While UCF is considered a consensus lock to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in this week's American Athletic Conference tournament, players like B.J. Taylor and Aubrey Dawkins want to add another achievement - a conference championship - to what's shaping up to be a landmark season.
The Knights (23-7, 13-5) were the preseason favorites to win the league and certainly have looked the part these past few weeks, knocking off nationally-ranked and top two seeds Houston and Cincinnati, but finished tied for third in the standings.
Due to AAC tiebreaker rules, UCF is a No. 4 seed in the tournament which tips off on Thursday from FedEX Forum in Memphis. The Knights receive a first-round bye and will play Thursday's winner of No. 5 Memphis/No. 12 Tulane. Tip-off for Friday's quarterfinal will be approximately 2:15 p.m. EST.
"We've got to bring everything we can to win these three games," Aubrey Dawkins said. "Nobody wants to lose. Everybody wants a tournament bid, especially teams that might not be secure in their fate postseason. Teams that aren't are desperate and we are as well. There's no promises. We have to play our best basketball. The same attitude we had against Houston, Cincinnati or Memphis here, those games when we really brought it, that's what we really need for this tournament."
Added B.J. Taylor:
"It's an opportunity to win a championship. Winning a conference championship is something that's important to us. Winning a championship for the program, for the team, for the city, is something that means a lot to us... There's not a lot of times in college basketball you get to play for a trophy, so it's another opportunity to bring a trophy back. We've got to take it one game at a time."
UCF split the season series with Memphis, losing Jan. 27 on the road 77-57 and later avenging that setback in Orlando with a 79-72 win on Feb. 16.
"They're a very talented team and an older team," head coach Johnny Dawkins said. "(If UCF plays Memphis) it's like a home court game for them. They've played very well at home. They're confident. They play fast. Jeremiah Martin is one of the best scorers in the country. They have terrific scoring ability. We'd have to try and slow them down and execute offensively."
Tulane only appeared once on UCF's schedule with the Knights winning 75-50 in New Orleans on Jan. 23. The No. 12 seed Green Wave finished winless during regular season conference play, but played some close games.
"They've had a tough run, but they're capable of beating anyone because they score the ball," Dawkins said. "Whenever you can score the way they can score, you always have a chance. Some of their younger players have gotten better. (Caleb) Daniels has come on, especially down the stretch of the season. He's playing very well. (Samir) Sehic, their big in the low post, is very talented. He can score against anybody. They play fast. They want to score. You have to be a good defensive team and you have to make sure offensively you execute."
UCF is currently viewed by bracketlogists as a consensus No. 8 seed according to bracketology data compiled by Bracket Matrix. That includes the latest projections from ESPN (Joe Lunardi) and CBS (Jerry Palm).
The 8/9 game winner would be paired up with a No. 1 seed in the second round, unless of course there's another monumental upset. Before last season, No. 1 seeds maintained a perfect 135-0 record against 16 seeds before UMBC stunned Virginia.
If UCF could make a run in Memphis - they're currently No. 28 in the NET rankings - could that seeding improve?
Johnny Dawkins isn't allowing himself or his team to look ahead.
"I have not looked (at bracket projections)," Dawkins said. "I haven't peeked and I won't. I don't believe in that. We need to take care of our business. We need to stay in the moment. The moment for us is the AAC tournament. We had a chance to play for a regular season championship and now we have a chance to play for a conference tournament championship. That's how we're going to approach it. Everything else will take care of itself at the end of the weekend."
UCF is in the midst of a historic season, but there is one big question lingering around the program: Will Aubrey Dawkins return to UCF next year?
Aubrey, who already has a degree, will turn 24 years old in May. He spent a year in post-grad before playing at Michigan for two years, then sat out two years at UCF, first due to transfer rules and the second year because of injury. If he wants it, the NCAA would grant him a medical redshirt so he could have a sixth year of eligibility.
Has he made a decision regarding his future plans?
"I don't know," Aubrey Dawkins said. "Taking it day by day and game by game, however I feel I guess. The option is nice to have. You never know what might happen. We'll see. I guess time will tell."
