Depth of Massive 12 on show in UCF win over No. 11 Texas Tech

[ad_1] The Massive 12 convention has confirmed to be one of many deepest within the nation all season, and Saturday was the newest instance why.

One week after selecting up an exhilarating 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 group, 81-75, on Jan. 3. A balanced scoring assault led the best way 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 group that's at the moment unranked. Its solely setback in non-conference play was in opposition to a Vanderbilt group that's the Related Press No. 18 group within the nation. The 2 defeats in convention play have been in opposition to No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Iowa State, respectively.

In response to KenPom, UCF is simply ranked forty fifth, which doesn't precisely bounce 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 intervening time.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has seven Massive 12 groups projected within the 68-team NCAA Event discipline in his newest bracketology. Whereas the convention is probably not as deep from high to backside because the Massive Ten, which at the moment has 11 groups projected to make the "Massive Dance," it's exhausting 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 highway journey to face No. 10 Houston on Wednesday, to not point out one other highway sport on Feb. 24 in opposition to No. 13 BYU.

If the Knights have confirmed something to this point, it's that they'll cling with anybody and shouldn't be ignored in a convention that's as deep as any within the nation.