UCF Basketball: Will Knights Make the NCAA Tournament?

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UCF and Houston are both likely headed to the NCAA tournament.

The UCF basketball team is having its best season in more than a decade but will it be enough for the Knights to make the NCAA tournament? All indications are UCF has a good chance to go dancing during March Madness, but another win over either Cincinnati or Temple likely solidifies their case for the selection committee.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has UCF as a No. 8 seed taking on No. 9 Texas in his latest bracket projections. Lunardi has UCF opening up in Columbus, Ohio as part of the Midwest region.

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has UCF as a No. 9 seed taking on No. 8 Wofford in the East region. Palm has the Knights playing in Columbia, South Carolina. The Athletic’s Eamonn Brennan believes UCF still has some work to do before they can cement their tournament status.

Central Florida has one Quadrant 1 win on its résumé. This is one more than it had on Friday. Neither of the above sentences approaches a proper conveyance of the magnitude of Saturday’s win — a 69-64 victory not only over Houston but also at Houston. That latter bit feels especially crucial. UCF might have been in the field, if only barely, before Saturday; now its chances (which have vaulted into the No. 9/10-seed range in the latest mock brackets) feel downright likely.

UCF’s Case to Make the NCAA Tournament

UCF initially picked up their first Quadrant 1 against South Florida, but it quickly turned into a Quadrant 2 win after the Bulls’ resume took a dip. UCF picked up their first Q1 win for technically the second time after upsetting Houston on the road. UCF’s other top wins include Alabama, Temple and Memphis.

The Knights can bolster their resume with a win over Cincinnati or Temple to close out the regular season. UCF can also improve their seeding by stringing together a few wins in the AAC tournament. The consensus seems to be that UCF is likely in the tournament, but one more win would push them out of bubble territory.

“The Knights are still on the bubble because of the strong schedule left on the table. UCF is no longer a bubble team with a win vs. the Bearcats,” Palm noted on his CBS Sports bubble watch.

A strong argument can be made that it would be preferable for UCF to be a double-digit seed rather than playing in the 8 vs. 9 game where the Knights would potentially face a No. 1 seed in the Round of 32. UCF fans are hoping that a strong close to the season, plus a solid showing in the AAC tournament could push them even higher in the March Madness seeding.

If the Knights can avoid a No. 8 or No. 9 seed, UCF has the makeup of a team that could make a Sweet 16 run. UCF is a veteran team playing their best basketball in March. The Knights’ defense gives them a chance to compete with just about any team in the country.