The Knights bolster their frontcourt by snagging an elite rebounder following his Mississippi State de-commitment, signaling a resilient recruiting bounce-back under head coach Johnny Dawkins.
The UCF Knights recouped some young talent after receiving a commitment from 2026 four-star forward Ladarius Givan on Monday morning.
UCF took advantage of Givan re-opening his recruitment after de-committing from Mississippi State on Jan. 3. The 6-foot-9 forward joins Isaiah Malone (FGCU), Jason Asemota (Boston College) and Lewis Walker (NC A&T), bolstering the program’s front-court depth.
Givan dominated the Virginia high school basketball scene during his senior campaign. He averaged 15.5 points, 12 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 20 games for the Petersburg Crimson Wave.
He recorded 13 double-doubles, including a season-high streak of six straight. UCF was a top rebounding team in the Big 12, especially on the offensive glass, and Givan’s ability to fight in the trenches could be a nice addition to the team.
His best game of the season came against Meadowbrook, scoring 29 points and grabbing 22 rebounds. Givan played a significant role, leading his team to a 22-4 record, ranking first in the region and 10th in the state.
Givan will compete with Asemota, Malone and Walker for minutes under coach Johnny Dawkins. He can develop under Dawkins, who’s coached NBA players like Taylor Hendricks and earn more playing time in his sophomore season, should he stay.
While additional high school talent is beneficial, the Knights have struggled to keep some of their 2026 recruits.
Matthew Feldman of the UCFRoundtable reported former 2026 guard recruit Christian Gibson committing to Georgia after reopening his recruitment from UCF.
Losing out on recruits is a tough ordeal; the influx of young talent decreases. However, showing the ability to bounce back is promising for the future.
The NCAA Tournament expansion in 2027 could help UCF with future recruiting. Expanding from 68 teams to 76 creates a bigger bubble for programs on the outside looking in, competing for a bid to the tournament.
UCF broke a six-year tournament drought this past season with a historic season under Dawkins. If the expansion had happened several seasons earlier, the Knights could have become a perennial NCAA Tournament contender.
Landing Givan a few months after decommitting from Mississippi State, bolstering UCF’s front-court depth, and adding young talent that can impact the rebounding game as the team chases back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
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