ORLANDO — The UCF men’s basketball team is scheduled to face Wisconsin on November 22 at 5 p.m. in the Knights' first game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off, as announced by The Greenbrier and Intersport on Thursday afternoon.
The Knights’ contest against the Badgers is the second of the day at the event, as Pitt and LSU will square off prior at 2:30 p.m. The winner of each game will face each other at 5 p.m. in the championship game on November 24 while the loser of each will meet in the consolation game at 2:30 p.m.
UCF has only met Wisconsin once before, and it was back in 1971 in a contest won by the Badgers. The Knights were in just their second year at the Division II level at that point and wound up finishing the 1971-72 season with a record of 20-6. UCF has also only faced Pitt once while never having matched up against LSU.
Located in Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, The Greenbrier is hosting its inaugural Greenbrier Tip-Off after hosting a standalone game back on November 10, 2023. The resort hosted local programs Radford and Marshall in the contest as Radford earned the 66-62 victory.
UCF men’s basketball team won’t be the only Knights program in action in the state of West Virginia the weekend of the Greenbrier Tip-Off. UCF football will visit the Mountaineers in Morgantown on November 23 while the men’s hoops squad takes the court on November 22 and 24.
The Greenbrier is the premium vacation destination fit for any personality, from luxury shopping and dining experiences to championship-level golf and other outdoor adventures. In total, the resort features more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities, more than 35 retail shops, five golf courses, 20 dining and lounge venues, signature spa services and an on-property casino on more than 11,000 acres. Recently, the Resort was named America’s Best Luxury Hotel by Men’s Health Magazine and was voted a semifinalist for The Most Instagrammable Hotel in the World by Luxury Travel Advisor.
Travel packages are currently the only way to guarantee tickets to the inaugural Greenbrier Tip-Off. Packages are now available for fans looking to join their favorite Mountain or River Division teams at America’s Resort and can be secured by visiting www.greenbriertipoff.com/travel. Packages will include game tickets, good for each Division-specific contest, accommodations at the resort, slot play vouchers, free drink tickets and more at the historic resort. Ticket-only packages, based on availability, will go on sale in the fall.
The Knights will begin their 2024-25 campaign on November 4 as they host Texas A&M. Tipoff time is still to be determined.
Victor, Centala Selected
ARLINGTON, TX — A pair of former UCF right-handed relief pitchers were selected in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday.
Najer Victor was selected in the 14th round by the Los Angeles Angels and Chase Centala was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 20th round.
Victor, who played his junior and senior seasons for the Knights, was taken as the 412th pick of the draft. The hard-throwing right-handed reliever becomes UCF’s 125st player drafted in program history and the 10th selected by the Angels.
Named to the Preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List prior to the 2024 season, Victor limited opposing hitters to just a .179 average this spring. He struck out 30 batters in 24.1 innings of work and finished the year with a 5.55 ERA. He went on to toss 11 scoreless outings on the year. He was also tabbed a team captain during the 2024 campaign and capped his collegiate career by earning 2024 Spring Academic All-Big 12 Team honors.
During his junior year, Victor went 3-1 with a team-leading 2.88 ERA. He also struck out 50 hitters in 34.1 innings while limiting opposing batters to a .218 clip. The righty registered 14 no-hit innings over seven appearances in 2023.
Victor started his collegiate career at Florida Gulf Coast where he earned ASUN Pitcher of the Week accolades during his sophomore year. That season, he went a perfect 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA and struck out 44 batters in 37.1 innings. He also limited opposing hitters to a .198 average. During his freshman season, the RHP made 15 appearances and tallied 25 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched.
Victor is a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands and prepped at East Ridge High School in nearby Clermont. Centala, who played his final three collegiate seasons for the Black and Gold, was taken as the 604th pick of the draft. The right-hander becomes UCF’s 126th player drafted in program history but just the second selected by the Marlins.
Centala capped his collegiate career by earning 2024 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. He was also tabbed a NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List honoree during his senior campaign as well as to the 2024 Spring Academic All-Big 12 Team. UCF’s closer for the majority of his senior year, Centala finished 2024 with perfect 3-0 record and a team-best seven saves. He also struck out 37 batters in 32.1 innings and tallied a 6.55 ERA.
As a junior in 2023, Centala posted a 2-2 record with one save over 17 appearances. He recorded 37 strikeouts over 33 innings while registering a 5.45 ERA. As a sophomore in 2022, the righty picked up a pair of saves and a 4.85 ERA. He also struck out a career-high 56 batters over 52 innings of work.
Centala began his college career at Florida. During his freshman campaign in Gainesville, he went 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings. He also struck out nine while limiting opposing hitters to just a .213 clip.
Centala is originally from Tampa and prepped at Sickles High School.
