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Last season, the UCF Knights finished towards the bottom of the American Athletic Conference with a dreadful 12-18 (5-13) record. Heading into 2015-16, however, things look much brighter for a team that is slowly, yet visibly on the rise.
The Knights will return their two leading scorers from last season, B.J. Taylor and Adonys Henriquez, who averaged a combined 23.6 points per game. UCF struggled to find an identity on the glass, averaging just 33.2 rebounds per game, but the return of several experienced players like Staphon Blair will make a major impact on this team’s ability to compete against the tough defenses in the AAC.
In non-conference play, UCF will face the Davidson Wildcats on the road to open the season in what is likely their most difficult non-conference game. Other than that, games against the rebuilding UMass Minutemen and George Washington Colonials are the most difficult matchups. The Knights should be able to win the majority of their non-conference games and head into conference play with confidence high.
In conference play, the Knights will look to move up a few spots from last season and will be in a good position to do so. Teams like the Connecticut Huskies and Cincinnati Bearcats will likely be too much for UCF, but four of their home and homes are against the USF Bulls, East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars and Tulane Green Wave. Every one of these teams is definitely beatable and gives UCF a nice cushion for when they face the “elite” teams in conference play.
Expect the Knights to improve on last season, and they will likely end up higher in the final conference standings. However, they need better depth and a star or two if they want to upset the big-name conference teams. Look for improvement this season and expectations to raise much higher heading into 2016-17.
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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