The Knights reach for the stars this Saturday

The UCF men’s basketball team blasts off into its ninth matchup of the Big 12, hosting its Space Game against the No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins continued to speak on the competitiveness of the Big 12, calling the conference a gauntlet where every team is capable of winning.

“Every game for us is huge and these guys know the teams that are ranked,” Dawkins said in a media press conference on Friday afternoon. “You want to have an understanding in this league that everyone is talented. You have to bring your A-game every time you step foot on the court, or it’s going to be a tough night.”

Texas Tech (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) sits above UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) in most key offensive and defensive statistics, including a team three-point percentage of 0.392, an area the Knights lacked in their previous game, shooting 7-for-22 at 31.8%.

Dawkins described the Red Raiders as a talented, confident team where nothing can stop them once they’re firing on all cylinders and believes the Saturday matchup will rely on defending and rebounding.

“We’ve got to be able to guard and rebound the ball,” Dawkins said. “Every night, we go out with a game plan, try to execute it and make sure that our guys have a good understanding to go out there and play with a sense of urgency.”

Texas Tech junior forward and 2024-2025 Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin recorded his fifth 30-point double-double this season in the Red Raiders’ previous game on January 24 against No. 6 Houston at the United Supermarkets Arena.

“He’s able to knock down the shot from behind the three-point line, which adds another dimension to his game. [Toppin] has good instincts for rebounding the basketball, both offensively and defensively,” Dawkins said. “You look at a player like that, it’s not hard to understand why he’s an all-American.”

Despite the Red Raiders’ rank and achievements, fifth-year guard Themus Fulks treats this matchup as any other for himself and the Knights.

“We know Texas Tech is a good team,” Fulks said in a media press conference on Friday afternoon. “So, we’ve been focusing on ourselves, trying to execute a good game plan to take down Texas Tech.”

The Knights have a 2-2 record in the program’s history of Space Games, losing the last two against the now No.8 Iowa State Cyclones and No.10 Houston Cougars, but aims for a different outcome.

Witness the matchup streaming on ESPN 2 or live at the Addition Financial Arena on Saturday, January 31, at noon.