UCF forward Taylor Hendricks emerged as one of the top freshmen in the country this season and impressed plenty of people along the way, including head coach Johnny Dawkins.
Hendricks was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team after averaging 15.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 assists on 41.3% shooting from 3-point range. He led the AAC in blocks and was ninth in the country in scoring among all freshmen.
The Knights were eliminated from the conference tournament after falling to Memphis on Friday. Hendricks is projected to be a first-round pick this year and will likely enter his name in the NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility.
He burst onto the scene early in the season and started appearing on various mock drafts. The hype surrounding his game began to build throughout the year, but Hendricks remained leveled and continued to focus on the team’s needs over his own.
That impressed Dawkins perhaps the most about him.
He is a great teammate. I watched him throughout the season, even in these interviews, and I listen to what he says and he always compliments his teammates. What a great young man. He is a terrific, terrific talent (with) a bright future. He is always first to say: ‘What can I do to help my teammates?’
He always has a positive comment to make about them and that’s rare for a freshman who is having the type of year he’s had. You’d think he’d be thinking more about himself but yet he is always thinking about others. He is thinking about his teammates, and that’s why I think he’s gonna be a great player and win a lot of games because those types of kids usually do.
Hendricks has dazzled this season with his size and athleticism and has emerged as a real shot-blocking threat with his long arms and instincts. On the other side, he is a great lob threat. He also has great hands and has good vision out of the post to find his teammates.
Simply put: Hendricks should have a seamless transition to the NBA.
He has all of the tools to be successful on the court, but Dawkins’ praise speaks volumes about his character. He checks a lot of boxes and seems to be a lock to become the Knights’ first first-round pick.
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