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ORLANDO, Fla. -- A year ago, the reflection Tacko Fall was seeing wasnt the image everyone else saw in UCFs raw but intriguing 7-foot-6 freshman center.Fast forward to this season, and there is a new coaching staff, a new energy around the Knights program and definitely a different Fall. The shy, towering young man is getting more comfortable on the basketball court.I can definitely be a force in the paint, the engineering major from Senegal told The Associated Press. I feel like there is really nobody who can guard me in the paint.Nobody? A bold statement, though Fall has had an impressive start to the season and turned heads during last weekends Charleston Classic.For the first time this season, the nation got a chance to see how much the goggle-wearing big man has improved. Fall dominated against the likes of Mississippi State and defending national champion and third-ranked Villanova. He averaged a double-double over the three-game tournament, including a 20-point, 13-rebound showing in a 67-57 loss to the Wildcats in the championship game.He caught the eye of ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who mentioned Fall on his Twitter page.I see it but I cant let it go to my head, said Fall, who was named the American Athletic Conference player of the week on Monday after averaging 17.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocked shots in the first four games this season. I still have a lot to work on. I can get a lot better.The attention and accolades Fall is receiving are a far cry from what life was like five years ago when he and a friend, Ange Badji, were spotted by a man named Ben Simmons in their native home of Dakar, Senegal.Simmons, who did not return phone calls from the AP, helped Fall and Badji get visas to the United States.Fall was coming from a poor background, living with his mother and little brother in a one-bedroom apartment where the basic necessities were hard to come by -- including going to school.Fall, who was 7-foot-3 and 16 years old at the time, said his mother -- who only speaks French and has never seen him play -- was promised that he would be taught the game of basketball, have a chance to earn a quality education and possibly a college degree. But it didnt happen that way when Fall and Badji initially landed in the U.S. in October 2012.For the better part of a year, Fall and Badji bounced around Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Kansas and Illinois in search of charter schools.Finally, in September 2013, they landed in Tavares, Florida, and on the doorsteps of Liberty Christian Preparatory School basically homeless. But that is when life began to change for the better.Amanda Wettstein and her family took Fall and Badji into their home.There were some negative things and there were some positive things because when I came to Florida I met great people, my host family, said Fall, a native French speaker who learned English quickly. They are still there and are basically part of my family now. We talk every day. They live 45 minutes away from here. They treat me like Im their own child.Wettstein and her husband took the boys in not knowing much more than their first names and that they were in need.Neither the school or us had information about them, said Wettstein, whose mother-in-law is a counselor at Liberty Christian. At the time we didnt know anything about their journey, just that they had been in Tennessee and were homeless and needed a place.The 6-foot-5 Badji is currently attending TNG Prep Academy in Tennessee.As for Fall, it wasnt long before it was apparent that he was more than just a tall kid with basketball potential. He was also extremely bright.After scoring in the 90th percentile the first time he took the SAT, Fall spent his junior and senior years playing at Liberty Christian.He played AAU hoops in 2014, and had great success. He was invited to the NBA Top 100 and Nike Skills Academy, after which the college opportunities came pouring in. Georgetown, Harvard, Xavier and Wake Forest were among the 36 offers he received, but UCF and former head coach Donnie Jones won out.The Knights had something others didnt: a location that allowed Fall, who was tired of moving, to stay close to those he was familiar with and who he felt cared about him.After finally getting cleared to play by the NCAA just before last season, Fall was a raw freshman who showed ability as a shot blocker and post defender.This year, with former Stanford coach and Duke All-American Johnny Dawkins at the helm at UCF, Fall has continued to improve. Dawkins and his staff have worked with Fall since arriving, improving his offensive game, his strength and post presence.Dawkins said that because of how well Fall runs the floor, his touch around the basket and shot-blocking ability, the only limit to his upside is his imagination and how hard he works.I tell Tacko all the time: `Tacko you can change the game. You can revolutionize our game at your size, said Dawkins, whose team is off to a 4-1 start. With that (size) and the ability to move up and down like he does on the floor, his mobility, he could revolutionize our game.The NBA is the logical next step for Fall, though its unclear when he might make that jump. However, with Dawkins mentoring him and Falls size and athletic ability, he will get a look by someone.Fall believes he is up for the challenge, and after what he has been through, no one is counting him out.The ultimate goal for me is to play in the NBA, Fall said confidently, because I think its going to open so many doors for me to be able to take care of my family, help people back home and give opportunities to people back home like I was given the opportunity to help others.---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 Nike NBA Jerseys 2020 . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Authentic MLB Jerseys . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. Nike MLB Jerseys . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Adidas NHL Jerseys 2020 .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. ATLANTA -- Jhonattan Vegas doesnt have a realistic chance of claiming the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus even if he wins the Tour Championship.Its having any chance at all that makes this season so remarkable.Best year of my career so far, Vegas said Wednesday with as broad a smile as could be found at East Lake. Its just crazy to think of this from where we started.Still vivid are memories of how uncertain his career felt a year ago.Vegas failed to keep his card, and then his season got even worse. With a chance to regain his card in the Web.com Tour Finals, he missed the cut in the final event. That left the 32-year-old from Venezuela with limited status.I remember sitting down Friday afternoon after I missed the cut, not knowing where I could play, Vegas said.He received a sponsors exemption to the Frys.com Open to start the season, opened with a 64 and tied for 10th to get into the next tournament in Las Vegas. In an opposite-field event in Mississippi, he tied for fourth.And then he broke through in a big way by winning the RBC Canadian Open in July, and he played well enough in the FedEx Cup playoffs to finish at No. 29 and get into the Tour Championship by a mere four points.All he wanted to do this year was finish in the top 125 and keep his card.Now, he is playing the Tour Championship and is assured of playing at least three majors next year, along with World Golf Championships in Mexico and Firestone.One of the biggest accomplishments of my career, Vegas said.For others, there is so much more to accomplish.The Tour Championship, which starts Thursday, is the final stop of the FedEx Cup season that pays out $10 million to the winner in a finale that is up for grabs among the 30 players who made it to East Lake.Everyone has a mathematical chance to win the FedEx Cup, though its unlikely for Vegas. He would have to win, and Dustin Johnson would have to finish 28th.The focus is more on Johnson, the No. 1 seed, and the next four players behind him -- Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Paul Casey. They only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the prize no matter what anyone else does.Bill Haas at No. 25 in 2011 was the loweest seed to win the FedEx Cup.dddddddddddd The last player to win the Tour Championship without claiming the FedEx Cup was Phil Mickelson in 2009. He wound up second in the FedEx Cup to Tiger Woods.Johnson and Day have their own competition going. Players will be voting on PGA Tour player of the year at the end of the week. Both have three victories, though Johnson has a big edge from his U.S. Open title (Days biggest victory was The Player Championship). Johnson also is leading the money list and the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average. But if Day were to win this week, that might make the vote more complicated.Vegas is nowhere near that conversation. For him, just getting to East Lake was worth celebrating.With only past champion status, which he had at the start of the season, he could only count on getting into tournaments where most of the top players didnt show up. Its hard to plan a schedule. There is no continuity. And his confidence was lagging.It turned out to be the best thing for him.Losing my card made me realize how much harder I had to work to get better, Vegas said. It led me to make a bunch of changes -- important changes -- that I wasnt ready to make. But it forced me to do them.Vegas was part of the next wave of impressive young players when he won the Bob Hope Classic in the second start of his rookie season in 2011. The following week, he was tied for the lead at Torrey Pines with eight holes to play and tied for third.Suddenly, he was playing in majors and World Golf Championships. Over time, he started going through the motions. He lost one year to surgery on his left shoulder. By the end of last season, he had plunged to No. 381 in the world ranking.If I kept my card, that was my No. 1 goal, Vegas said. I knew I had limited starts. I would have about 15 events. So I knew that every week was a major for me. If you approach things that way, your preparation and everything around it is more important. Because youre there to get it done. It puts it in a different perspective. ' ' '