Duke Basketball: 3 keys for Blue Devils versus UCF in Round of 32

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball against the North Dakota State Bison in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 22: Tacko Fall #24 of the UCF Knights is fouled by Mike’L Simms #1 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

2. Contain the three UCF stars.

The Knights have three key players who can change the game. Baylor, Dawkins, and Fall are the players who can have a key impact on Sunday afternoon’s game.

Baylor is a senior guard who bounces between playing point guard or shooting guard. In his senior year, he is averaging 16.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Baylor is very patient on the offensive side of the floor. He loves to use his strength to get into the paint and finish with a soft floater over the weak side help. Baylor is also a deadly three-point shooter who averages almost five three-point attempts a game and shoots 37.3 percent from behind the arc.

Dawkins is a junior guard who has averaged 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Dawkins is playing his first year at UCF, after transferring from Michigan after his sophomore season. The junior forward splits his time playing small forward or power forward. At 6′-6″, Dawkins is a deadly weapon for the nights. He is a stretch forward, who can stretch out opposing defenses. Dawkins shoots 39.1 percent from the three-point line and isn’t afraid to let them fly with five and a half attempts a game.

The player who gets the most attention for the Knights is Fall. He is playing in his senior season and has refined his skills since entering UCF as a freshman. The unique part of Fall is the fact that he is 7′-6″, and weighs 310 pounds. Because of his strength and height, he can be a key factor on offensive and defense. On offense, he is excellent at grabbing offensive boards and finishing with dunks or layups. On defense, he is not only a great shot blocker but also effects almost every shot in the paint. Fall is averaging 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in his senior year.

The Blue Devils could have a hard time containing all of the veteran firepower the Knights have on their team. With the Knights having impact players on every level on the floor, the Blue Devils will need every player to buy in on defense.

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