Tacko Fall was as surprised as anyone when he got the call last Friday the NCAA had reversed their initial decision and declared him eligible to play, effective immediately.
Just a week earlier the organization had ruled in the other direction, saying they weren't accepting several of his core high school classes at Liberty Christian in Tavares. A national firestorm ensued when national media joined the cause. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt delivered an impassioned plea on behalf of Fall's eligibility during SportsCenter. #FreeTacko became a trending hashtag on Twitter.
Whatever it was, the NCAA reconsidered. Word came down last Friday morning, hours before the team was to leave for their season opener at Davidson.
"First I was surprised," Fall said on Tuesday. "I didn't know what to expect. I was actually going to class when I got the phone call. I thought I was in trouble at first. Coach (Jones) called me early and he said, 'Tacko, where are you going?' I said I'm going to class. He said, 'Turn around, you're practicing today. You're free.' I said what did you say? I turned around, put my shoes on and came in the gym. Everybody was cheering me on. It was a great feeling."
Fall expressed gratitude to all those who rallied for his eligibility.
"It felt great to see all that support," he said. "I wasn't expecting it. It shows a lot of people care about me. It meant a lot."
Fall started against Davidson and predictably won the opening tip. He played a total of 14 minutes, scoring four points, pulling down three rebounds and blocking two shots. It was a tough matchup because Davidson played a smaller lineup with a big man that spent most of his time away from the basket.
UCF lost 90-85, but there were plenty of positives playing against a Davidson team that's expected to repeat as Atlantic 10 Champions.
"It felt great, just being in that jersey and being able to play," Fall said. "A great feeling."
On Wednesday, Fall and the Knights open their home slate against UC Irvine (2-0). It's billed as the "biggest game ever in college basketball" because it's believed to be the first time two 7-foot-6 players will face off. UCF has Fall while UCI features junior Mamadou Ndiaye, also from Senegal.
"I've never played with someone my size or even close to it," Fall said. "I don't know him personally or have met him, but I have talked with him a couple times on social media during the summer."
Tip-off from the CFE Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
