No one knows what will happen when UCF’s basketball team steps on the court for Tuesday’s opening round of the College Basketball Crown Tournament in Las Vegas, but one thing is sure: It will be something to watch.
The tournament itself is a first of its kind, hosted by FOX Sports and Anschutz Entertainment Group. It features 16 teams mainly from the Big East, Big 12 and Big Ten who didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
UCF (17-16, 7-13 Big 12) is among five Big 12 teams that chose to participate in the postseason tournament, along with Utah, Arizona State, Cincinnati and Colorado. The Knights are set to face Oregon State (20-12, 10-8 WCC) at The MGM Grand Garden Arena (5:30 p.m., FS1).
The event features an all-expenses-paid trip for teams and provides a lucrative name, image and likeness (NIL) package totaling $500,000 for the top four teams. The winner receives $300,000, the runner-up gets $100,000, and the third and fourth-place teams earn $50,000 each.
The tournament’s idea was to provide viewers with additional basketball between the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight games and the Final Four on Saturday.
Still, the timing is challenging for the teams involved.
It’s been 20 days since UCF last played, following a heartbreaking 98-94 overtime loss to Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Since then, the transfer window opened on March 24, leading to a surge of activity, with over 1,000 players reportedly entering their names into the portal.
Eight Knights players jumped into the portal, led by guards Mikey Williams, Cameron Simpson, Tyler Hendricks, Nils Machowski and Jaylin Sellers. They were joined by forwards Keyshawn Hall, JJ Taylor and Rokas Jocius.
Williams, Simpson, Jocius and Sellers didn’t play in the Big 12 Tournament due to injuries.
According to a source, coach Johnny Dawkins would allow select players, including Hendricks and Machowski, to compete in the tournament despite entering the portal. However, the team will most likely be without Hall, who led the Big 12 in scoring this season with 18.8 points per game.
The junior announced last week that he was entering the 2025 NBA Draft but choosing not to hire an agent in order to maintain his college eligibility.
Several days later, Hall entered the transfer portal and a source told the Sentinel that the 6-foot-7, 235-pounder had received NIL offers from several schools in the range of $2.5 million. Those offers would likely be front-loaded to avoid infringing on the $20.8 million cap coming with revenue-sharing as part of the NCAA v. House settlement.
Hall then posted a video on social media showing himself back home in Cleveland, attending a Cavaliers game on Sunday while UCF was traveling to Las Vegas.
Without their leading scorer, the Knights will likely have to rely on Darius Johnson, Jordan Ivy-Curry, Dallan Coleman and Moustapha Thiam to carry the load. Benny Williams, Dior Johnson, Hendricks and Machowski also will be counted on.
Oregon State will be without its top three scorers and starters in forward Michael Rataj (16.9 ppg. 7.2 rpg.), center Parsa Fallah (12.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) and guard Nate Kingz (11.9 ppg.). The Beavers moved to the West Coast Conference in all sports except football after the collapse of the Pac-12.
This is the third straight postseason appearance by the Knights and the fifth under Dawkins.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
Up next
UCF vs. Oregon State
When: 5:30, Tuesday, The MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: FS1
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