Originally Posted by
CDu
UCF is coached by our old friend and Duke legend Johnny Dawkins. They are a solid defensive team (#35 nationally) and a solid offensive team (#58), although their profile is somewhat interesting. They are really big inside, which is what differentiates them.
Defensively, UCF is extremely good at defending both 3s and 2s, and also fantastic at defending free throws (#4 nationally) . They block a lot of shots (#36) and alter a lot of others (#12 in eFG%). What they don't do well defensively is force turnovers (#184) or rebound (#237). Offensively, they are largely a two-man show with balance thereafter. They don't shoot great away from the rim, but excel at drawing fouls (#2). They try to make the game as slow as feasible (#312 in tempo) as their primary big man is glacially slow.
Centers: Tacko Fall (7'6", 310lb senior from Senegal) is the man in the middle. Fall is incredibly tall and long, as evidenced by his 7'6" height. He's a terrific rebounder and an elite shotblocker, and UCF's defense is substantially better with him on the floor. Fall is very limited offensively, basically only scoring at the rim (83% of his shots are at the rim, hitting 80% of them). The problem for Fall is that he is EXTREMELY slow. To be fair, he's very nimble for a man his size. But it's just really hard to get a body that big moving and changing directions. So he tries to camp out in the lane as much as he can. If you are in his area, he will affect the shot. But he isn't going to track anyone very well other than straight-line drives. He also fatigues somewhat, and as such plays just 25 mpg. Fall's backup is Chad Brown (6'9", 245lb senior). Brown is a rugged, athletic role player. He rebounds really well, blocks shots, and can score around the rim, but his skill set is mainly as a screen and roll player and dirty-work guy. Like Fall, he has absolutely no range.
Forwards: Collin Smith (6'11", 240lb sophomore transfer from George Washington) is the starter at forward. Smith is a baseline lurker on offense who isn't afraid to shoot a 3 if left open. He's not as physical as Brown, not as tall as Fall. And he just isn't as impactful as either guy on the boards or blocking shots. But he's a much more capable offensive player, and as such provides a nice pairing with either of those two bigs. The Knights don't really play another big.
Wings: Aubrey Dawkins (6'6", 205lb fifth-year junior transfer from Michigan) is one of the stars on the wing for the Knights, the son of Johnny, and a Durham native. Aubrey is nothing like his dad as a player, but he's still a solid college player. Aubrey can shoot (42% from 3, 81% form the line for his career). But he's pure wing, and more of a wing forward than a wing guard. Occasionally, Dawkins plays a de facto PF when two of their three bigs are out. He's largely a catch and shoot guy, and doesn't do a lot of ballhandling for the Knights. He's not nearly the athlete or playmaker that his dad was. The first backup on the wing is Dayon Griffin (6'4", 210lb senior transfer from La Tech). Griffin is a springy, strong kid who doesn't mind shooting. But he's not a great shooter (34%). He's streaky and can get hot from 3, but mainly After Griffin is Frank Bertz (6'5", 180lb junior JuCo transfer). Bertz is a long, athletic, role player for the Knights. He's a solid shooter and pretty much only shoots as a catch-and-shoot guy. Defensively, he's disruptive and gets some steals. But otherwise, he's very much a role player. The last option is Ceasar DeJesus (6'2", 190lb sophomore). DeJesus is more of a slasher offensively, but he's fairly turnover prone. He's a defensive fill-in more than anything, and just minutes-eater as needed.
Guards: The Knights run a two-guard offense most of the game, with BJ Taylor (6'2", 195lb fifth-year senior) and Terrell Allen (6'3", 185lb junior transfer from Drexel). At least one of them is on the floor at all times, and frequently they share the floor. Taylor is probably better described as a combo guard, a score-first PG type. But he does a lot of the ballhandling for the Knights. He's not explosive or athletic, but he's really strong and smart. He knows how to score, and is a big-time shotmaker for the Knights. He doesn't shoot at a high percentage, but he hits the big shots for them. A tough, tough kid who knows how to get and make his shot, and has some playmaking skills for others too. And he's very solid with the ball. Allen is more of a caretaker on offense, serving primarily as a distributor/facilitator for the Knights. He's athletic and a willing defender, and not a liability as a shooter if left alone. But he's a bit like Tyler Thornton in that regard in that he won't put it up unless he's wide open.