By Don Owen
NKyTribune reporter
Northern Kentucky University will face a tall task on the basketball court in late November when the Norse visit Orlando to take on Central Florida.
NKU will meet Central Florida on Nov. 24 as part of its non-conference schedule. UCF features 7-foot-6 senior center Tacko Fall, who averaged 11.3 points in just 16 games last season for the Knights. Fall also made 76.7 percent of his attempts from the field, and he blocked 31 shots before injuries ended his season.
UCF’s Tacko Fall (right) blocked 31 shots before injuries ended his 2017-18 season. The 7-foot-6 Fall also averaged 11.3 points per game.
The NKU/UC game will mark the end of a 30-year hiatus in that series, which was last played in 1988.
NKU’s other non-conference games include road contests at Northern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. The Norse welcome Maryland-Baltimore County, Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois to BB&T Arena this season, and NKU will also play host to UNC Asheville, Manhattan and Coastal Carolina during its own three-day tournament in November.
NKU has won 46 games the past two seasons and emerged as one of the top programs in the Horizon League. The Norse won the Horizon League regular-season championship in 2017-18 and played Louisville in the NIT.
NKU’s Drew McDonald averaged 17.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season and returns in 2018-19. McDonald posted 18 double-doubles, leading the Horizon League and ranking 11th in the nation in that category. The Newport Central Catholic graduate will enter his senior season 11th on NKU’s all-time scoring list with 1,431 career points.
HEIGHT HYPE: At 7-foot-6, Fall is one of the nation’s tallest players in the upcoming season. So where does Fall rank as far as tallest players NKU has ever faced?
How about 7-foot-6 John Hollinden of Southern Indiana (then known as ISU-Evansville) from 1979-81, Kentucky’s Shagari Alleyne (7-foot-3, NKU played UK in an exhibition in 2004), and Southern Indiana’s Antonio Reyes (7-foot-2 1/2) in 1989?
Contact Don Owen at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport
Go NKU men’s and women’s basketball. Also, Go UK!