The Legacy of Coach Nolan (ch2k8)

[nolan887]

Re: The Legacy of Coach Nolan (ch2k8)

KNIGHTS REFUSE TO GIVE UP, COME BACK FROM 15 DOWN TO WIN

UCF Knights 18-3 (7-1) at Houston Cougars 15-5 (4-4)
Hofheinz Pavilion
Houston, TX
February 5, 2014

Houston, TX - You have to give it to Coach Nolan and his UCF Knights, they simply keep finding new ways to win games. In their latest escapade, the Knights went down by 15 points with only three and a half minutes left in the game. With the game seemingly wrapped up, the Knights turned it on and went on a 16-0 run to close out the game. Every player stepped it up on both offense and defense down the stretch and the Cougars, who had already mentally checked out, were left weeping on the court. Kody Kleinzweig and Dominik Hill were the main reason the Knights won, scoring 14 of the last 16 points of the game between the two of them. Kleinzweig recoded 19 points while Hill shot 2-7 from deep and scored 10 points on the game.

"I don't know what happened," Nolan proclaimed after the win. "One second the Cougars were celebrating their win and the next minute they were missing a desperation three at the buzzer. I called the time out with about 3:30 left and simply told my guys to look at the Cougars. There was 3:30 left in the game, and the other bench was already celebrating. I told them 'We are going to play for 40 minutes, not 37, 40... win, lose, or draw, we give it our all every second we are on the court.' Apparently that was enough for my squad to step it up and just destroy the Cougars down the stretch. We got 7 of our 20 takeaways in that last stretch, and converted on every single one. Kody and Dom will be basking in this glory for a while. Dom knows what it is like already after his late game heroics a few games ago against UAB. I've been saying it all year, but it is so great when your team responds to your coaching. They really stepped it up and I am so proud of this team."

The Knights went into halftime with a four point lead, but Houston came out fired up and quickly the game was out of control. For almost all of the second half, the Knights were down by at least ten points. Predrag Henning for Houston had a game high 29 points, 23 of which came in the second half. Henning shot 2-2 from 3 point range, but as time was expiring and he was forced to take the last shot, he came up just short. The Houston crowd was silenced as his desperation three bounced off the front rim and the Knights swarmed the court to tackle Hill and Kleinzweig to the ground in joy. After their three turnover performance last week against ECU, the Knights continued to protect the ball this game only turning the ball over five times against a good Houston defense. With yet another conference win, UCF remains in sole possession of first place in C-USA. The Knights return home to Orlando to try to avenge their loss earlier in the season against Tulsa.

Central Florida (18-3) at Houston (15-5)
February 5, 2014 1 2 F Central Florida 42 37 79 Houston 38 40 78 Top Performers Central Florida - Stats Kody Kleinzweig - 19 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk Dominik Hill - 10 Pts (2-7 3pt), 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl Houston - Stats Predrag Henning - 29 Pts (2-2 3pt), 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk Tom Roberts - 10 Pts (1-2 3pt), 2 Reb, 2 Ast	Team Stat Comparison UCF UH FG Made-Attempted 31-69 26-51 3P Made-Attempted 4-12 7-10 FT Made-Attempted 13-19 19-22 Rebounds 25 31 Assists 22 11 Steals 13 5 Blocks 3 6 Turnovers 5 20

[nolan887]

UCF vs. Tulsa

KNIGHTS DEFEND THEIR PRIDE, WIN 7TH STRAIGHT

UCF Knights 19-3 (8-1) vs Tulsa Golden Hurricane 10-7 (4-4)
UCF Arena
Orlando, FL
February 8, 2014

Orlando, FL - Eight games ago the Tulsa Golden Hurricane came out of the gate roaring and absolutely embarrassed the UCF Knights 105-72. The headlines from the Tulsa World newspapers have been hung up in the Knights locker room at UCF Arena as motivation to not let a team dismantle them like that again. So far, so good. This game it was the Knights who came out firing on all cylinders, leading the way to halftime with a fifteen point lead, never trailing during the entire forty minute bout. Trevor Calvert, who hung up 24 points in their last game was held to just 1-8 from the field and only three points. Kleinzweig and Shannon both had solid numbers last game and they continued again this time, recording 19 and 15 points respectively. The Knights lead in almost all categories, and looked like a team that would not have left with a loss under any circumstances. If Coach Nolan can get his team this fired up for every game, the C-USA will be fearful of his Knights for years to come.

"Exactly what we thought it was going to be," Nolan described after the game. "I told my guys that if we go out and lay an egg like we did last time in Oklahoma there was no way we would be able to redeem ourselves. Our main focus was to shut down Calvert, who put up 25 on us last time, and we did just that. We held their whole team to just two players with double figures in the scoring column and really made them pay for embarrassing us last time we met. When you lose it is always hard, but they kept pouring it on for their shear amusement in Tulsa and that just did not sit well with us. This is our house, and we refuse to lose here."

Nolan's UCF Knights remain undefeated and certain did protect their turf in this game. A sixteen point win is enough to erase doubt in anyone's mind that Tulsa is that much better than the Knights. The Knights move to 11-0 at UCF Arena this season with the win over Tulsa. Attendance has been slowly climbing since Nolan joined on with the team, starting at 30% and already up to nearly 45% during home games. If the Knights keep up their winning ways, he will be selling the stadium out in no time. The Knights have four more home games and three away games left on their schedule before the conference tournament. Their last game of the regular season is Senior Night in Orlando where Kody Kleinzweig, Dominik Hill, and Hollis Neal will be honored for their contributions to the UCF Knights' basketball team. The Knights will travel next to Hattiesburg, MS to take on the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and try to obtain their twentieth win of the season.

Tulsa (10-7) at Central Florida (19-3)
February 8, 2014 1 2 F Tulsa 24 29 53 Central Florida 39 30 69 Top Performers Tulsa - Stats Lamont Cowans - 10 Pts (2-6 3pt), 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl Sammy Thues - 10 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Stl Central Florida - Stats Kody Kleinzweig - 19 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk Pearson Shannon - 15 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast	Team Stat Comparison UT UCF FG Made-Attempted 22-60 27-65 3P Made-Attempted 3-14 1-3 FT Made-Attempted 6-10 14-17 Rebounds 33 36 Assists 14 17 Steals 9 8 Blocks 3 7 Turnovers 14 9

[nolan887]

Mid-Conference Updates

MID-CONFERENCE UPDATE

Orlando, FL - Midway through conference play, we take a step back to evaluate the teams around the NCAA. Updated Media Top 25, Mid-Major Top 25 and Conference USA standings have been released. The next update will be released at the end of the regular season, headed into conference tournament play.

Conference USA Standings:
1. UCF Knights: 19-3 (8-1)
2. Tulane Green Wave: 17-6 (6-3)
2. #13 Memphis Tigers: 16-5 (6-3)
4. Houston Cougars: 16-5 (5-4)
-- Marshall Thundering Herd: 16-8 (5-4)
-- Rice Owls: 11-11 (5-4)
7. Tulsa Golden Hurricane: 10-7 (4-4)
8. Southern Miss Golden Eagles: 14-8 (3-5)
-- UTEP Miners: 12-7 (3-5)
-- ECU Pirates: 13-10 (3-5)
11. UAB Blazers: 10-12 (3-6)
12. Southern Methodist Mustangs: 4-13 (1-8)

Media Top-25 Poll:

NCAA Basketball Rankings - AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Arizona Wildcats	22-1	10-1
2	Michigan State Spartans	22-1	10-1
3	Maryland Terrapins	23-1	8-1
4	Wisonsin Badgers	20-2	9-1
5	USC Trojans	18-4	6-4
6	Miami Hurricanes	18-3	6-2
7	Florida Gators	19-3	6-2
8	Pittsburgh Panthers	19-4	9-1
9	Iowa State Cyclones	20-3	6-3
10	California Golden Bears	17-5	8-3
11	NC State Wolfpack	16-7	5-4
12	Vanderbilt Commodores	16-4	6-2
13	Memphis Tigers	17-6	6-3
14	Gonzaga Bulldogs	21-4	9-0
15	Ohio State Buckeyes	15-6	6-4
16	West Virginia Mountaineers	17-5	8-2
17	Minnesota Golden Gophers	18-4	9-2
18	Auburn Tigers	18-4	6-3
19	Texas Tech Red Raiders	14-6	7-1
20	Saint Louis Billikens	17-4	5-3
21	Illinois Fighting Illini	18-6	8-3
22	Syracuse Orange	17-5	7-4
23	Tennessee Volunteers	17-4	5-4
24	Texas Longhorns	15-8	3-5
25	Mississippi State Bulldogs	15-7	4-4

Mid-Major Top-25 Poll:

NCAA Basketball Rankings - Mid-Major Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Gonzaga Bulldogs	21-4	9-0
2	Nevada Wolf Pack	20-4	10-0
3	New Mexico State Aggies	17-5	6-4
4	Siena Saints	20-6	12-2
5	Troy Trojans	17-5	10-3
6	Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns	15-6	10-2
7	Vermont Catamounts	19-5	11-1
8	George Mason Patriots	15-8	9-4
9	Wisconisn Green Bay Phoenix	15-7	7-5
10	Butler Bulldogs	17-7	11-3
11	Eastern Kentucky Colonels	19-4	13-3
12	Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens	18-6	10-3
13	William & Mary Tribe	14-9	8-5
14	Drexel Dragons	15-8	11-2
15	Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers	13-8	10-4
16	New Orleans Privateers	13-8	7-5
17	Cal Poly Tech Mustangs	15-6	8-2
18	Canisius Golden Griffins	16-10	10-4
19	Southern Utah	18-5	13-0
20	Davidson Wildcats	16-6	8-5
21	UNC Wilmington Seahawks	18-6	9-4
22	Wright State Raiders	14-8	10-3
23	Hofstra Pride	14-11	6-7
24	Hawaii Warriors	13-9	8-2
25	Boise State Broncos	12-8	4-6

Other Teams of Note:
Princeton Tigers: 13-6 (5-1), T-1st Ivy League
UNLV Runnin' Rebels: 15-5 (6-3), 2nd Mountain West
Wofford Terriers: 8-11 (6-7), 6th Southern
UALR Trojans: 6-16 (4-8), T-11th Sun Belt
San Francisco Dons: 13-10 (4-5), T-4th West Coast
UNF Ospreys: 9-14 (7-4), T-1st Atlantic Sun {5-way tie for 1st}
UC Davis Aggies: 13-9 (6-4), T-3rd Big West


If anyone else who is follow my legacy would like information on their team/teams to be added, just let me know.

[BV28]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Other Teams of Note:

UNLV Runnin' Rebels: 15-5 (6-3), 2nd Mountain West

Who's in first in the MWC?

BYU? UNM? SDSU?

[nolan887]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Who's in first in the MWC?

BYU? UNM? SDSU?

When I posted that it was Wyoming, since then they have dropped to 3rd, Colorado State who was tied with UNLV in second is now in first, and the Rebels are holding steady at 2.

MWC:
1. Colorado State 17-8 (8-4)
2. UNVL 16-6 (7-4)
3. Wyoming 9-16 (7-4)

UNLV has been on and off the top 25 poll all season, never getting higher than #21 but are 1-4 in their last 5 games.

[Deuce2223]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Good to see that UC Davis at least has a winning record

Love seeing the Boise state Bronco's in the Top Mid-Major poll.


Good luck in your next game. 20 wins is always a great feat.

[superjames1992]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Are you still using 16 minute halves or do you bump them up to 17 minutes?

I ended up bumping mine up to 17 minutes and it seems to be working well so far.

[nolan887]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Are you still using 16 minute halves or do you bump them up to 17 minutes?

I ended up bumping mine up to 17 minutes and it seems to be working well so far.

I tried 17 for one game but I got like 70 shot attempts, so I'm holding steady at 16 minutes per half. I usually shoot like 10-15 seconds into the shot clock so I think 16 minutes is suiting me better. Also, I feel like all of my games have been a lot closer since I brought them down from 20.

[superjames1992]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

I tried 17 for one game but I got like 70 shot attempts, so I'm holding steady at 16 minutes per half. I usually shoot like 10-15 seconds into the shot clock so I think 16 minutes is suiting me better. Also, I feel like all of my games have been a lot closer since I brought them down from 20.

Upon further review, I may trim it back down to 16, as well. I just looked and most of my games feature shot attempts in the 60s and near 70, which is a little high.

Truth is, I just need to set it on something and quit worrying about it.

[nolan887]

Re: Mid-Conference Updates

Upon further review, I may trim it back down to 16, as well. I just looked and most of my games feature shot attempts in the 60s and near 70, which is a little high.

Truth is, I just need to set it on something and quit worrying about it.

Haha yea. I'm pretty happy with 16 so I'll keep it there.

[nolan887]

Re: The Legacy of Coach Nolan (ch2k8)

KNIGHTS SPUTTER DOWN THE STRETCH, HOLD ON FOR 20th WIN

UCF Knights 20-3 (9-1) at Southern Miss. Golden Eagles 12-8 (3-6)
Reed Green Coliseum
Hattiesburg, MS
February 12, 2014

Hattiesburg, MS - After their win of vengeance against Tulsa last game, the UCF Knights came out tonight fired up. They were so fired up, in fact, that they were almost out of gas by half time. This game was the definition of the tale of two halves. The Knights were able to go into halftime not only with a ten point lead, but holding also holding the Golden Eagles to just 27 points in the half. Since their recent success, winning 7 games in a row coming into Hattiesburg, the Knights figured they could just put it on cruise control and claim another win but they could not have been more wrong. The Knights lead the entire second half by as much as sixteen points, but with two minutes left Southern Miss cut their lead to just two points. The Golden Eagles missed several shots and had to resort to fouling the Knights and putting them on the line. In most games this would mean the Knights sink their free throws and the game is again out of reach, but tonight the Knights went completely dead from the line. Out of their last 10 free throw attempts, the Knights only made 1. On the day, UCF had an abysmal effort from the charity stripe shooting 14-29 (48%) which is their lowest of the season. Although this was embarrassing for the coach as well as the players, UCF did step it up on defense and miraculously did not allow Southern Miss to score for the last minute of the game.

"You all know what we will be working on in practice this week," a relieved Coach Nolan commented after the game. "We have been solid all season from the line and it looks like we just forgot how to shoot today. The adrenaline rush from our winning streak and beating Tulsa last game finally came to a crashing halt after half time. We were able to eat them up down low with Kody and Pearson scoring in the double figures and Pearson had a double-double I'm pretty sure. Luckily we were able to step up our D at the end of the game, but in all reality we probably should not have left here with a W today."

Not every win is pretty, especially this one, but a win is a win. The Knights took their 20th tally in the win column with this game and remain in sole posession of first place in Conference USA. Hopefully UCF will be able to regroup while they head home for a three game stretch in Orlando against Marshall, Rice, and Houston. The Knights are still undefeated in UCF Arena this season, and hope to keep their streak alive to help with their attendance issues from last season.

Central Florida (20-3) at Southern Mississippi (12-8)
February 12, 2014 1 2 F Central Florida 37 28 65 Southern Mississippi 27 35 62 Top Performers Central Florida - Stats Kody Kleinzweig - 25 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 Blk Pearson Shannon - 19 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Blk Southern Mississippi - Stats Belton Bates - 17 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast Neal Peterson - 12 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl	Team Stat Comparison UCF USM FG Made-Attempted 26-47 26-65 3P Made-Attempted 1-2 4-13 FT Made-Attempted 14-29 6-8 Rebounds 37 30 Assists 17 15 Steals 5 11 Blocks 4 2 Turnovers 11 7

[nolan887]

UCF vs Marshall

KNIGHTS STOP HERD IN ORLANDO, STAY UNDEFEATED AT HOME

UCF Knights 21-3 (10-1) vs Marshall Thundering Herd 11-12 (5-5)
UCF Arena
Orlando, FL
February 15, 2014

Orlando, FL - UCF's foul shooting troubles continued this game, but they were able to outlast the Thundering Herd of Marshall and stay undefeated at home on the season. Pearson Shannon recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds and Kody Kleinzweig offered his services putting up 21 points and grabbing 6 boards. The duo of Shannon and Kleinzweig has been prevalent all season for the Knights, and the two of them are fan favorites in the revitalized UCF Arena. Attendance is up to 45% for home games this season and only looks to improve with their play. An issue that UCF has struggle with all season is their guard play on the defensive side of the ball, and this was exposed again today when Chadd Goodson of Marshall was able to score 16 points. Fortunately for UCF, nobody else on the Marshall squad had a very good game. Their recent foul throw trouble continued on in this game as they went 10-21 from the line, roughly 47%.

"Again with the free throws..." a concerned Nolan sighed. "We worked on it all week in practice but I guess practice doesn't always live up to game time pressure. I don't know where this issue came from, we were lights out from the line for most of the season. I'm hoping we are just in a funk and we get over it soon. Everything else seemed to be fine. We held them to 37% from the floor and forced 20 turnovers so we were obviously doing something right!"

The Knights seemingly swapped one trouble for another in the past few games. They have been able to keep down on the turnovers which was plaguing them all season, but now they seem to be impotent from the line. Shooting free throws isn't something you just forget how to do, so the Knights will likely get back on track in that regard. If not, they will have big troubles coming down the stretch and headed into the conference tournament. Next up for the Knights home stand are the Rice Owls who have been struggling since being knocked down from 1st place by the Knights.

In other news, Bracketology has started up for the end of season tournament and the experts have the UCF Knights projected in the tournament. And get this, they are not only projected to be in the tournament, but they are projected as a #4 seed! Coach Nolan certainly has turned this C-USA basement team around since last year.

Marshall (11-12) at Central Florida (21-3)
February 15, 2014 1 2 F Marshall 21 31 52 Central Florida 32 35 67 Top Performers Marshall - Stats Chadd Goodson - 16 Pts, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk Clinton Washburn - 10 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Stl Central Florida - Stats Pearson Shannon - 22 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Stl Kody Kleinzweig - 21 Pts, 6 Reb	Team Stat Comparison MU UCF FG Made-Attempted 19-51 28-54 3P Made-Attempted 3-13 1-7 FT Made-Attempted 11-15 10-21 Rebounds 32 38 Assists 15 12 Steals 8 13 Blocks 5 0 Turnovers 20 9

[nolan887]

UCF vs. Rice

IS A NEW STAR EMERGING IN ORLANDO?

UCF Knights 22-3 (11-1) vs Rice Owls16-10 (5-6)
UCF Arena
Orlando, FL
February 19, 2014

Orlando, FL - Here is a name that you probably haven't read since Coach Nolan released his 2013-14 roster at the beginning of the season: Nicholas Simmons. Make sure you remember the name as Simmons, a Sophomore out of Miami, FL, had his coming out party tonight in Orlando. Simmons came off the bench to completely take over in the second half scoring 19 points, grabbing 3 boards, dishing 2 assists, and nabbing 3 steals. 'Big deal' you might say, but what if I told you he put up these numbers in only seven minutes of play? If Simmons can keep up this type of effort, he will surely have the starting job locked up next year with the departure of Dominik Hill. Kody Kleinzweig had another great game with a game high 26 points while also grabbing 4 boards, 3 steals, and 1 block. The Knights also have seemingly dealt with their free throw problem, sinking 21-29 tonight, a healthy 72%. The Owls' mini scoring run to close out the final minutes made the game look close, but it was not by any means.

"I've been waiting for him to break out," Coach Nolan proclaimed after the game. "I've been telling him all year he has the potential to be one of the go-to guys for our team and just now has he started believing it. I mean its not like Simmons won the game for us by himself, but he got everyone fired up with his performance tonight. We'll have to see how he holds up against the Cougar defense next game. He didn't get much time against them in Houston last time around so I'm sure they will be shocked to see how he plays."

Aside from Bobby Huffman, the Owls didn't give much effort this game. He put up 16 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in the game. It is sad to see a team like Rice be at the top of the conference early on and really just fall off. There was a three way tie for first between Rice, UCF, and Memphis just a few weeks ago, but the Owls have not been able to keep their composure since falling from the top. As Coach Nolan alluded, the next game for the Knights are the Houston Cougars in Orlando. The last game they played came down to the buzzer after UCF erased a 15 point deficit. The Cougars are surely still hurting from that loss and will look to be the first team to knock the Knights off at home this season.

Rice (16-10) at Central Florida (21-3)
February 19, 2014 1 2 F Rice 28 34 62 Central Florida 39 31 70 Top Performers Rice - Stats Bobby Huffman - 16 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk Zack Gates - 12 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl Central Florida - Stats Kody Kleinzweig - 26 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Stl, 1 Blk Nicholas Simmons - 19 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Stl	Team Stat Comparison RU UCF FG Made-Attempted 22-67 24-57 3P Made-Attempted 6-15 1-6 FT Made-Attempted 12-14 21-29 Rebounds 35 30 Assists 14 11 Steals 6 10 Blocks 4 3 Turnovers 14 6

[nolan887]

UCF vs. Houston

KNIGHTS WIN STREAK EXTENDS TO 11

UCF Knights 23-3 (12-1) vs Houston Cougars 18-6 (7-5)
UCF Arena
Orlando, FL
February 22, 2014

Orlando, FL -Nicholas Simmons might just be the next big thing for UCF. He had another solid effort off the bench today with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Also putting up good numbers for the Knights was Pearson Shannon with a game high 17 points and 9 rebounds. The Knights refused to fall into the same trap they did in Houston and came out firing. Kody Kleinzweig started off the rampage with a monster dunk on the first shot of the game. From that point on the crowd was electric and the Cougars stood no chance. Predrag Henning, who dismantled the UCF defense last bout was held to just 12 points compared to his 29 last time around. Kody Kleinzweig missed most of the game due to foul troubles, but the Knights new gem Nicholas Simmons came in and picked up the slack.

"I told them all this week that we should not have won that last game against Houston," Nolan commented after the game. "I told them we had to come out and prove to everybody that we really are the better team and the Cougars didn't simply check out last game and that is exactly what we were able to do. Henning was a terror for us last time around but we were able to step it up and throw some double teams his way and keep him under control. We were also able to win the rebounding and turnover battles which are absolute keys to any successful game."

After their most recent win, the 23rd of the season, UCF is faced with an interesting challenge. If the Knights win just one of their three remaining games, they claim the regular season crown for Conference USA. The question then is do they rest their starters for the tournament or do they finish strong and keep their momentum going into the post season. Before they can think about resting starters, they have to win one more game. The rest of the season is at Tulane, at Marshall, and home against Southern Methodist. Tulane was lights out from the floor in their last match up and should prove a big obstacle in the Knights' quest for the conference title.

Houston (18-6) at Central Florida (23-3)
February 22, 2014 1 2 F Houston 27 26 53 Central Florida 35 29 64 Top Performers Houston - Stats Predrag Henning - 12 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 4 Stl Petroslav Schiffner - 12 Pts, 1 Blk Central Florida - Stats Pearson Shannon -17 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Stl Nicholas Simmons - 13 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl	Team Stat Comparison UH UCF FG Made-Attempted 23-52 25-53 3P Made-Attempted 3-18 0-1 FT Made-Attempted 4-4 14-21 Rebounds 24 29 Assists 18 16 Steals 8 11 Blocks 3 3 Turnovers 14 9

[nolan887]

UCF @ Tulane

NOLAN'S KNIGHTS CLAIM C-USA TITLE

UCF Knights 24-3 (14-1) vs. Tulane Green Wave 19-7 (9-5)
Avron B. Fogelman Arena
New Orleans, LA
March 1, 2014

New Orleans, LA -With a full week to prepare for Tulane, the Green Wave stood no chance against Nolan's fired up Knights. During their last meeting neither the UCF or Tulane defenses bothered to show up and both teams shot over 50% from the floor. The UCF defense showed up today, and they showed up big holding the Green Wave to only 44 points and 29% from the floor. On the opposite end, the Green Wave let up 75 points and really stood no chance against the Knights' relentless attack. Nicholas Simmons had another good game off the bench putting up 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He is seeming to be the multi-tool player that the Knights have been looking for to compliment Shannon and Kleinzweig.

"We played lights out all game," an ecstatic Nolan said. "It is great to win a game like this when at the same time it claims the conference title for us. I know this is something we really wanted, but did not think it would happen so soon. I am so proud of all of my guys and this is just one of the greatest days of my coaching career."

Aron Nelke was not as potent as he was during their last match up, but still managed to put up 14 points, hitting 2-7 from downtown. Per usual, Kody Kleinzweig lead all in scoring with 18 points. The Knights won the battles in almost every category and certainly proved why they are the team to beat in C-USA with a 31 point win on the road. To top everything off, the UCF Knights are now rated #24 in the nation. This ranking is the first time Coach Nolan has ever had a team on the Media Top 25 poll in his career. To defend their new ranking, the Knights have games at Marshall and at home against Southern Methodist.

Central Florida (24-3) at Tulane (19-7)
March 1, 2014 1 2 F Central Florida 37 38 75 Tulane 19 25 44 Top Performers Central Florida - Stats Kody Kleinzweig - 18 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk Nicholas Simmons - 14 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl Tulane - Stats Aron Nelke - 14 Pts (2-7 3pt), 2 Reb, 1 Ast Darell Neal - 11 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk	Team Stat Comparison UCF TU FG Made-Attempted 27-64 16-55 3P Made-Attempted 0-0 4-17 FT Made-Attempted 21-33 8-9 Rebounds 44 28 Assists 13 9 Steals 7 3 Blocks 3 5 Turnovers 5 14