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Speaker 1: Get to know the Cougar's opponents and rivals right now.
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to get to know the foe. B YU, get in prep,
get ready for this by U u CF matchup concluding
their two game homestand on Tuesday evening, we got to
get to know the foe. How good is this UCF
uh this UCF basketball team coming into the Merriage Center.
We'll see how they fare against the Bay Cougars. They
just found their best win of the season. They were
able to uh uh you know, finally play their best
ball versus Iowa State.
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Where we got you covered, Let's get out to the
hot line. We got the co host and executive producer
of Sons of UCF podcast, Adam Eaton's online Adam, how
that are you, buddy?
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us and.
Speaker 2: Bet I'm doing well man. Good to catch up with
you again. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1: Yeah, always a pleasure talking ball with you. Let's get
a little breakdown. How good is this UCF team? What's
their identity right now? Give us a little breakdown of
the season thus far.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Ben, you know, the Knights have really been surprised,
I think for a lot of people. You know, this
is a team that returned zero points from last year's team,
so completely new roster, having to come together under head
coach Johnny Dawkins, and you know, they've been a team
that's offensively been able to score with a lot of
teams in the Big twelve, which I don't think folks
expected just based on the fact that this team came
together kind of haphazardly towards the offseason. But you know,
they've been able to put up some points offensively. I
think defensively they had some challenges, but they've been hanging
into most games and they're typically over the eighty points
of score mark per game. So this is a team
that can certainly, you know, filled the buckets in a hurry.
The challenges right now. The Knights are coming in a
little banged up, a couple of guys injured, and it
may not be at full strength as they head into
BYU tomorrow night. But this is a team that's certainly
when they're right, then they can score the basketball.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what's the culture?
Speaker 3: Like you said this team was put together half hazardly,
Then that would make me think, oh, well.
Speaker 1: The culture's not good. What's the culture like within this roster?
Speaker 2: Yeah, Johnny Dawkins obviously a veteran coach name a lot
of folks in college basketball know. I mean, he's certainly
a guy that that preaches defense and preaches toughness and
preaches accountability to his team. And you just look at
John dawkins resume and what he's accomplished in basketball, and
I think you can certainly his name carries that weight,
and I think that carries some you know, some weight
with the guys that are on his team. You know,
it's a team that wants to be tough defensively, Again,
maybe hasn't been their hallmarks throughout the season, but this
is a team that will play hard. This is a
team that will typically make the smart decision, and it's
really kind of a veteran team. Then you know, they
went out and they invested some money and getting some
guys that had experienced at other levels and some some
veteran guys, and so this is a team hopefully that
despite the fact this is the first time they're all
together in these scenarios, a lot of these guys have
played a lot of basketball, and I think that's shown
through to the Knights throughout the season so far.
Speaker 3: Who are the key players on this team? You mentioned
that they're a little bit dinged up, they have some injuries,
et cetera. But who is it that we got to
get to know if you're a b YU fan trying
to get a scout of you report on the Knights.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I get to know the name famous folks. He
wears number one and he'll be he'll be the point
guard for the Knights, and he's the guy that really
controls the table for the team. You know, he's the
tip of the spear, so to speak, for the Knights.
He controls the the temple Offensively, He's a guy the
Knights want the ball in his hands and big moments.
He's kind of been the closer for UCF in games
where they've had, you know, a tight contest. He's really
been the guy taking the last second shots. He loves
to drive into the into the lane, and get a
little bit of a you know, a Midge Ratings jump shot,
a little floater over over a big man as well too.
So you'll see Seamus Folks number one with the with
the ball a's on and he'll be kind of a
go to guy for the Knights. Unknown if he'll play yet,
but the starting shooting guard Riley Kogle where's number two?
He did not play against Utah on Saturday with a
lower body injury, but he is on the trip, so
as possible he will see some match maybe Inainst b
Yu still listen as questionable. He is a he is
a bucket ben. I mean he can he can fill
it up. He's a streaky shooter of though. So when
he's hot, he's on and he can make shots. And
when he's off, he's off. But still unknown whether or
not you'll see him on the court on on Tuesday.
Gains BYU and an inside number four to Michael Stillwell,
this guy's just a beast of a player. Been an
old school player, kind of a kind of dirty, kind
of tenacious, kind of does all the dirty work for
the team down there. He'll fight scraps ball for rebounds,
tip ins, loose balls, again, he's also nursing a bit
of a lower body injury as well. But he's another
fource down low. He can certainly get you some you know,
I think, well some people call garbage points because they'll
get some tip in, some loose balls, some rebounds. But
you know, he's a force and probably the main force
for UCF on the inside.
Speaker 3: This is a good basketball team forty ninth per ken
Bom offensively, thirty fifth in offensive efficiency. They're a little
bit poorous defensively, ranking one hundred and thirteenth. I want
to say in ken Bom nineteen and seven on the
air there right in the middle of the Big twelve.
Speaker 1: And they've had some.
Speaker 3: Very impressive wins, and I know some of their losses
have most of their locks have been very close. It's
not like these are blowout losses. But recently in the
there was a three game losing Forreek Houston Cincinnati, West Virginia.
What happened in that three game losing streak over the
last five games.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, been going to Houston and playing at
Houston is tough for any team, right I think the
time UCF had played and they were fifty in one.
That's fifty dash one at home in conference play. So
it's just tough to beat Houston at home. And you see,
if I was he couldn't win that one out, just
didn't he prepared to get Cincinnati and lost a tough
one in West Virginia there. That's also the stretcher dealing
with some injuries. Some guys like Joe Michael Stillwell was
out against West Virginia and so I think it was
just a really tough stretch for the Knights. And again
system really saw some really tough teams as they as
they went on that stretch there, but they rebounded with
a win at at Homing, at TCU, and then a
win at at Utah. So I think that's kind of
right the ship there. But just one of those those
gauntlets of the Big Coal bet. As you know, we
night in and night out, you're playing a tough team,
You're playing an opponent that's probably ranked in the top
fifteen in the Big Twelve. And I think UCF just
kind of got a tough stretch to the schedule. They're
highlighted by that that tough road loss at Houston.
Speaker 1: What's up with the defense.
Speaker 3: It seems like they can score with anybody what's up
with the defense though.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a great point, but I think that's the
Achilles deal of the team is, you know, can they guard?
Can they defend? Can they get stopped? And they've had
some moments where they can, but you know, I do
think that's probably the one symptom of bringing a team together,
is really learning the defensive principles and how to play
together connectively. From a defensive standpoint, you know, they've been
kind of banged up on the low block. John Bowle
seven foot two true sophomore center, more of a rim protector,
but he's had some foul troubles against to Michael Siwell
has been out, so they haven't really had a lot
of presence at of size on the inside, which, as
you know in the Big twelve, can certainly come back
to hurt you as a team. And then defensively, you know,
I think you just keeping guards in front of them
and running guys off the three point line has been
a bit of a challenge for this Night's team. But
I do think that's probably a symptom of just a
team again coming together, brand new, trying to stay connected.
Defensively again, they've had Spurts. But you know, I would
say that's the achilles heel of this team is, you know,
can they get a stop when they need to get
a stop? Can they can they guard a team, you
know when they're when they're up one and they need
to you know, get the ball back. I think it's
going to challenge, you know, for this nice team throughout
the season.
Speaker 1: You've been around basketball.
Speaker 3: You've seen a lot of great teams there at UCF
and in the Big twelve now and even.
Speaker 1: Prior to that the AAC.
Speaker 3: Is this UCF team an NCAA tournament team that can
number one just get into the tournament, maybe win in
the tournament.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think so. Look, I think this is
a team. You had some of the stats earlier right there.
They're currently citting forty six and the nets you know,
they're combined nine and seven and Quad one and Quad
two games. You know, they got wins over ranked Kansas,
over ranked Texas Tech. For their seven losses come to
teams that were ranked in the top fifteen, including Houston, Vanderbilt,
Arizona in Iowa State. So this is a team that
that's played a lot of tough competition and it's hung
in there and played really well. Again, yeah, they don't
necessarily maybe have you know, some of those signature wins,
right they haven't. You know maybe Kansas and Texas Tech
where they kind of qualifiers that too. But then the
Spix twelve, the gauntlet, and if you can go to
the Big twelve right now where you s sitting from
accomplish perspective with an above five hundred record, that's got
to get the attention of the committee. Point and again,
they still have opportunities, well a tough one here against
BYU on the road, they have another Quad one opportunity
to close the season out at West Virginia, so still
have some time on the resume to get some some
wins there. But I think it's the team that's been
playing consistent basketball. And maybe I'm a bit of a
homer in this sense, but I think if you can
go through this Big twelve schedule gauntlet and you can
come out with a winning record, I think that should
certainly put you firmly in the competition and the conversation.
Rather to to make the make the NCAA tournament.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, this squad would be with you fans
understand they're four to five in Quad one opportunities. They
got wins in a way sitting Texas A and M.
They got to win versus Kamsas at home, they have
a win at Colorado that's still a Quad one win,
and then at home versus Texas Tech. And they they
fought pretty hard on some of these others. There's been
some close losses. You ve that wasn't a that was
a respectable loss, as well as Vanderbilt.
Speaker 2: Yeah, again, this is a team that fights, you know,
and there's really only a couple of times this season
where you got on you know, the game started and
you realize, you see, didn't really have it. If they've
been in games you mentioned the Arizona game, I mean,
there are a couple of shots away from not being
a little bit different. Texas second eighty eight eighty wins
for the Knights. They controlled that game from from the start.
Same same with Kansas, and that went earlier in the season.
So it's a team that will fight and can Again,
it has the offensive firepower to hang in there with
any team. Now will the defense come along? It's obviously
the question there. But this is a team that if
they get hot, they can they can put some points
on you in a hurry, and if you're not prepared
to play them, I think you can you can kind
of fall behind and get surprised with the Knights. But again,
I think a lot of this goes back to then
just you've heard just a ton you know, in this
time of the year, it's veteran guard play right, Veteran
guard players typically, you know, we'll drive a team forward
as they get late into February and March. And that's
where I got like famous folks become super important for
the Knights. Just a veteran decision maker. We can hopefully
steer this team to us some good winning plays down
the stretch.
Speaker 1: What's the scattering report on the Koops right now?
Speaker 3: I don't know if you've been able to talk to
the coaches or players yet regarding their road trip out
to Provo, But what do they say about this Cougar
basketball team and how they can slow down easy to
bonds of Rob Right, Cannar Davis and the crew.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not sure if they have that answer right,
but I think if they did, they'd probably be shared
of that elsewhere too. You know, I think you know
what they're they're certainly going to try to do, is
you see us the team that will play us on
the zone, so they'll they'll mix and match man and zone.
So I assume we'll try to throw some surprising looks
at at the coops and you know, see if they
catch them off guard and some different looks throughout there
and really kind of keep the game closer. I think
that they can control the rebounds, control the glass. I
think they they'll typically feel good about where they are now.
Won't be easy obviously with the side that b YU
brings them the front line there, but I think you'll
see the defense throw some different looks at them. They'll
I think they'll throw some token press and some token
trap and and certainly try to do some things to
to maybe show some different looks at that b YU
is seen on film from the nice but certainly going
to be a tough contest obviously, you know, going going
up against a tough BYU team. But you know, I
think certainly UCF is is poised to go in there
and give it their all. Again, really just depends on
how healthy this team will be as they walk into
the marry At Center on Teunesday night.
Speaker 3: Give me your overall you've out of the Big Twelve
Basketball conference. What stood out to you this year and
maybe even last year about the about the conference? It's players,
the competition.
Speaker 1: Day in and day out.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's easy, but there are no gimmes
in the Big Twelve. Every every time you're going to
play against another big coil of opponent, there are no
gimmes in this conference. Every team top to bottom can
give you a game, and if you're not up to
your best on that night, I think any team candidly
really can can beat any team, right. I think Arizona
and Houston and BYU have separated themselves a little bit
this year Iowa State, but even those teams have had
opportunities and have lost games down the stretch here. So
I think it's a team there. If you're not ready,
if you're not prepared night in and night out, you know,
the team across the floor from you can and certainly
will will be a tough task. I think what I've
what I've seen so far is is you know, you
sty have has been struggled again on the interior, and
there's you know, teams like Houston, teams like Arizona, teams
like BYU, just just waves of guys in the front
line that are just big, strong and posed players. And
I think you know, it's been a it's been a
league that it's really tough, you know, weak in and
week out, and you know, night in and night out
to go against some of those big bodies down low.
I think that's where you have taken their lumps and
still kind of learning a little bit about the Big
twelve basketball. But then, and you've seen as much as
I have. If you don't bring your best every night
in the Big Twelve, whoever's on the other side of
the court certainly can and will surprise you. And I
think that's what makes this league so tough and such
a gauntlet to go through, because you really don't get
any knights off. You really don't get any guinea nights
or a night where you go, Okay, hey, this team's
not quite up to our our par this team's not
quite ready. Any team, any night can steak up on you.
And that's what makes this Big twelve basketball schedule so exciting.
Speaker 1: Who should win the Big Twelve Player of the Year Award?
Do you think right now? Who Who's where's it trending?
Speaker 2: I guess man, you know what I you know, I
think Bradley from from Arizona. Again, I'm just a big
fan of veteran guard play. I mean, he seems to
make the right decision down the stretch for that team
obviously the you know, the one of the best teams
in the nation. I think Bradley's done a great job.
You know, Peterson at Kansas certainly has the potential. But
I'm sure you all talked about, you know, his ability
to stay on the floor sometimes and I think you
can make it. In case for Agie de Band said
as well, I think he's obviously came in and a
quitting himself well in the Big twelve and proven himself
to be a force right now. You know, I think
the injury to top And I think is certainly unfortunate.
I think he's certainly wuld be another name that youth
are out there. But you know about Walcar, I'll go
to Bradley at Arizona right now, I like it.
Speaker 1: Uh. There are some out there that feel like.
Speaker 3: Darren Peterson is going to be the number one overall
pick in the NBA draft. Others feel that ag debond
So will be the number one overall pick.
Speaker 1: Is there.
Speaker 3: Do you want to pine on this how you feeling
about the players in college basketball and their eventual draft status?
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think certainly, you know Peterson has a
ton of talent, right, but I think you're going to
have to factor and everything you know about the player
to date right now, and you know you had it
in your in your leading there right the best ability
ability is availability, and certainly with whatever's happening with itself
right now, I think you look at talent, you look
at the entire makeup, and you wonder, you know, if
you're an NBA team, you will invest the lottery take
is he a he the kind of player that can
turn your fortunes as a franchise. Now, it's certainly a
lot of big names out there, but I think the
bands has the entire package. I think he has upsided,
continued to grow and and and build. You know, certainly
he's got the NBA body right now. Right he can
go in and probably you know, get you some minutes
in the NBA today too. So I think you know,
for me, Ben, I'm big on consistency. I'm big on
sort of how your team, you know, functions and prepares
around you. And I think you factor all those things
in there. I think a j Debanta has has still
has some room to grow in the ceiling. And if
I were the NBA team said with that number one
ping pong ball, it would be hard for me to
to not call his name on draft Nick.
Speaker 3: Toking some basketball here on your Utah ESPN Radio network,
b why you favored in this game? And ESPN Analytics
also giving b Yu the tip of the cap with
their their their metrics here leading up to tip off.
But how do you see this game playing out right now?
Do you think it's gonna be a close one at
the at the Varied Center.
Speaker 2: I like to hope so Ben, But again I think,
you know, if you're a Nights fan, this has the
recipe for for one of those games that if they're
not involved early, if they kind of fall behind early,
you know, how will this game fare out? Again? They
came to Utah on Friday to play to play at
the youth on Saturday, they stayed in town. Obviously they
played vau on on Tuesday. Then we'll come back to
kind of finish out their their you know, the three
games trets at the end of the season. They're a
little bit dinged up a little bit injured. They still
have a quad two game against Bayler coming up at home,
and then another game against what's Virginia and the co
Op one opportunity. So I think the first you know,
five to ten minutes bet are going to be really
crucial in this game. If if you see it doesn't
have it, If they're not in it early, I think
it could get out of control or hurry. But if
they're able to, you know, make some buckets, get some
stops and control some tempo, I think if you can
get past that ten minute mark and you're still within
shotting distance, I think you see it from give it
a game. But CURIOUSNCY is the fight they'll have, you know,
after this long road trip with some guys dinged up.
You know, how will how old coach Johnny Dawkins, you
know play the play the lineup right? How unma sure
if Riley Coogele is a variable available, will he see
of court time? So I'll be curious to see how
UCF plays this out. But I think the first ten
minutes so of real game time should show you what
the what this matchup will look like. And again, if
I think if you see a falls down in a hurry.
I think it can be a long night for Knights fans,
and it will be a long night on the East coast,
by the way, Ben, eleven PM Eastern Tip here here
in Florida, so a lot of a lot of Knights
fans might be catching this one on the replay on
Wednesday morning.
Speaker 1: Have you taken the trip out to Provo yet, Adam,
I have not.
Speaker 2: No, It's definitely a bucket list item. Did not get
out there this year for football, but definitely a bucket
list item. You know, heard nothing of the great things
about about the community, about the views and the sites
out there, so it's certainly a bucket list item for
me and my crew.
Speaker 3: What's what's been the attendance like at the football and
basketball game from BYU fans out there.
Speaker 2: It's it's it's big, Ben, I will tell you what.
And anytime you see it in by you've had a
matchup the b YU Faithful Travel Travel really well. You know,
we actually had a second dose of it be you
was in the Pop Tarts Bool which is in Orlando
during the during the holiday season, and a ton of
folks from b YU made the track back down to
Orlando for that trip as well too, So always impressed
when whenever UCS has a chance to host b YU.
I think they'll do that again in the twenty twenty
six football season, b Y, you will come to Orlando.
So always always a lot of blue in the stands
when U c F and b YU play. They certainly
are and have been one of those fan bases that
travel really really really well, but always do a great
job of representing their school, but also being you know,
classy fans too, right. I mean, obviously they sounded in
opposing arena. Sometimes ten persons flair and and things can
get out of control, but they think the b YU
fans have always been very respectful fans, good fans, know
their sports, know their teams, you know, want to root
for their teams, and they've had a lot to root
for Ben So it's been it's been a good stretch
for for the b YU sports teams.
Speaker 3: How much of of a of a of an allure
is it in the recruiting process for football, basketball and
other sports there you see being that it's kind of
destination Orlando, good Weather, Disney, you know, the the Universal studios,
Like how much does that play into the recruiting pitch
for some of these student athletes.
Speaker 2: Do you think, yeah, it's certainly a topic that you see,
it brings up. They kind of got roasted on social
media recently. They had a graphic that went viral that
cowded that Florida has no state tax, right, so for
athletes considering nil, they put that, I like put that
out there. A bunch of other schools kind of you know,
made some memes off that too. It as will happen
in social media. I think it's definitely a selling point,
you know, as you're trying to get kids to think about,
you know, coming to Orlando. I think where you've seen
the most of ben is, you know, UCF maybe hasn't
been as consistent, especially in football, with getting those kids
maybe right out of high school. Right so the high school,
you know, the senior doesn't maybe take UCF out of
the gate, but you give some pretty successful and that
second second go round when kids entered the portal or
decide maybe their destination wasn't for them. I think that's
where UCF has really been successful in their time. The
big twelve is maybe not that first go round of
getting that athlete, but the second time when they get
to portal, you know they have good relationships. Say hey,
I remember the weather down there was nice. Hey I
remember I could go do the hits. Hey I remember
I I could go do that. And I think that's
the part where UCF has been able to capitalize a ton.
It's maybe not as much as they'd like on that
first go round, but as kids entered the portal, I
think you look at destinations, you look opportunities. I think
that's where Orlando and UCF try to shine through as
a place that you can come and continue your sports career.
Speaker 1: Adam Meeting ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3: Adam, you're the coast and executive producer of Sons of
uc A podcast.
Speaker 1: Best way to support you what you do, how you
do it for all of our listeners, Yeah.
Speaker 2: Ben, a YouTube follow would be fantastic. Finds on YouTube
all of our stuff there on a video also at
audio podcast as well, and check out our website sends
UCF dot com for all coverage of everything you see
it for.
Speaker 3: Lady Adam, we appreciate you and thanks for hopping on
for another folks segment.
Speaker 1: We'll see in provo hopefully.
Speaker 2: One of these days appreciate your bend. Thanks.
Speaker 1: There you go. That's Adam Eaton. Let's take a time out.
Speaker 3: That segment was brought to you though by orthopros of
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