Former UCF center Tacko Fall is back in the NBA mix, and this time he’s doing it with more than just a camp invite. After joining the Philadelphia 76ers on an NBA training camp deal, Fall has now landed a two-way contract, a move that keeps him eligible to suit up on the official roster if Philadelphia needs frontcourt help.
Fall never saw preseason action for the 76ers, but that clearly didn’t stop the team from liking what it saw behind the scenes. The 7-foot-6 big man now gets another shot at carving out a role after spending the last stretch of his career overseas and waiting for the next NBA opening to come around.
His last NBA action came in the final games of the 2021 season, when he appeared in 11 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, he has played in the Australian NBL and the Chinese Basketball Association while continuing to push for a return to the league.
Philadelphia’s interest makes sense given the circumstances around its frontcourt. The 76ers have dealt with injuries and uncertainty surrounding reigning MVP Joel Embiid, and free agent signing Ariel Hukporti also tore his Achilles in the preseason, adding another hit to the center depth chart.
Fall now joins his third Eastern Conference team, after time with the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, where he played alongside Jaylen Brown in limited fashion. According to Robinson, Fall holds Brown in high regard, and that admiration goes back to 2022, when Fall said Brown was a "great player," who doesn’t always get the praise he deserves, while also praising the former NBA Finals MVP for blocking out the noise.
Even away from the NBA, Fall has kept doing what he does best: finishing at a high rate and protecting the rim. He still leads the NCAA in career field goal percentage at 74%, and he remains UCF’s all-time leader in blocked shots with 280.
His college peak came in 2018-2019 as a senior, when he earned third-team conference honors and delivered one of the most dominant stat lines in program history. Against Southern Methodist, Fall put up 23 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the only UCF player ever to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game. That performance also matched the school’s all-time rebounding record in a single game.
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UCF Fans Have A Bye Week With Big 12 Stakes To Watch
With UCF on a bye week, Saturday still carries plenty of weight for Knights fans looking ahead on the schedule. Several Big 12 games will help shape the backdrop for the rest of October, including BYUs meeting with Notre Dame, along with Baylor vs. TCU and Kansas vs. Kansas State. Those matchups are worth following not just for the standings, but because they offer a clearer picture of the opponents UCF will see soon enough.
BYU is the biggest one on the radar, since the Cougars are set to visit UCF on Oct. 24. Their matchup with Notre Dame could tell the Knights whether they are preparing for an unbeaten opponent or one coming off its first loss, and there is also added uncertainty around BYUs backfield because of an injury to star running back LJ Martin. For a team on the sideline this week, it is still a useful Saturday for scoreboard watching. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Is Fighting To Keep A Local Five-Star Home
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Johnny Dawkins has shown he can sell development to elite players, and UCF has a real pitch when it comes to keeping a top prospect close to home. Still, the competition is steep, with blueblood-level attention and other major programs circling, and Evans is weighing a broader group of options as this recruitment begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Duke Watson Faces A Huge Test For This Offense
Duke Watson has spent much of the season as one of the most important pieces in UCFs offense, and the respect around the league shows it. Entering Week 7, Top Tier Utah had him sixth among Big 12 running backs, a sign that his production before conference play caught plenty of attention. For the Knights, Watson has been more than a steady hand in the backfield - he has been the player most likely to tilt a drive with one explosive run.
The challenge has gotten tougher since league play began, though, with opponents doing a better job of keeping him from turning routine carries into big gains. UCF is also leaning on quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who has put together strong passing performances recently, as the run game looks for more room to breathe. The timing matters, because the next stretch on the schedule brings defenses that make life hard on the ground and will ask Watson to find answers in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]