The UCF Knights face the Mercer Bulldogs in non-conference action Wednesday in Orlando
The UCF Knights basketball teams takes the court for the first time in 10 days tonight against the Mercer Bulldogs.
After the longer than usual break, the Knights are hoping to keep the momentum going from their 8-1 start in non-conference play. Coach Johnny Dawkins said he thinks the time off was productive but it's time to get back to work.
"Well, I think we're trying to take advantage of this opportunity that we have right now," Dawkins said. "Of course, our guys would probably prefer to be playing games and staying in rhythm in that regard."
The pause also gave players an opportunity to fulfill their academic requirements. Dawkins has always backed the term "student-athlete" to the fullest.
"We have to understand the importance of, while we're in school as well, and part of that is for us to to understand the value of an education," Dawkins said. "We have an opportunity to continue our studies. We have an opportunity to finish up strong this semester academically with finals, papers, and, and so forth. So I've always said no matter where I coach or who I coach, our standards are gonna be high in everything that we do, and I think our players really understand that I take everything serious because I know there's a long life after this sport and they need to be prepared for it, and it's up to us as their mentors and the young men and women in our professions that are guiding these student-athletes to pour into them in everything that they do, not just, how many shots they make for you."
After Mercer, the Knights have games against Florida Gulf Coast and Florida Atlantic. The time off and tune-up games should better prepare them for the Big 12 opener at Kansas Jan. 3.
"So, that's what we're using this time for," Dawkins said of the break. "I've been excited about our guys and what we've been working on over this last week and a half with regards to things that we need to improve on. So although we're not playing, there are other areas that we have to improve on on the court, and I think we're working on those things as well."
Here's the game preview:
The UCF Knights are back in action on Tuesday night as they host Mercer in non-conference play at Addition Financial Arena.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17
Location: Addition Financial Arena — Orlando, Florida
Betting Line: UCF -13.5, O/U 163.5
UCF (8-1) enters the matchup looking to continue building momentum in December, while Mercer (7-3) makes the trip to Orlando to try and pick up a huge upset win before conference play.
Mercer is coming off of a competitive seven-point loss against Clemson, while UCF has had ten days off since defeating Towson 86-61. The Knights will need to be strong with the ball, as Mercer averages 9.8 steals per game - five more than UCF.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of UCFRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com