The UCF Knights sat at a protracted, raised desk and spoke back questions inside the face of three large spotlights. Their heritage started it all: “March Madness.” These are an extraordinary environment for the Knights. Still, on the eve of their first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years, their attention is on making their matchup as opposed to the VCU Rams as ordinary and familiar as possible. “We don’t need to make the sport any larger than it is. It’s still basketball,” said the redshirt junior shield Aubrey Dawkins. Dawkins is the most effective player on the roster who has had NCAA Tournament publicity.
The Michigan Wolverines gained a tourney sport throughout Dawkins’ sophomore season in 2016. He has shared some expertise throughout the week. He can get approximately what he wants to play on an NCAA Tournament level. His father and UCF’s coach, Johnny Dawkins, has a wealth of tournament understanding after making three NCAA Tournament appearances with the Duke Blue Devils. Johnny Dawkins became captain of a Duke team that became the countrywide runner-up in 1986. “What we strive to tell our players is simply stay inside the second and enjoy this revel,” Johnny Dawkins stated. “This is something that you have to cherish. These are hard to come by using. When you have got this opportunity, you are making the most out of it. So we talk to them in that manner.”
UCF seniors B.J. Taylor and Tacko Fall know how hard it is to make the event. They were seeking to will this opportsoughtxistence for four or five yeaexistave made it, and the duo, repeatedly said Thursday just how happy they are to be here. But they’ll attempt to hold the feelings to a minimum while the bright lighting shines inside Colonial Life Arena around nine:40 p.m. Friday. “It’s a large deal. We’re now not going to downgrade it,” Fall said of the tournament. “… We’ve just got to exit there and compete and now not permit the feelings to take over.” Said Taylor: “We came here no longer to expose up. However, we want to win video games. That’s our major consciousness right now. We’re blessed and commemorated to be right here. Our aim isn’t simply to be here. We need to win it and make a statement.”
To your fitness, it is best to be surprised that it might be making its 2d consecutive NCAA look if Dawkins, Taylor, and Fall had been a healthy season. However, none of them turned into. Dawkins neglected the entire 12 months with a shoulder injury, and Taylor and Fall played exactly one recreation together because of their disorders. Although they were dinged up — Fall has a sprained right thumb, and Dawkins has played through again pain these days — making it through the 12 months without whatever debilitating is a measure of suitable fortune that hasn’t been lost on the Knights, or they’re educating.
“To subsequently be obtainable and play collectively and stay healthy, it’s been a blessing,” Taylor stated. “It’s been a joy playing with these men after me. Johnny Dawkins said, “I wish I could explain how exciting [staying healthy] has been for us because we’ve battled the loads. … When we’ve been healthful, we’ve been very aggressive.” Evans Tois plays VCU point shield, and the main scorer, M, Arcus Evans, won’t be at complete power while he takes the ground versus UCF. But the maximum important part for the Rams is that Evans will take the floor. The junior said Thursday he’s feeling better daily as he heals from a hyper-prolonged left knee and bone bruise. He participated in an afternoon exercise and said he’s shifting without a good deal limit. “He’s now not 100 [percent]. However, he’s going to offer it a shot,” Rams instruct Mike Rhoades stated of Evans. “We’ll see from there.”