Men’s Hoops has an up and down start

The UCF Men’s basketball team has started their Big 12 conference schedule with some ups and downs. First, there was an inspiring win at Texas Tech, which saw the Knights hold on late after blowing an 18-point lead. Then, the Knights came home and got curb-stomped by Kansas in an overall embarrassing performance. Next came a relatively ugly win at home against Colorado before embarking on an Arizona road trip that saw the Knights drop a game against the Arizona Wildcats. To date, that leaves the Knights starting off a tough conference schedule with a .500 run. So, what should we make of the 2024-25 version of the Knights? Here are my top five concerns about the team thus far:

5) Live by the three, die by the three - In the two games the Knights have won, they shot 45% and 35%, respectively, from the three-point line. In the two losses, 23% and 22%. Now, it’s not revolutionary to say that when a team struggles to shoot, they might lose, but if you are going to average 25 three-point shots a game, you are indicating that you are willing to ride or die from the outside. The Knights are second in the conference with almost 9 made threes a game, which goes to show how important that aspect is for UCF to win.

4) Boxing out is optional - This might be more of an anecdotal point, but watching UCF on the defensive glass often shows a lack of consistency in boxing out their opponent. UCF currently ranks last in the Big 12 in rebound margin during conference play, and second to last in total defensive rebounds. But, if you watch the Knights play, you will consistently see guys watching and tracking the ball as opposed to finding the nearest opponent to box out. If you are a team like UCF that lacks a ton of depth on the frontcourt, you need a team commitment to help support cleaning the glass.

3) Where’s the D - Previous iterations of a Johnny Dawkins coached team have hung their hats on a tough defensive presence. However, the 2024-25 team has made a concerted effort to be more potent on the offensive end, and through the first four conference games, the Knights are in the top 5 in the Big 12 in scoring offense. But has this offensive resurgence come at the expense of the defensive? Through four games, the Knights rank dead last in scoring defense, giving up 86 points per game. For the Knights to make a run in the conference, they are going to have to make a commitment on the defensive end.

2) One on one - While the offense has seen a transformation under assistant coach Adam Hood, there still appear to be too many situations where UCF is looking to have somebody bail them out in a one on one matchup. Be it, Darius Johnson or Keyshawn Hall, there are several times in a game when the ball seems to stick to those players throughout an offensive possession. Now, I will totally concede that both Darius and Keyshawn are playmakers and scorers, but in late game situations, or as the season wears on, other teams will be able to adjust and adapt, meaning getting a tough bucket will be just that - tough.

1) Slow starts - Again, it is tough to back this one up statistically, but the Knights have been a consistent slow starting team in their conference games. For example, you might remember starting 0-10 from the field against Colorado, forcing UCF to play from behind for most of the first half. In their four conference games, UCF has trailed at the half in three of them, indicative of a team that constantly has to fight and expend energy to get back in ballgames.

For more on UCF basketball updates, check out our coverage from this past week:

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Meet the Interns

Meet Andrew Greig, who will be interning with the Sons of UCF throughout the spring semester. He is currently a sophomore at UCF studying in the Nicholson School of Communication. Andrew grew up in Miami and has always been an avid sports fan. His goal is to be an anchor for a local or national news network.

Andrew has hit the ground running in his short time with the Sons. First, he starred in a new series, ‘Bouncin with Andrew’, where he interacts with fans and talks about different UCF sports topics. Here is the debut video, filmed prior to the UCF and Kansas basketball game:

Andrew also spoke with UCF Volleyball alum Abby Hansen, who is a member of the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Orlando Valkyries. Their season tipped off last Thursday, and all of their home matches will be held at Addition Financial Arena:

We are excited to have Andrew as part of the Sons family. Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @andrew_gre87684

Tax season is around the corner, and the Sons trust only one firm to handle their filing: Peterson Accounting. Led by UCF alum Brian Peterson, Peterson Accounting has over 30 years of tax and accounting experience on their staff. To get your filing done on time, contact them here to inquire about their services:

More football

In a continuation of previous updates, here are some news and notes from UCF Football over the past week.

First, another member of the coaching staff was introduced with Pete Alamar being named Special Teams Coordinator. Alamar is an experienced Special Teams coach, having spent time at Cal, Stanford, and Rice, among others:

The roster also saw some additions this week, with the following players committing via the transfer portal:

• OL Carter Miller - Louisiana Monroe

• RB Jaden Nixon - Western Michigan

• LB Keli Lawson - Virginia Tech (was previously committed, then de-committed, and now re-committed)

• WR Marcus Burke - Florida

• TE Elijah Brown – FAU

• LB Cole Kozlowski – Colgate

Of this group, Jaden Nixon is a key pickup for the Knights at the running back position. In 2024, he starred at Western Michigan and ran for 919 yards and 12 touchdowns. Prior to that, Nixon spent three seasons (including a redshirt) at Oklahoma State. He’ll add a veteran presence to a running back room that includes returners Myles Montgomery and Stacy Gage (redshirt), along with incoming freshman Tavion Swint.

With the deadline to enroll in classes for spring practice eligibility approaching on Monday, January 13th, the initial transfer class is shaping up well for the Knights. We’ll have a full roster breakdown in future editions of this newsletter.

Speaking of Knights and coaches, check out our interview with Mitch Sherman from The Athletic, who provides some great insight on Scott Frost’s tenure at Nebraska

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The Best of the Rest

It’s been a busy week for the Sons of UCF! Get caught up on anything you missed:

Christian and Bailey talk about the news of Tayven Jackson joining UCF in a new episode of The Pegasus Podcast:

Eric Lopez and Trace Trylko discuss the QB situation for the Knights in 2025 in this episode of Around The Kingdom:

The Hula Bowl was once again hosted at UCF, and Andrew Cherico caught up with some former Knights before and after the game:

And Sons of UCF LIVE featured an interview with former UCF RB Jawon Hamilton, and our basketball insider Ben Hazel. Check it out here

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Today I Learned

When UCF takes on Arizona State in basketball on Tuesday night, it will feature a matchup of two head basketball coaches who were once hired by Danny White. As the athletics director at the University of Buffalo, White hired Bobby Hurley to take over the Bulls basketball program in 2013, a position he held until 2015 when he left for Arizona State after a messy contract dispute.

White then took over as athletics director at UCF in November of 2015, and at the end of the 2015-16 basketball season, he dismissed head basketball coach Donny Jones. After conducting a national search, White hired Johnny Dawkins, who had been dismissed a week earlier by Stanford.

Dawkins and Hurley also share a common thread in Duke University, where both starred as point guards under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

You can also enjoy the Sons content in podcast form, available on all of your favorite podcast platforms. To get connected directly, find your preferred player and be sure to subscribe

Cow of the Week

We all know that the NIL world is largely an unregulated and messy cobweb right now, but Noah Reisenfeld, an alleged agent, gives voice to just how bad things can be with this interview:

The bad news for Noah is that I could have saved him money on the analytics firm he hired, since the stat he quoted is actually just a basic division problem.

The underlying thought here, though, is that it is highly likely some players are being taken advantage of, and there are no systems or regulations in place to prevent that from happening. With great power comes great responsibility, but in this scenario, some players seem unequipped to handle the new world of financial opportunity if they are trusting people like Reisenfeld.

Look for more new content from the Sons of UCF this week, including the Pegasus Podcast, Around The Kingdom, and Sons of UCF LIVE.

Everybody have a great week, take care of yourselves and each other.

Charge On!