UCF and Utah are approximately 2,300 miles apart, about as far apart as any two schools in the Big 12 Conference. They’ve only played once in basketball this season, on the UCF campus in Orlando, Fla.
The rematch will be played in Kansas City, Mo., which serves as a nice halfway point between the two campuses.
No. 14 seed UCF (16-15) and No. 11 seed Utah (16-15) will meet in the final game of the first round of the Big 12 tournament on Tuesday. The winner will advance to face No. 6 seed Kansas.
The Utes come into the tournament having lost four of their last five games, beginning with that game at UCF, a 76-72 defeat. That loss cost head coach Craig Smith his job.
Smith was replaced by interim coach Josh Eilert, who will finish the season before the job goes to Alex Jensen, a member of the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame next season.
“I thought our guys played good,” Eilert said after a season-closing 85-74 loss to rival BYU. “(BYU) really did a good job of taking advantage of us, putting their heads down and driving.”
The Utes rely on Gabe Madsen (15.3 points per game) and Ezra Ausar (12.4) for scoring. Madsen had 23 points and Ausar scored 20 in the loss to UCF.
“We only played (UCF) 10 days ago. It’s pretty fresh in our minds,” Eilert said. “They got us on the last possession. I think our guys will be amped and ready to go.”
UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said the Utes are still running the same general system as they did under Smith.
“Ezra is playing a little more aggressive,” Dawkins said. “He’s playing more minutes for them now. … He’s pretty much asserted himself more.”
The Knights have won three of their last five games to get above .500, a stretch that was started with the victory over Utah Feb. 23. In their most recent game, a 72-65 loss at West Virginia, the Knights nearly came back from a 27-point first-half deficit. They got as close as three points before the Mountaineers pulled away at the end.
“The last few days we’ve discussed it as an opportunity,” Dawkins said. “It’s a brand-new season. Everybody’s starting back at 0-0 again, so we can make our dreams come true.”
UCF big man Moustapha Thiam had 18 points and nine rebounds in the previous win over Utah, pacing five Knights in double-figure scoring. Keyshawn Hall averages 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds to lead the team.
–Field Level Media
