Hendricks quickly makes AAC history
When UCF forward Taylor Hendricks sank a 3-pointer with 5:24 left in the first half against Tarleton State, the freshman felt something special inside.
“I was like, ‘Alright, it’s probably going to be one of those games,’ ” he said after the Knights won 75-49 on Sunday to improve to 7-2 overall.
Hendricks finished with 16 points while shooting 6-for-7, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. It was his second straight game missing just one field goal and his fifth in the last six games with at least 16 points.
On Monday, Hendricks became the first player in AAC history to be named Freshman of the Week for four consecutive weeks.
He’s also the first player to earn the weekly honor at least four times in a single season at UCF. Previously, four Knights — Isaiah Adams (2020-21), Ceasar DeJesus (‘17-’18), Adonys Henriquez (‘14’15) and BJ Taylor (‘14-’15) — won the weekly award just three times in their respective seasons.
Although it’s still early, seven of the 11 players in AAC history who won Freshman of the Week four or more times in a year went on to be named the league’s Freshman of the Year. The Knights have never had a player earn the yearly honor.
Hendricks, who named a player of the year by Sun Sentinel as a senior at Calvary Chrisitan in Fort Lauderdale, is just focused on the games in front of him.
“It definitely feels really good that they’re noticing me, but we’re still going to try to do well as a team and try to keep getting wins,” he said.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins believes Hendricks is getting better each time he steps on the court.
“The thing I like about him is he’s very coachable and he really does have a next-play mentality no matter what happens in one play,” Dawkins said. “If it doesn’t go his way, he doesn’t dwell on it. That’s why he finds such consistency in his game because he’s able to have a short memory.
“Basketball can be tough on guys who have a long memory because they can dwell on things that weren’t positive. He goes to the next play and figures something else out.”
Then there’s Hendricks’ efficiency. He’s not a volume shooter. He hunts the best shots.
“Rarely does he take a bad shot,” Dawkins said. “He’s taking shots he knows he can make and that’s a mark of a really good player.”
Of course, it hasn’t been a one-man show that’s led to the Knights’ early success.
Pitt transfer Ithiel Horton, who earned a spot on the AAC’s weekly honor roll after scoring 15 points vs. Tarleton State, averages 9.9 points while sophomore Darius Johnson is second in scoring at 10.3.
Six different Knights average more than 7 points per game.
Dawkins understands the difference the 6-foot-9 Hendricks can make as a defender and playmaker, too. He’s also averaging nearly 2 blocks and 7 assists to go with his team-high 15.6 points.
“We want to keep him involved in our offense,” Dawkins said about Hendricks. “We find him when he has opportunities. We want him to be aggressive when he has his looks. He plays with a lot of confidence that way and he’s just very efficient.”
Hendricks and the Knights have a big test on the road Wednesday night when they travel to Ole Miss. UCF has only played at home or at a neutral site in the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas event.
The Rebels (7-2) sit at No. 50 in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings with UCF not far behind at No. 65 as of Tuesday.
The trip will be good for the team’s growth before the Knights begin conference play at the end of the month. UCF’s roster went through a major overhaul from last season’s 18-12 team. Twelve players are new.
“Before we hit league play, we want to make sure we go out and see where we are when we go into an opposing team’s arena,” Dawkins said.
Hendricks said the team is going to prepare for this game like any other.
“It’s going to be a different type of atmosphere,” he said, “but we’ll adjust and go along with it.”