UCF's Tacko Fall, Aubrey Dawkins sign NBA deals
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCF) - Following an amazing career at UCF, leading the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, Tacko Fall is set to begin the next chapter of his story. The 7-foot-6 center has signed a free agent contract with the Boston Celtics, announced Friday evening.
The 2017 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a 2017 Defensive All-American, and a 2019 All-Conference honoree in The American, Fall left his mark on UCF. The 7-foot-6 center left as the program's all-time leader in blocked shots (280) and field goal percentage (.740).
His career field goal percentage of 74.0 percent (497-for-672) set a new NCAA Division I record and he holds the top four single-season field goal percentage marks in UCF history.
Fall's 343 rebounds in 2016-17 were the most in single season in UCF's Division I history and his 887 career boards rank third all-time.
A four-year starter, Fall helped lead UCF back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 this past season, averaging 11.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. His 13-point, 18-rebound, 5-block performance propelled the Knights past VCU for the program's first win in the tournament.
UCF's Aubrey Dawkins is set to begin his professional career after signing a free agent deal with the New Orleans Pelicans shortly after the 2019 NBA Draft ended early Friday morning.
Dawkins made his mark in just one season on the court for UCF. The guard was named Second Team All-Conference in The American after averaging 15.6 points per game in 2018-19. Dawkins also grabbed 5.0 rebounds per game and totaled 34 steals on the season.
After sitting out a year due to transfer rules after coming over from Michigan, Dawkins missed a second year due to a shoulder injury before finally hitting the court for the Knights. He was relied upon time and time again to knock down shots, leading UCF with a 40.0 three-point percentage on 73 makes from beyond the arc.
Dawkins' biggest moment came on the biggest stage, a 32-point blistering of no. 1 Duke in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. He went 12-for-18 from the floor, 5-for-7 from three-point range, dished out four assists and had three steals, as the Knights narrowly missed out on upsetting the Blue Devils.
He's now set to start camp with former Blue Devil Zion Williamson, who went number one overall in Thursday's draft. The Pelicans also picked up Jaxson Hayes out of Texas and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Virginia Tech in the first round.