UCF Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Knights

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HARTFORD, CT – MARCH 11: Tacko Fall #24 of the UCF Knights looks on during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the semifinal round of the AAC Basketball Tournament at the XL Center on March 11, 2017 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Projected Starters

BJ Taylor

Taylor is the Knights top returning scorer (15.9 ppg), but he only played in 16 games last year after injuring his foot in the first game. The Knights need him to be healthy all year and to continue to be a top scorer for them. Taylor is not a big guy, but he shoots the ball well (39% from outside). If he can improve his shooting and stay healthy he should be the main guy for the Knights. He should be able to stretch the defenses and open up Tacko Fall inside.

Tacko Fall

Fall also missed 16 games last year due to injury and they desperately need him to stay healthy this year. He is huge at 7’6″ and 310 lbs. He is a force down low and makes it extremely tough for the opposing team to get anything in the paint. He also is very skilled offensively and he shot almost 77% from the field. He does need to work on his stamina so he can play more minutes (21.9 mpg). Fall has the potential to be a big player in the AAC this year and the Knights will lean heavily on him when he is playing.

Terrell Allen

Allen started 22 games for the Knights last year and averaged 30 minutes a game. He is a rare breed anymore in the college game. A guard that does not shoot the three much. He had just 30 three-point attempts last year but did hit ten of them. Allen needs to pick up his scoring (5.5 ppg) to give the Knights more a balance and to help take the load of Taylor and others. A year of experience should help Allen and in turn help the UCF score more points to help go with their great defense. He did lead the Knights with 88 assists last year. Look for him to make a slight jump in scoring, but still be more of a pass-first type of offensive player.

Aubrey Dawkins

After spending two years at Michigan, Dawkins decided to transfer to UCF to play for his dad. He sat out a year but then suffered an injury that sidelined him all last year. He looks to regain his form and could easily find himself as the go-to guy besides Taylor. He is a high flying type of player who can bring the house down. He improved his three-point shooting when he was at Michigan and is a definite threat from outside. He could be the missing piece for the Knights and him along with Taylor could be one of the better guard combos in the AAC.

Colin Smith

Smith is another transfer for UCF. After spending a year at George Washington he decided to come back closer to home and get a new start when Dawkins came in as the head coach. He averaged just over five ppg for GW his Freshman year and provides good size for the Knights. At 6’11” he will pair up with Fall in the paint to solidify an already very good defense. Smith has shown flashes of being able to score and will shoot from the outside. His ability to stretch the defense will present matchup problems for the other teams.