Knights riding momentum into conference
‘Good basketball’ key for UCF to build off victory over Michigan
Johnny Dawkins has seen Darin Green Jr. do it so many times that nothing surprises him.
Green, UCF’s leading scorer and 45% 3-point shooter, knocked down 7 of 9 from deep.
“That comes with playing good basketball,” Green said of his hot hand. “Playing unselfish, the ball has energy. Things like that are capable of happening, especially with the scorers we have on this team.”
After Green had a breakaway dunk off a blocked shot, he stood about 2 feet behind the arc on the wing. Faced with 7-1 center Hunter Dickinson, he didn’t try to beat him off the dribble. He let it fly.
The Knights led Michigan 55-51, were off and running and never looked back. It was the school’s first victory against the Big Ten powerhouse.
“The shots you see our guys shooting in the games are the shots our guys shoot in practice,” Dawkins said after the 85-71 win at home. “That’s why I have so much confidence in what they’re able to do. I get to see it every day.
“I’ve seen Darin Green take 25-, 28-, 30-footers.”
The Knights couldn’t have asked for a better springboard into their conference schedule that tips off Sunday at SMU.
“Darin was terrific,” Dawkins said of his top scorer, who was coming off 2-for-10 shooting against North Alabama. “During that stretch where we needed baskets [in the] first half to keep us in the game, in the second half when we were reeling a little bit.
“I thought he really stepped up and played really well for us. Shot the ball with confidence. That helped our other players settle into the game as well.”
Dawkins emphasized the importance of picking up a marquee win in the final nonconference game.
“You want to make sure that when you look back on it, you’re able to say, ‘Well, we had some signature moments, too,’ like a lot of the other teams will be able to say,” Dawkins said. “This was a huge game for us in that regard.”
Sunday, however, is already almost here. The celebration can only last for so long.
“We have to turn around and switch gears because we go right into a conference game on a short turnaround,” Dawkins said. “When they wake up, for myself and for them, it’s onto the next play.”
UCF played its cleanest game of the seasons, giving up a season-low 6 turnovers which was much to Dawkins’ pleasure.
“Anytime we’re under 10 turnovers, I’m ecstatic,” Dawkins said. “Our guys did a great job of taking care of the basketball against a very good basketball team. What that should show our guys is that we should be capable of doing that against everyone.”
Even sophomore forward Jamille Reynolds had a hand in the signature win of UCF’s season. He played a season-high 12 minutes, scoring 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting. He also drew a crucial offensive foul against the Wolverines, which resulted in coach Juwan Howard receiving a technical foul.
Green pointed to that sequence as a turning point.
“He definitely changed the game,” Green said. “He comes in and he plays hard. He’s going to execute on both ends.”
It’ll require those kind of efforts, from go-to players such as Green to role players such as Reynolds, to keep this momentum going.
When they return to Addition Financial Arena for a Jan. 5 game vs. Temple, the Knights might find a more energized atmosphere.
“That was actually one of my first times playing here with the crowd like that,” Green said. “It was fun.”