UCF squeaked out a huge season-opening win over No. 13 Texas A&M, but the Knights say they are not looking past their next opponent, Purdue Fort Wayne, in Orlando, Fla., on Friday night.
However, UCF was already confident it could play with anyone in the nation.
“It’s a great experience, but we’re supposed to get that win,” senior guard Darius Johnson said after beating the Aggies 64-61 on Monday. “We went into the game expecting to win, and nothing less.”
UCF has proven it can be a dangerous team. Last season, the Knights knocked off then-No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 10 and a pair of teams that were 23rd when the Knights played them: Oklahoma on Feb. 3, and Texas Tech on Feb. 24.
“What an opening game, to play against a team with that type of experience and talent. I thought it was great for our team,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said after Monday’s game. “You bring in 11 new guys, you don’t know what to expect, and they showed me something today. They can play with composure and the moment wasn’t too big for them. They beat a really good, well-coached team.”
Johnson led UCF with 24 points and five assists against the Aggies.
“Moving forward, we want to make people respect us,” Johnson said.
Several other Knights players shined in their season debuts, including Jordan Ivy-Curry (16 points) and JJ Taylor and Keyshawn Hall (10 apiece). Freshman Moustapha Thiam, the first five-star recruit the school landed, finished with six blocks, two shy of the program’s single-game record.
Purdue Fort Wayne opened the season with a dominant 99-47 victory over Division III Bluffton on Monday. The Mastodons had six players finish in double figures: Rasheed Bello (16 points), Eric Mulder (14), Corey Hadnot II (13), Maximus Nelson (12), Chandler Cuthrell (12) and Jalen Jackson (10). Mulder added 11 rebounds and three steals.
Purdue Fort Wayne limited Bluffton to 28.8 percent shooting and 24.1 percent (7 of 29) from beyond the arc. Solid defense will be key against the Knights.
Purdue Fort Wayne also has confidence after finishing last season at 23-13, advancing to the Horizon League Championship and earning a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
The Mastodons were picked as a co-favorite to win the league title this season.
“Guys in our program where we play pace and space and play with a lot of freedom, they get so much better in year 2 in our program,” coach Jon Coffman said before the season. “We’ve seen that in my 11 years as head coach with how we play the game. (Jackson and Bello) have shown that in Year 2.
“They just seem to see the play before the play. They’re spectators less, they’ve been more aggressive. I think those two in particular will really, really show out.”
–Field Level Media
