivy-Curry pierced a pointer of 3 points directly with less than 14 seconds, which is in spite of the fact that Keyshawn encountered persistent calf problems and Darius Johnson encourages. The Kansas prevailed 98-94, placing two late free throws after Moustapha Thiam attracted iron to a potential hook shot.
The UCF season ends at its end with a 17-16 file, although the Knights can always be selected for an after-season tournament-the NIT or the first university basketball wreath, which has two automatic offers available for Big 12, Big East and Big Ten programs.
Until then, here are the last five reflections on how the Knights have occurred during the 2024-25 campaign.
Season defined by almost me of sequence of 7 games in 7 games
The day before the New Year, the UCF made a 10-2 file with a pair of quad 1 victories which aged like fine wine – an upheaval of Texas A&M in the opening of the season and a first triumph Big 12 on the road to Texas Tech. The knights looked like a real threat to tear off an offer at stake in the NCAA tournament, even after an embarrassing 51 points in the hands of Kansas.
But the knights have never really added another signature victory, just falling a few times. Houston has ahead of UCF 69-68 on Layup last second from Jewan Roberts. Kansas has rejected an upset offer in Lawrence, dominating painting and benefiting from several doubtful calls. The Knights chipped a deficit of 27 points at Virginia-Western in the regular season final, but could not finish a memorable return.
But the real point of detangling was a slide from seven games through the majority of February, in particular consecutive residential losses against Byu and Cincinnati at the beginning of the month. The UCF, according to ESPN projections, held one of the last places in the field at 68 teams entering the Homesteand. And his bubble exploded categorically after the defeats Ugly Road against Colorado and Oklahoma State, two of the five low teams from the conference.
Defensive bargaries, lack of low size exploited in the game Big 12
In the first eight years of Johnny Dawkins as a head coach, the UCF granted 90 points or more on five times. This season alone, the opponents hung over the knights more than 90 times.
Cincinnati and Kansas have exploited the lack of UCF bulk in painting. The state of Iowa and Arizona moved the ball effectively and overturned the fire shots. The state of Oklahoma cut the way during the first meeting with the first year center of 7 feet 2 inches Thiam unavailable due to altitude evil.
The UCF ranked last among the Big 12 teams defensive in points per game (80.1), 15th in defense on the field (45.1%) and 14th on the margins of rebound (minus 1,8). Against opponents of the conference, these figures increased to 83 ppg authorized on 47% shooting with a rebound differential less 3.8.
The Dawkins four guards system can create its just part of problems at both ends, especially in transition, but it seemed more and more vulnerable as the year approached the physical short border of the League. In the future, the UCF may need to read a starting caliber, a traditional power forward and a real backup center.
Keyshawn Hall appears as a leading score threat in Big 12
Hall remained very obvious that he did not appreciate being selected in the All-Big 12 second team after producing a 40.3 points per game at the top of the league during the 20 game slate. The 6 -foot 7 inch and 225 pound wing prospered as one of the team’s main ball tickets, especially in ISO sets, and provided a legitimate three rating weapon.
The Native of Cleveland achieved a star performance during the January 14 victory of the UCF at Arizona State. He collected 40 points, the highest third total in a single match in the history of division I of the program, seven rebounds and six assists-becoming only the second player in Big 12 to have transformed a 40-5-5 line line in regulation.
Hall, which has experienced relays prior to UNLV and George Mason, exceeded the 20 -point threshold in 16 games this year – adding 34 points against Kansas and Oklahoma State. He pulled 42.7% on the field, good for the 10th among the Big 12, and led the team in rebounding at 7.1 per game.
Hall, Thiam, Mikey Williams, JJ Taylor, Nils Machowski and Jaylin Venders – assuming he is trying to win a medical red shirt after a pre -season back injury limited it to three appearances – could form the backbone of a quality UCF team 2025-26, if all choose to come back.
The leader Darius Johnson leaves as a large 4 year old UCF
Given the transitional nature of university basketball in the era of the transfer portal, it will be increasingly rare to see the players stick to a program for four years. Johnson remained faithful to Dawkins, his godfather, the UCF, and he leaves as one of the most decorated guards of the school.
Johnson, who obtained his second honorable mention All-Big 12 earlier this week, joined the club of 1,000 points in December. He moved into the top-10 of all time in the games played (121), set a school record in a single season for interceptions (77) and equaled Darin Green Jr. for 3-point career goals (208).
He saved his best score performance for his swan song with financial added Arena, enlightening Oklahoma State for 36 points. Johnson dominated the cowboys in itself, 25-21, in the last 14 minutes of the match and 15 seconds.
“There will be a few guys who are unique and rare players who will do it, but it will be really rare,” said Dawkins. “So you have to cherish these moments when it happens. He is one of these players, and that is why I think guys should be celebrated – the commitments they have made in a university.”
Will Johnny Dawkins be kept as a UCF basketball coach?
The tone changed around the second Big 12 season of the UCF with regard to Dawkins, who obtained a two -year contract extension last summer after having led the Knights to three classified victories and an invitation to the NIT.
During nine seasons, the 61 -year -old man recorded 165 victories – third more in the history of the program behind Torchy Clark and Kirk Speraw – and a percentage of career victories. 581. However, the Knights qualified for the NCAA tournament only once within this period, reaching the second round in 2019.
Hall and Johnson expressed their support for Dawkins during the regular season, and UCF supported it with action, making an effort widely inspired in the last 2 games.
The UCF owed Dawkins just over 1.1 million dollars if it chooses to fire it before April 15. According to the salary database of US US Sports university basketball coaches, Dawkins is the least well paid head coach in Big 12-$ 2 million this season, $ 2.1 million next season and $ 2.2 million (non-garantia) for 2026-27.
Utah recently replaced the head coach Craig Smith with Alex Jensen and Miami (Jai Lucas) and the state of Florida (Luke Loucks) announced hires following the respective pensions of Jim Larrañaga and Leonard Hamilton. There are currently three Power four vacant posts: Indiana, Minnesota and NC State.
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