{"id":135865,"date":"2023-06-22T13:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T17:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=135865"},"modified":"2024-04-16T16:57:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T20:57:42","slug":"getting-lost-in-the-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/getting-lost-in-the-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Lost in the Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>As UCF approaches its inaugural season as the youngest member of a Power 5 conference, the athletics department is taking a look back to commemorate this special moment in history. The following feature is a part of UCF\u2019s 12 for XII series \u2014 12 stories that define UCF and the meteoric rise of the Knights in their journey to the Big 12 Conference.<br>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>I will be the first to admit that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.<\/p>\n<p>But the 2019 men&#8217;s basketball team and its story were too compelling, even for a cynic like me.<\/p>\n<p>It was UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins against his mentor in Duke\u2019s Coach K. It was a pair of seemingly superhuman sports figures in our beloved 7-foot-6 <strong>Tacko Fall &#8217;19<\/strong> and the Blue Devils\u2019 future No. 1 NBA Draft pick, Zion Williamson. It was UCF\u2019s quickly rising brand against arguably the biggest brand in college basketball. It was the most watched sporting event in UCF history. And it turned out to be an instant March Madness classic.<\/p>\n<p>But it was more than that.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1546720834&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"no\" title=\"12 for XII: Got Lost in The Fight\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"no\" title=\"12 for XII: Got Lost in The Fight\" data-src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1546720834&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true\" class=\" lazyload\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px;color: #cccccc;overflow: hidden;font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100\"><a style=\"color: #cccccc;text-decoration: none\" title=\"UCF Knights\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/ucfknights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UCF Knights<\/a> \u00b7 <a style=\"color: #cccccc;text-decoration: none\" title=\"12 for XII: Got Lost in The Fight\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/ucfknights\/12-for-xii-got-lost-in-the-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12 for XII: Got Lost in The Fight<\/a><\/div>\n<p>For those of us who were alongside Coach Dawkins every day in practice, with BJ Taylor getting ready for every game in the locker room, laughing with <strong>Chad Brown &#8217;19<\/strong> on all the road trips, that loss was heartbreaking, devastating \u2013 the truest definition of the agony of defeat.<\/p>\n<p>And, yes, every school that loses in a tournament and has its season end says that.<\/p>\n<p>But this group was truly special.<\/p>\n<p>To fully understand and appreciate the impact of that March Madness team, you\u2019ve got to look back four years prior. As someone who was there for nearly all of working as the primary communications contact for the team during that era, let me take you back to where it started for me.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>I remember when I first saw Tacko Fall on the court. I went to the Amway Arena for the Hardwoord Classic All-Star game in April 2015 to scope out and score some social media content of UCF\u2019s recently signed 7-foot-6 recruit who would be joining the Knights in the fall.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135870\" style=\"max-width: 269px;\" class=\"figure float-left\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135870\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-533x800.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-341x512.jpg 341w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-267x400.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-240x360.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135870 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20533%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20533%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 533w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-341x512.jpg 341w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-267x400.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-240x360.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff.jpg 600w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Duke-tipoff-533x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Tacko Fall &#8217;19 wins the tip-off against Zion Williamson in the UCF-Duke matchup on March 24, 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tacko scored 10 points in that game, and I walked away thinking to myself, \u201cThis is going to be cool, but is this really going to work out?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You could see his lack of true coordination. He struggled running up and down the court. Given that he had only picked up a basketball for the first time a couple years prior and grew to giant heights in a short amount of time, his awkwardness wasn\u2019t surprising.<\/p>\n<p>That day I wasn\u2019t witnessing the kid that would turn into UCF\u2019s all-time leader in blocked shots, and a future leader for NCAA career field-goal percentage. This was not the 2017 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. I wasn\u2019t witnessing some phenom who was going to take UCF to new heights and eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s what makes the journey that transpired so much more special.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve heard Johnny Dawkins say on more than one occasion the best recruiting job he ever did was convince shooting guard <strong>Matt Williams \u201916<\/strong> to stay for the 2016-17 season.<\/p>\n<p>Williams was an Orlando native and had been with the Knights since his freshman year in 2012, but he was committed to transferring to Wake Forest at the time coach Dawkins took over UCF\u2019s program.<\/p>\n<p>As the story goes, Dawkins invited Williams to continue training at UCF\u2019s facilities while he waited to move to North Carolina. Every day Williams showed up, he saw Dawkins in the basketball offices hard at work. He quickly had a change of heart and decided to stay for one last ride.<\/p>\n<p>I could tell immediately with the first tournament that season in South Carolina things were going to be different. Tacko had made great strides. You could see the way the coaching staff was working with him that it knew the lovable center was going to be the key in taking the program a step forward.<\/p>\n<p>The Knights blew out Mississippi State and beat Charleston on its home floor. They took Villanova to the wire. That first weekend was big for UCF and hinted at what was to come.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135868\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135868 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-1200x800.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135868 size-large lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-299-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">CF fills in the bracket after securing its first NCAA Tournament win in program history with a 73-58 win over VCU.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>UCF\u2019s run to NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 2017 was significant for the program, which hadn\u2019t been to the postseason since the 2012 NIT. That season holds some of the best memories of my career.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A.J. Davis \u201917<\/strong>\u2019s free throws that <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.com\/news\/2017\/3\/15\/211758130.aspx\">clinched the win against Colorado<\/a>. Knocking out <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.com\/news\/2017\/3\/20\/211758154.aspx\">top-seeded Illinois State<\/a> on the road, and less than 48 hours later suiting up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.com\/news\/2017\/3\/22\/211758162.aspx\">first sold-out matchup at Addition Financial Arena<\/a> against Illinois.<\/p>\n<p>Electric atmosphere. Court rush. Coach Dawkins bites the apple. <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.exposure.co\/knyghts\">Tacko larger than life<\/a> in Times Square. Marching Knights atop an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BSLiFzSFzyG\/\">open-air double decker bus<\/a> serenading the city. The MSG (Madison Square Garden) freight elevator ride with coach Dawkins, BJ and everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Most of all, Matt Williams\u2019 impassioned speech in the locker room after UCF lost to TCU; how he was so fulfilled by his decision to stay. His love for coach Dawkins and his teammates. How excited he was for the future.<\/p>\n<p>I truly believe that whole experience was the reason two years later the Knights were able to do what they did.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>After a 2017 campaign plagued by injuries to our key players, saw a walk-on starting the majority of the season and still somehow managing to pull out 19 wins, UCF\u2019s 2018-19 season was finally going to be <em>the<\/em> year.<\/p>\n<p>Only it did not start out auspiciously.<\/p>\n<p>In the second game of the year, UCF lost to Florida Atlantic. At home.<\/p>\n<p>All due respect to the Owls, that was not the same team that just made the 2023 Final Four.<\/p>\n<p>Our locker room was dejected. The goal from the jump was NCAA Tournament or bust.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s really something to watch the ups and downs of young adults. And I always found it interesting to watch when coach Dawkins chose between chewing them out or building them back up. It\u2019s an art form for a coach to have a pulse on what\u2019s needed in the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Credit to the team, they never gave up on their goal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135869\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135869 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-1200x800.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135869 size-large lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/03-22-19-MBB-Game-LAD-Large-189-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">&#8220;Get Lost In the Fight&#8221; motto of the 2018-19 season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That season, coach Dawkins continually preached the message, \u201cGet lost in the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Knights did that in their win at top-10 Houston. And again in their top-20 win over Cincinnati. And UCF used its disappointing AAC conference tournament first-round loss to Memphis as fuel to get lost in that fight once again heading into the Big Dance for the first time since 2005.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve never seen a team more dialed in. We had CBS following us around for all-access content and it was as if they weren\u2019t even there. BJ Taylor sat down to talk to the A-crew of Grant Hill, Jim Nantz and Bill Raftery and it was as if he was conducting an interview ahead of a regular season Tuesday night matchup at home.<\/p>\n<p>UCF\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.com\/news\/2019\/3\/23\/211796815.aspx\">win over VCU<\/a> in the first round was the program\u2019s first NCAA Tourney victory in history. And that was big.<\/p>\n<p>What happened next was bigger.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135866\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-large wp-image-135866 img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-1200x800.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-large wp-image-135866 img-fluid lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Coach-K-and-Johnny-Dawkins-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski (left) embraces his former player and fellow National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer, UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We <a href=\"https:\/\/ucfknights.com\/news\/2019\/3\/23\/211796926.aspx\">felt every inch of this moment<\/a>. In the pre-game press conferences. In Tacko Fall\u2019s \u201cI won\u2019t allow (Zion) to put me on one of his highlight tapes\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/ncaab\/2019\/03\/23\/ucf-tacko-fall-duke-zion-williamson-dunk-ncaa-tournament\/3255674002\/\">viral quote<\/a>. In the courtside handshake between coach Dawkins and coach K before tipoff. In <strong>Aubrey Dawkins \u201918<\/strong> wanting to help his dad do something at UCF no one else had.<\/p>\n<p>We all know the game. At the buzzer: Duke 77. UCF 76.<\/p>\n<p>The things that don\u2019t get talked about enough are the tactics and the strategy the staff put in to defend the Blue Devils. It was unbelievable.<\/p>\n<p>UCF\u2019s fans were there and loud, and I remember noticing that from my courtside seat.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135872\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure float-left\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-large wp-image-135872 img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-1200x800.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-large wp-image-135872 img-fluid lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Aubrey-and-Johnny-Dawkins-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Aubrey Dawkins &#8217;18 and Johnny Dawkins<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To this day, I\u2019ll see on my social media timelines when some random account poses the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s the most heartbreaking sports moment?\u201d and people will still say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IgTjN0tTfNo\">Aubrey rimming out the tip-in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly everyone in the world saw the postgame locker room scene because it had millions of views on Twitter and YouTube. The tears and the sobs. The heartbreak. How real and true and honest coach Dawkins was in that moment.<\/p>\n<p>I felt for them. I felt for the kids. They were so geared in and ready to shock the world.<\/p>\n<p>I use that phrase only because Duke was the top-ranked team in the country and we had never advanced to that moment before.<\/p>\n<p>But this wasn\u2019t a Cinderella story.<\/p>\n<p>I honestly think if UCF plays that game 10 times, the Knights are winning four of the 10. We would have had a legit shot to make it to the Final Four if that tip-in goes in \u2014 that\u2019s the kind of team UCF had become over those last four years.<\/p>\n<p>It was quite a journey to watch it all happen.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that it came on the heels of the football team\u2019s 25-0 run was the perfect ante up.<\/p>\n<p>We doubled down and it made the nation wonder, what can\u2019t UCF do?<\/p>\n<p>Between <strong>Shaquem Griffin \u201916<\/strong>, <strong>McKenzie Milton \u201919<\/strong>, Tacko, BJ \u2014 you had some of the most loveable characters in UCF history on campus at the same time. And on top of that, there was crossover appeal.<\/p>\n<p>McKenzie Milton was going to basketball games to cheer on his friend, BJ Taylor. Guys were shouting each other out in press conferences. There was a lot of UCF synergy at that time. And it wasn\u2019t just because of the success. It was the people.<\/p>\n<p>I will be the first to admit, as I said at the beginning, that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.<\/p>\n<p>With those guys, I did.<\/p>\n<p>They were so invested. They were so in love with UCF and with Central Florida and Orlando and that group just loved what it was doing. They loved being around the fans.<\/p>\n<p>Chad Brown is just a big, loveable teddy bear. I respect Aubrey\u2019s integrity and the bond he and his dad share.<\/p>\n<p>I can honestly say Tacko Fall is the kindest, most genuine student-athlete I\u2019ve ever encountered. I saw him charm every reporter, every random stranger who stopped him in the airport for a photo, every person he interacted with. It was because of how likeable he was.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_135867\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure mx-auto d-block\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135867 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis.jpg\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-135867 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2023\/06\/Dan-Forcella-and-BJ-Davis.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Dan Forcella (left) and BJ Taylor \u201918 (right) in the Addition Financial Arena<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To this day, BJ Taylor asks me about my family every time we talk. He wants to see photos of my kids. I\u2019ve been in this industry a long time. I haven\u2019t come across another young person like BJ.<\/p>\n<p>Those guys had such an impact on my life. I think prior to that I didn\u2019t really allow it to happen. And that\u2019s the joy of what we do \u2014 we get to work with these young people who are so full of life and I don\u2019t know if I was taking advantage of it enough.<\/p>\n<p>I think these guys gave me the gift of seeing how powerful it can be to let myself get lost in the fight. I got lost in the fight with them.<\/p>\n<p>I think that run and that team gave UCF fans the hope for the future. I really do. The Knights can have success in anything they want.<\/p>\n<p>And I can\u2019t wait to watch it happen.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The legacy of <strong>Tacko Fall \u201919<\/strong> and the UCF men\u2019s basketball team\u2019s near-upset of No. 1 Duke in 2019 March Madness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":135891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[15992,5,26],"tags":[54185,54265,3086,202,4857],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-135865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-colleges","category-sports","tag-big-12","tag-big-12-series","tag-mens-basketball","tag-alumni","tag-ucf-athletics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is 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