The UCF Knights were picked to finish at No. 14 in the 16-team Big 12 during the preseason. 

The Knights did far better than that by winning 21 games and making the NCAA Tournament. And now they are out to prove more doubters wrong. Tonight, they face the UCLA Bruins in the first round after being one of the best stories in college basketball this season. 

"Well, I'll tell you - I've said it all season long how proud I am of this team," Knights coach Johnny Dawkins said. "I saw something in this summer, just how competitive they were, and it carried over throughout the season. So that made it really special, and to see our young people, you know, these are dreams that I made. You know, when you're a young player, you dream of having an opportunity to play in the in the NCAA tournament. And so to see a number of these players who've never had this opportunity, it's their first time, and some of the guys who've had multiple opportunities, it never gets old. It's such a special feeling. So I'm really happy that that we have this group together and that we've had this amazing opportunity in front of us."

This is the Knights' first time in the Tournament since 2019. The No. 7 seeded Bruins enter as the favorite against No. 10 UCF. While the Bruins have a more traditional program, the Knights feel they have a strong chance of advancing. 

Still, Dawkins have respect for the opposition. 

"I have not seen UCLA. Of course they're on the West Coast," Dawkins said. "I haven't seen them play, not one time, but of course I know Mick Cronin. Man, great coach. You know, he's done well wherever he's been. He did a great job at Cincinnati. He's doing a great job at UCLA, so I have a lot of respect for him and his programs because I know how he coaches, but I haven't had a chance to see them, but I know they're well coached and they're talented."

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com