Despite stunning wins and a three-game streak, UCF remains unranked. A crucial clash against No. 8 Houston offers a prime chance to break into the top 25.
UCF (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) had a huge week for March Madness implications, extending the team's win streak to three and picking up an upset over No. 13 Texas Tech.
Despite the Knights' success, they did not receive an AP poll ranking, falling outside of the top 25.
UCF is currently sixth in the Big 12, ranking ahead of No. 16 BYU. The Knights have defeated the Red Raiders and No. 11 Jayhawks, who both sit half a game ahead of UCF.
The Knights are the only unranked team within the top seven, set for another opportunity to crack the rankings this Wednesday against No. 8 Houston.
The team is rolling, bouncing back from a tough loss against No. 7 Iowa State with three straight wins.
UCF began the winning streak on the road, traveling to Boulder, CO, for a showdown with the Buffaloes.
Senior guard Riley Kugel and fifth-year senior point guard Themus Fulks led the way, combining for 41 points.
Kugel did most of his damage from behind the arc, making six of eight attempts from 3-point range. Fulks, however, attacked in the mid range, finding space in the key to pull up for floaters and short shots.
Fulks was also named to the Big 12 Starting Five for his recent performances.
The Knights returned home to host Arizona State, who punched UCF in the mouth in the first half. The Sun Devils led most of the game, controlling the pace and limiting UCF to 2-of-12 shooting from deep.
But, with less than six minutes to play, the Knights caught fire, erasing a double-digit deficit on 5-of-6 3-point shooting and completing the comeback.
UCF had less than a 5% chance to win the game with less than six minutes to play, according to ESPN Analytics.
Riding this momentum, UCF welcomed the Red Raiders to Addition Financial Arena Saturday evening.
It was a dominating performance as UCF led for over 36 minutes, controlling the pace and fending off Texas Tech's runs. The Knights cemented the win with a breakaway dunk from junior point guard Chris Johnson, hyping up the crowd in the process.
Students in attendance had the opportunity to storm the court not once, but twice, returning to the court after 0.2 seconds was added back to the game clock.
Sophomore center John Bol played his best game of the season, scoring fourteen points and snagging ten rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
The Knights will have a big opportunity to prove their case to return to the rankings with a win over the Cougars this weekend.