The Massive 12 convention has confirmed to be one of many deepest within the nation all season, and Saturday was the most recent instance why.
One week after choosing up a thrilling win over then-No. 6 Houston, No. 11 Texas Tech (16-5, 6-2 Massive 12) was overwhelmed in an 88-80 upset from unranked UCF (17-4, 6-3 Massive 12).
The Knights excelled on the glass, out-rebounding Texas Tech, 34-22, together with 13-4 on the offensive boards. Not solely is the win the third in a row for UCF over Texas Tech, nevertheless it provides to a robust resume and highlights how aggressive the convention is, particularly on the high.
UCF strengthens resume in loaded Massive 12
That is the second convention win over a ranked opponent this season for UCF, which beforehand took down a Seventeenth-ranked Kansas staff, 81-75, on Jan. 3. A balanced scoring assault led the way in which on Saturday as 4 of UCF’s starters scored in double figures, led by senior guard Themus Fulks (21 factors, 9-of-23 FG, seven assists).
The Knights solely dedicated six turnovers to Texas Tech’s 13, shot 49.2% from the ground, 46.2% (6-of-13) from deep and made 81.8% of their free-throw makes an attempt (18-of-22).
Of UCF’s 4 losses this season, Oklahoma State is the one staff that’s presently unranked. Its solely setback in non-conference play was towards a Vanderbilt staff that’s the Related Press No. 18 staff within the nation. The 2 defeats in convention play had been towards No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Iowa State, respectively.
Based on KenPom, UCF is only ranked 45th, which doesn’t precisely soar off the web page. When you think about the Knights have convention wins over Kansas and Texas Tech, although, it reveals how deep the Massive 12 is in the mean time.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has seven Massive 12 groups projected within the 68-team NCAA Event discipline in his latest bracketology. Whereas the convention will not be as deep from high to backside because the Massive Ten, which presently has 11 groups projected to make the “Massive Dance,” it’s laborious to disclaim how spectacular the groups on the high have been.
Coming into Saturday, UCF was projected as a nine-seed— the worst of any of the seven Massive 12 groups within the discipline — however its resume suggests it’s greater than able to placing a run collectively in March.
It doesn’t get any simpler for UCF because it prepares for a street journey to face No. 10 Houston on Wednesday, to not point out one other street sport on Feb. 24 towards No. 13 BYU.
If the Knights have confirmed something to this point, it’s that they’ll hold with anybody and shouldn’t be ignored in a convention that’s as deep as any within the nation.
