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No matter what happens from this point out, no UCF Knights basketball players have had a better career than B.J. Taylor and Tacko Fall.
Taylor and Fall secured their legacy last Thursday night on Senior Knight. It will be a night that no one who was in the building will ever forget. Taylor and Fall led way as UCF knocked off #20 Cincinnati 58-55 to basically secure a spot in NCAA Tournament.
Taylor and Fall will both always be linked together. Both dealt with injuries they had to overcome. Both led the Knights to an NIT run that no one will ever forget with a win over Illinois in front of a sold out CFE Arena that advanced UCF to the NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden.
Last season we wondered if Fall and Taylor would ever stay healthy and play together again as both dealt with injuries and only played one full game together all of last season.
But Fall and Taylor overcame the setbacks and did what they set out to do: End the drought.
14 years. That is how long it has been since the Knights last made the NCAA Tournament. To put that in perspective. UCF was known as Golden Knights, Basketball was in the A-Sun Conference while the Football program was coming off a 0-12 season in George O’Leary’s first year as Head Coach, playing its final season in the MAC before moving to C-USA. A lot has changed.
Every program on campus had made NCAA Tournament during the last 14 years except for Men’s Basketball. That is going to change thanks to Taylor and Fall. Each helped the Knights finish the season strong with back-to-back top-25 wins at #8 Houston and against Cincinnati last Thursday night.
So it was fitting in their last home game in a win over Cincinnati, the fans stormed the court, but not because they beat Cincinnati. The court storming served two purposes: It served as a release of emotion that everyone in that building knew at that moment: WE’RE GOING DANCING!
It was also a moment to show appreciation and love to the seniors for what they have done helping the program get to this point with Taylor and Fall in the middle of it.
GO KNIGHTS‼️ MARCH ON‼️ https://t.co/Tw24fJxhNI
— UCF Men’s Basketball (@UCF_MBB) March 8, 2019
Taylor and Fall have helped changed the program’s image. Before Taylor and Fall, People wondered if UCF could ever compete in basketball. Now people know they can.
For years, @UCF_MBB has been sold as a sleeping giant. Well, that giant awoke tonight and the Knights have arrived. Great win for @Coach_Dawkins and his crew over @GoBearcatsMBB. Both squads, with @UHCougarMBK, have the chops to be second weekend teams.
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) March 8, 2019
UCF. More than just a football school.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 8, 2019
Jon Rothstein’s tweet says it all.
THANK YOU, B.J. AND TACKO. Your legacies are secure. You both are on the Mount Rushmore of UCF Basketball and you will both be in UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in the future as two of the most successful UCF Basketball players of all-time, who paved way for future.