UCF Men’s Basketball Adds Free Exhibition Against Rollins

UCF Knights men's basketball added a free exhibition game against Division II Rollins College next Sunday, making their lone home appearance before the regular season.

UCF will host Rollins at 4 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena. It's the 42nd matchup between the two programs, and the Knights lead 25-16 in the all-time series.

Both teams last met in 2006. UCF won 83-80 in overtime, with Jermaine Taylor leading with 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting and Mike O'Donnell trailing with 25 on 8-for-15 shooting.

Coach Johnny Dawkins' new, revamped squad will have another opportunity to gel and build strong chemistry. The Knights almost beat the LSU Tigers on Tuesday, but late-game blunders cost them.

Transfers Dior Johnson and Lewis Walker led in scoring. Johnson scored 18 points, with 16 coming in the second half, and Walker scored 13

The duo bolsters a backcourt that needed scoring during April's transfer portal cycle. Dawkins lost over 75% of his scoring for the second straight season, with Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks chasing their NBA dreams.

Kugel and Fulks played for the Los Angeles Clippers in the Las Vegas Summer League.

UCF will finish its exhibition slate facing the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 28. These two teams will meet for the second time since 2006.

Josh Peppers led the team with 15 points, and Justin Rose put together a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. The duo spearheaded a 31-point second half, but it wasn't enough to overcome the seven-point deficit built in the first half, as the Knights lost 59-57.

Facing powerhouse programs like LSU and Kentucky is beneficial; the Knights enter the season battle-tested against some of the best teams.

Dawkins aims to build on one of the most successful seasons he's had during his UCF tenure.

He led the Knights to a 20-10 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament. Dawkins achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons.

Advancing to the quarterfinals punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament and broke a six-season drought.

UCF's coach faced a familiar foe in Mick Cronin, who led UCLA. Cronin and Dawkins met multiple times in the American Conference, and UCLA emerged victorious, sending its opponent home in the first round.

Dawkins, Johnson, John Bol and Wofford transfer Cayden Vasko will represent UCF at Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City two days before their Rollins matchup.

Big 12 Media Day will give insight into Dawkins' goals this season and his decision-making in recruiting impactful transfers like Vasko and Johnson.