3 Players To Watch When Houston Hosts UCF

Get a popcorn and a soda ready.

This Wednesday night matchup between two great basketball teams should be a thriller as head coach Kelvin Sampson tries to keep his team on the right path and reach 20 wins on the season, while head coach Johnny Dawkins has his troops prepared for another test on the road.

The Cougars are coming off a win over the Bearcats, while the Knights are coming off a major upset against the Red Raiders at home. Both teams enter the contest with high expectations and want to stay in the race in the Big 12 for a solid seed going into the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament.

For UCF to put on a show, these three stars have to figure out how to get around the Houston defenders.

Riley Kugel, Guard

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The Knights' leading scorer this season is Riley Kugel, who is averaging 14.8 points per game in his 21 appearances this season. He averages 2.8 assists, which is second-best on the team, while also reeling in 3.5 rebounds, which is fifth-best on the roster.

He’s been with several programs throughout his college eligibility, with this being his third stop; the other two were at Florida for one season and Mississippi State for two. He’s got that experience playing in highly-contested matchups with three years playing in the SEC before competing against Big 12 schools.

This is his best numbers across all the universities he has played for, where he is averaging more points than when he was with the Gators and Bulldogs. He draws trips to the free throw line, where he is a 72.9 percent shooter, and a 40 percent shooter from beyond the arc, which is his best in his four years playing. He’s going to have to be guarded extremely carefully because he’ll be spread out across the floor and can easily knock down perimeter shots.

Themus Fulks, Guard

UCF’s leader in minutes per game is Themus Fulks, who is earning 32.1 per outing. Since he is getting that time on the floor, he is making the most of it and making it difficult for opponents to stop him from scoring and passing to others.

The 6-foot-2 senior is averaging 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. His assist numbers are remarkable, as they are by far better than anyone else on the roster. Another area he has been electric in is beyond the arc, where he is No. 1 on the team at 45.5 percent. He’ll nail his shots from the corner, the wing, and from the top of the key, and is not scared to take a contested shot.

The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native had his best showing against No. 1 Arizona, where he posted a 30-piece, going 11 of 18 on his field goal attempts. That was only one of the 16 games in which he has registered double digits, so he expects that in every game. Could he have a game like that against Houston?

Jordan Burks, Forward

This is the third year of playing basketball for the Decatur native, who is listed as a junior. Throughout his college career, he played for Georgetown and Kentucky before moving to Orlando to play for UCF. When he was with Kentucky, he averaged 7.1 minutes before doubling that with 18.6 minutes with Georgetown. Now, he’s found his home and is seeing a ton of time on the court, averaging 26.3 points.

From the field, Jordan Burks is shooting 47.6 percent with 12.7 points per game and 4.3 rebounds. At the charity stripe, he is really good, at 85.5 percent, so being aware of him trying to draw contact is what teams struggle with. Behind the arc, Burks is dangerous, shooting 38.7 percent, which is where he loves to take shots. His season-high six 3-pointers came against Florida Gulf Coast, which was also his season-high scoring with 23. Watch out for the 6-foot-9 weapon to maneuver around the floor and quietly go about his business.