UCF’s meeting with Yale comes with a little more than a game preview attached to it. It’s a rare nonconference matchup, a homecoming for one Bulldog, and a reminder that these two programs have barely crossed paths over the last three decades.
The Knights are listed as a 9.5-point favorite by FanDuel Sportsbook, and the game will air on ESPN+ with Austin Lyon on play-by-play, BJ Taylor as analyst, and Sydney Jones on the sideline. Radio coverage is on FM 96.9 / AM 740 with Eric Lopez calling the action. Live updates will be available from @itsBrysonTurner and @UCFKnightsOnSI.
Yale arrives in Orlando with a projected starting five that matched what it used in its season-opening 72-62 win over Howard, though the Bulldogs did make one notable change from their preseason expectation. Forward Connor May, the lone transfer addition for a team that didn’t lean heavily on the portal, was not in the starting lineup against Howard.
May came to Yale after earning NABC Third-Team All-American honors last season at Division III Washington University in St. Louis.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish third in the Ivy League and are in their 28th season under James Jones. He has taken the program to the postseason in each of the last five years, a run that includes three NCAA Tournament trips and one appearance in the Round of 32.
Yale’s starting group against Howard included guard Trevor Mullin and forward Riley Fox, two of the team’s five leading scorers from last season. Mullin averaged 11.5 points per game, while Fox averaged 10.
There’s also a Florida angle to the matchup. Yale forward Tim Winkler, who graduated from Oak Ridge High School, is back in his home state.
The Bulldogs’ game notes described him as a National Honor Society member who was voted as the Most Likely to Succeed. Winkler did not play in the win over Howard.
Another Floridian on the Yale roster is sophomore Jack Sullivan, a St. Augustine native who is more likely to see the floor after making his first collegiate start against Howard. Sullivan played in 21 games as a freshman last season, averaging 5.9 minutes while finishing with 37 points, 20 rebounds and 15 blocks.
This will be the first UCF-Yale game in more than 30 years. The only previous meeting came on Dec. 30, 1989, when Yale beat the Knights 93-81 in overtime at UCF Gymnasium in front of 425 fans. That game was UCF’s 10th of the 1989-90 season and came during the debut year of coach Joe Dean Jr.
For a little more context on just how long ago that was, current UCF coach Johnny Dawkins was in Los Angeles that same day facing the Clippers in his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers. It was his fourth season in the NBA.
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Dior Johnson Just Gave UCF Fans A Reason To Watch Friday
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Johnson did most of his damage after halftime and kept pushing the pace into the extra session, helping UCF survive a tight one on a night when every possession mattered. The Knights needed calm at the line to finish it off, and Johnson was right in the middle of the pressure moments, a reminder that Fridays game could be worth circling if he keeps carrying that load. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Had No Answer For Floridas Transfer Star In Blowout Loss
Floridas first road test under new coach Tammi Reiss turned into a showcase for Kiyomi McMiller, the transfer guard who arrived with plenty of buzz and left little doubt about why. McMiller erupted for a career-high 42 points and buried 7 of 10 shots from beyond the arc as the Gators rolled past UCF, 95-65, to move to 2-0. Vivian Iwuchukwu and Vanessa Harris also chipped in as Floridas offense kept finding answers all night.
For UCF, the issue was less about one hot hand than a game that got away from them once Florida settled in and started stretching the floor. The Knights never found a way to slow McMillers rhythm, and the margin kept growing as the Gators supporting cast added to the pressure. It was the kind of loss that leaves a lot to sort through, even if the bigger picture for Florida looks increasingly promising early in Reiss tenure. [Read more 🡒]