UCF Knights vs Oklahoma State: NCAA Tournament Resume on the Line

0:00On March 2nd, the UCF Knights' men's basketball team wraps up its home schedule Tuesday, March 3rd, with the 7pm Eastern Time matchup against Oklahoma State on ESPN Plus. The Knights hold a 4-2 edge in the all-time series, though the Cowboys won their earlier meeting this season, 87-76. This marks the second straight year UCF ends its home slate hosting Oklahoma State after last season's 83-70 victory. The Knights boasts a strong NCAA tournament resume, sitting 29th in wins above bubble rankings with a score of 2.61 as a February, 28th. They're one of 39 Division I teams, with four or more quad-1 victories, including wins over Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, and others. No Big 12 team has missed the dance after finishing above 500 in conference play since 2009. Standout transfers have fueled the surge, like themus folks from Milwaukee, who's second in the Big 12 with 7 assists per game and holds UCFs.

1:02Single season assists record. To Michael Stillwell, also from Milwaukee, leads with 7 double doubles, ranking 3rd in the conference for offensive rebounds at 3.1. Five per game, and he's closing in on program marks set by Taco Fall. Team depth shines through a bench averaging 23.6 points per game, sixth in the Big 12, with seven different scores leading the team at times. The Knights are unbeatable when leading with two minutes left, going 19-0, and they thrive with high assists, strong shooting, and solid. Defense, holding a 13-2 mark when opponents score under 80. UCF recently cracked the AP Top 25 at number 25. Their first pole appearance since 2019, amid a 12-1 start. Under coach Johnny Dawkins, with a solid NET ranking, and sharp 3 points shooting at 38.5%, they're peeking at the right time heading into this finale.