UCF hosts unbeaten Ole Miss in a non-conference showdown Sunday at 4 p.m. inside Addition Financial Arena.
The Rebels, an SEC program in their first season under head coach Chris Beard, offer a preview of the caliber of opponents the Knights will soon encounter in the Big 12.
"I think it's going to be very similar," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. "And I hope that atmosphere is the way we would like for it to be as well, to complement the type of opponents we're going to face going forward. That's going to be very important.
"I see this as an opportunity for us to kind of see where we are at this stage. This is still early December. We have a lot of room to grow, like all teams do. And we're gonna take it as an opportunity to continue to work and see where we are and continue to grow."
Ole Miss is 8-0. Notable wins have come against Memphis (80-77), NC State (72-52) and Temple (77-76).
"They're a good team," Dawkins said. "You can see they're coming together. You can see their culture starting to grow under Coach Beard. I think they're a team that's very disciplined. I think they're efficient. Look at their numbers. They're a very efficient team. And that's on the offensive and defensively. I think like all of his teams, they really get after it.
"They contain you, keep you in front. And they have two guys in the low post that are difference makers around the basket and (Jamarion) Sharp and (Moussa) Cisse."
Ole Miss has a trio of excellent guards on averaging over 15 points a game: Allen Flanigan (18.0 ppg), Matthew Murrell (16.0 ppg) and Jaylen Murray (15.3 ppg).
"They are terrific," Dawkins said. "(Matthew) Murrell can really shoot the ball. (Jaylen) Murray, he's an excellent point guard. And (Allen) Flanigan, he's all-around good player, perimeter or inside. So those are tough covers. Our guys have to follow our game plan, work hard and stay disciplined in what we're doing defensively. "
Dawkins is quite familiar with Moussa Cisse, who was recently cleared to play and has appeared in their last two games. UCF faced the 7-footer last season when he played for Oklahoma State and the two teams squared off in the Bahamas. During that game, Cisse scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, six blocks and two steals. UCF won in overtime, 60-56.
"Terrific player," Dawkins said. "He has an amazing defensive presence around the basket. He's long, he's active. He blocks shots, he changes shots, changes ends of the floor really well. Really good at catching lobs. He's a terrific player.
"That's a great piece that they added. And I think it helps their depth on the interior with (Jamarion) Sharp, who is 7-5. I hadn't seen a player like him since Tacko (Fall). They have an unbelievable front. Front line of guys with experience and talent."
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard is a proven winner with a 245-98 record as a head coach since 2012. He took Texas Tech to the 2019 Final Four before moving on to Texas in 2021. He was fired during his second season in Austin following a domestic violence arrest. Charges were later dropped and he was picked up this past offseason by Ole Miss.
"I know he's a terrific coach," Dawkins said. "I can tell by how his team plays and their level of discipline. Also their level of energy and effort when they're playing. I think it's a heck of a reflection of him. He's done a great job in his career, wherever he's been. And so I know they're going to be a team that's very disciplined and play very good defense. And offensively, I think they're going to be a team that really knows how to space the floor and play to their strengths."
