UCF @ Kansas Tuesday at 8pm on ESPN+

[ucfjosh2000]

This one’s a big one, obviously. Kansas destroyed us by 50 at home 3 weeks ago so do we have any shot at all? Kansas just lost in double overtime against Houston and looked and played exhausted at the end. It was one of the most painful home losses in the Bill Self era considering they had the game won twice and somehow found a way to lose it. They were up 6 and going to the free throw line with their senior starting point guard with 18 seconds left in the first overtime and miraculously didn’t close it out. 2 missed free throws, a Houston 3, steal and 3.. crazy!

3 main starters played 45+ mins, they only played 8 guys total, and they’re without one key big in KJ Adams. It’s a Saturday night to Tuesday turnaround, so not much time to recover. If we can get this game in a total up and down, high pace game from the jump, I think it would have to be to our advantage.

Gotta play smart and limit turnovers and fast break points that will get their crowd going. Im excited to watch how we respond to getting punched in the face by Kansas last time. I have a good feeling we’ll give them a fight this time around.

 

[Willie Knightime]

ESPN+?? Wtf?

 

[PaulsDriveIn]

KU will win by 40. Self is going to have them on their game after blowing that game against Houston. UCF will be down by 30 at halftime.

 

[ucfjosh2000]

I kinda get the feeling Self doesn’t believe in his team. His reaction when Griffen dribbled it off his foot at the end of regulation told it all. He just waved his arm like “get out of here”. They were missing all these crucial free throws and having so many issues just inbounding the ball. I’ll be shocked if they let Zeke Mayo attempt to inbound it at all against us, that was brutal.

Griffen did stroke it from 3, going 5-6 so we’ll need to pay close attention to him, but Mayo hasn’t been shooting great lately. Harris isn’t really an offensive threat so we can sag off him and make it tough for Dickinson to get deep touches in the paint. Bidunga is a freshman but he probably worries me the most with his super efficient play (shooting 78% from the field).

Projected Starting Lineups:
PG Johnson vs Harris
SG Ivy-Curry vs S Moore
SF D Coleman vs Z May
PF K Hall vs F Bidunga
C M Thiam vs H Dickenson

Kansas bench:
Griffen
Coit
Storr

UCF bench:
B Williams
JJ Taylor
M Williams
R Jocius
Di Johnson

Out:
Kansas - starting big and super athletic KJ Adams
UCF - Sellers??

Gonna need huge games from Johnson and Hall and for Ivy-Curry to continue his hot shooting. Thiam’s gonna have to play a great defensive game to slow down Kansas’s bigs and stay out of foul trouble cause I’m sure they will go right at the young freshman to see how he handles it. I look for Mikey Williams and JJ Taylor to make some impact plays off the bench.

 

[Willie Knightime]

I kinda get the feeling Self doesn’t believe in his team. His reaction when Griffen dribbled it off his foot at the end of regulation told it all. He just waved his arm like “get out of here”. They were missing all these crucial free throws and having so many issues just inbounding the ball. I’ll be shocked if they let Zeke Mayo attempt to inbound it at all against us, that was brutal.

Griffen did stroke it from 3, going 5-6 so we’ll need to pay close attention to him, but Mayo hasn’t been shooting great lately. Harris isn’t really an offensive threat so we can sag off him and make it tough for Dickinson to get deep touches in the paint. Bidunga is a freshman but he probably worries me the most with his super efficient play (shooting 78% from the field).

Projected Starting Lineups:
PG Johnson vs Harris
SG Ivy-Curry vs S Moore
SF D Coleman vs Z May
PF K Hall vs F Bidunga
C M Thiam vs H Dickenson

Kansas bench:
Griffen
Coit
Storr

UCF bench:
B Williams
JJ Taylor
M Williams
R Jocius
Di Johnson

Out:
Kansas - starting big and super athletic KJ Adams
UCF - Sellers??

Gonna need huge games from Johnson and Hall and for Ivy-Curry to continue his hot shooting. Thiam’s gonna have to play a great defensive game to slow down Kansas’s bigs and stay out of foul trouble cause I’m sure they will go right at the young freshman to see how he handles it. I look for Mikey Williams and JJ Taylor to make some impact plays off the bench.

Another big game and another opportunity for another statement win. We'll be alot more competitive than last time against them. Sellers coming back messed with our flow IMO.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Last time we played them they were also coming off a loss. Not good that they are again. Only hope is they take us lightly.

 

[ucfjosh2000]

At least this loss was in double overtime so they had to expend more energy than normal and it’s a short turnaround. Whereas we cruised to an easy victory. Maybe we’ll see that effect the game late if we can keep it an up tempo game and use our whole bench. It also was a super painful loss, sometimes that could help the next opponent and sometimes it could hurt. Either way we better come completely focused and be ready for a 48 minute battle. I think Dawkins will have us ready for this one.

 

[ucfjosh2000]

I’m also curious to see what their crowd is like after a gut punch loss like that and a team like UCF coming into their place. It would be like if we were a top 12 team and we lost at home to another top 10 team and then the UTSA Roadrunners came rolling into the Dungeon. They essentially are now out of the Big 12 conference championship race. Will it be a fired up, turned up atmosphere right from the jump?

 

[PositYourself]

I'm sure it will be.

 

[Central Floridave]

UCF's Upcoming Games​

Date	Opponent	Time	TV
Tue, Jan 28	at Kansas	8 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Feb 1	BYU	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 5	Cincinnati	7 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
Sat, Feb 8	at Baylor	2 p.m.	ESPN+
Tue, Feb 11	Iowa State	7 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Feb 15	at Colorado	3 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 19	at Oklahoma State	9 p.m.	ESPN Networks
Sun, Feb 23	Utah	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 26	Kansas State	7 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Mar 1	at TCU	4 p.m.	ESPN+

 

[Willie Knightime]

I’m also curious to see what their crowd is like after a gut punch loss like that and a team like UCF coming into their place. It would be like if we were a top 12 team and we lost at home to another top 10 team and then the UTSA Roadrunners came rolling into the Dungeon. They essentially are now out of the Big 12 conference championship race. Will it be a fired up, turned up atmosphere right from the jump?

I think Allen Fieldhouse is jumping no matter what.

 

[Willie Knightime]

UCF's Upcoming Games​

Date	Opponent	Time	TV
Tue, Jan 28	at Kansas	8 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Feb 1	BYU	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 5	Cincinnati	7 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
Sat, Feb 8	at Baylor	2 p.m.	ESPN+
Tue, Feb 11	Iowa State	7 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Feb 15	at Colorado	3 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 19	at Oklahoma State	9 p.m.	ESPN Networks
Sun, Feb 23	Utah	4 p.m.	ESPN+
Wed, Feb 26	Kansas State	7 p.m.	ESPN+
Sat, Mar 1	at TCU	4 p.m.	ESPN+

Be glad when these ESPN+ games are on the TNT networks.

 

[ucfjosh2000]

Gotta come out swinging. If we can hit like 4 out of our first 6 threes and jump ‘em early and take their crowd out of it, that would be big. Should we full court press them right away to see if we can get some early turnovers and easy buckets? They’re confidence has got to be shaken after that Houston end-game debacle.