UCF battling frustration, difficult schedule in midst of seven-game losing streak
UCF basketball's seven-game losing streak has spanned nearly a month now, punctuated by a gut-punch overtime defeat at home to rival USF on Wednesday night.
The effects of the streak ? frustration, exhaustion, exasperation ? felt overwhelmingly present in the post-game press conference after the Bulls escaped CFE Arena with a one-point win. UCF had let a winnable game slip away in the midst of a grueling stretch through the American Athletic Conference schedule.
For the Knights (9-11, 1-8 American), the loss to USF was the latest example of nearly getting over the hump only to see the uphill climb extend again. Now, UCF's efforts must broaden beyond the on-court opponents to combat any possible fracturing within the team.
"When you're building a program, you're going to go through suffering sometimes before it's there and that's where we're at," UCF coach Donnie Jones said. "Sometimes you just got to stay in there with the fight and continue to go through it. We've got to continue to get better every day and create your culture. This is where you find out a lot about who you've got on your team right now."
The Knights took Thursday off to recover from the loss to USF and face No. 22 UConn today. The Huskies are the fourth nationally-ranked opponent the Knights have played during the past five games. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN2.
UCF has stayed close with several ranked teams during the losing streak. The Knights trailed by seven points during the second half against No. 7 Cincinnati, were within three points in the final six minutes against No. 24 Memphis and cut the lead to eight points early in the second half against No. 14 Louisville.
Each time, however, UCF did not have enough to overcome the gap.
"We've got to focus on what we've done," Jones said. "We're close, we've been in those games, we've been right there all the way until the end."
For a team with nearly no experience playing a schedule this difficult ? senior guard Calvin Newell, who transferred from Oklahoma, and senior forward Tristan Spurlock, a Virginia transfer, may be the exceptions ? the challenge is in finding a way to remain motivated even in the midst of a slide.
That hasn't been too much of a challenge, Newell said.
"We should have won that [USF] game, no doubt about that," Newell said. "We just have to come back ready to win the next game. I don't care if we're playing UConn, Cincinnati, Temple ? whoever we're playing. We've got to come back ready to play. If you get that negative mindset, which I will never have, then it's over for you."
Jones faces a task of balancing two extremes on the roster down the stretch: Seniors, including star guard Isaiah Sykes, looking to avoid a bitter ending to their careers and a group of younger players learning to navigate the challenges of college basketball for the first time.
This week he met individually with several players to talk about how to approach the second half of the conference schedule.
"It's a big challenge," Jones said. "One, we don't blame. Leaders never blame. And two, you cast vision every day still with what's ahead of us with the season, which is a lot. And with the young guys, [communicate] what the process is. ? understand you are part of the future."
UCF basketball's seven-game losing streak has spanned nearly a month now, punctuated by a gut-punch overtime defeat at home to rival USF on Wednesday night.
The effects of the streak ? frustration, exhaustion, exasperation ? felt overwhelmingly present in the post-game press conference after the Bulls escaped CFE Arena with a one-point win. UCF had let a winnable game slip away in the midst of a grueling stretch through the American Athletic Conference schedule.
For the Knights (9-11, 1-8 American), the loss to USF was the latest example of nearly getting over the hump only to see the uphill climb extend again. Now, UCF's efforts must broaden beyond the on-court opponents to combat any possible fracturing within the team.
"When you're building a program, you're going to go through suffering sometimes before it's there and that's where we're at," UCF coach Donnie Jones said. "Sometimes you just got to stay in there with the fight and continue to go through it. We've got to continue to get better every day and create your culture. This is where you find out a lot about who you've got on your team right now."
The Knights took Thursday off to recover from the loss to USF and face No. 22 UConn today. The Huskies are the fourth nationally-ranked opponent the Knights have played during the past five games. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN2.
UCF has stayed close with several ranked teams during the losing streak. The Knights trailed by seven points during the second half against No. 7 Cincinnati, were within three points in the final six minutes against No. 24 Memphis and cut the lead to eight points early in the second half against No. 14 Louisville.
Each time, however, UCF did not have enough to overcome the gap.
"We've got to focus on what we've done," Jones said. "We're close, we've been in those games, we've been right there all the way until the end."
For a team with nearly no experience playing a schedule this difficult ? senior guard Calvin Newell, who transferred from Oklahoma, and senior forward Tristan Spurlock, a Virginia transfer, may be the exceptions ? the challenge is in finding a way to remain motivated even in the midst of a slide.
That hasn't been too much of a challenge, Newell said.
"We should have won that [USF] game, no doubt about that," Newell said. "We just have to come back ready to win the next game. I don't care if we're playing UConn, Cincinnati, Temple ? whoever we're playing. We've got to come back ready to play. If you get that negative mindset, which I will never have, then it's over for you."
Jones faces a task of balancing two extremes on the roster down the stretch: Seniors, including star guard Isaiah Sykes, looking to avoid a bitter ending to their careers and a group of younger players learning to navigate the challenges of college basketball for the first time.
This week he met individually with several players to talk about how to approach the second half of the conference schedule.
"It's a big challenge," Jones said. "One, we don't blame. Leaders never blame. And two, you cast vision every day still with what's ahead of us with the season, which is a lot. And with the young guys, [communicate] what the process is. ? understand you are part of the future."
