The UCF Knights knocked off the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday in Orlando
At some point, UCF Knights coach Johnny Dawkins is going to show emotion about the way his team has played this season.
For now, he just wants to keep the team grounded. He'll celebrate later.
On Saturday, the Knights knocked the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Orlando. They improved to 17-4 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12.
"We don't have much time to celebrate this game, that's for sure," Dawkins said. "I think by the end of the day, this has to be past us because you have to be willing to go to the next play in this game. In our conference, every single night you're going to compete against a great program, a great team, great team. We have to make sure we reset after today. That's all that matters in this game, is who's next."
The Knights are headed to the best season in school history. They added the Red Raiders to the list of impressive victories at home, including a win over the mighty Kansas Jayhawks.
The Knights are now on the cusp of earning an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. A 20-win season would almost certainly accomplish that. Dawkins is just proud of the way his team has responded to all challenges.
"We always say, we have to find a way," Dawkins said. "Whether you're making shots or not making shots, no matter how the game is going, you still got to find a way to compete and give yourself a chance to win. That's all you can ask for."
Dawkins also thanked the UCF fans for their support. While the basketball program has always taken a backseat to football, the students are rallying behind the hoops team because of the success.
"I'm just proud of our guys and the effort that they gave in this conference," Dawkins said. "We're just trying to compete every night at the highest level. I'm just proud because we were able to do it in front of our fans and our community ... It's important that we all rally behind our teams."
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of UCFRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com