Knights' coach Johnny Dawkins reveals when standout defender Arturo Dean will hit the court, shedding light on his practice status and future impact.
The UCF Knights' bench featured a new face, transfer guard Arturo Dean, and Coach Johnny Dawkins answered questions regarding his availability on Wednesday night after his team's eighth-straight victory.
Dean entered the transfer portal on April 19 and took several months to decide on which program he would commit to. The Oklahoma State transfer announced he would take his talents to UCF and play for Coach Dawkins on Oct. 1.
The 5-foot-11 senior has yet to play for the Knights, despite being with the team. Dawkins said Dean is practicing with them for the foreseeable future until he's available to play.
"He's with us," Dawkins said. "He's coming in his second semester. He's going to sit out, of course, this semester. He'll be eligible to play in 26, but he can not this spring, but following season. So, he won't be back till the next year."
Dean averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals in his lone season with the Cowboys. Defense is Dean's specialty, as he led the nation in steals with 104 in 2023, playing for Florida International.
The Miami native had a spectacular two years with the Panthers before transferring to Oklahoma State. He was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-CUSA in his junior year.
Dean recorded a 10-steal game against Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 29, 2023, and had two or more steals in 27 of the 31 games he played. His ability to force turnovers has earned praise from Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz and Dawkins.
"He takes tremendous pride in his defense, which isn't often the case with young players," Lutz said in Dean's Oklahoma State bio. "You don't get to 100+ steals by accident. That number is a product of hard work, outstanding physical tools and an unrelenting will to win."
The transfer guard's defensive prowess fits the play style Dawkins instilled in his Knights squad. Defense is UCF's greatest strength, as the team aims to record consecutive stops to overwhelm opponents, even if the offense isn't efficient.
Dawkins had his eye on Dean when he entered the portal and made it a priority to earn his commitment. He didn't want to let a player who fits his philosophy go to another program.
"I think one of the things I really like about him is his competitiveness," Dawkins said. "I love it. I love how hard he defends. He just really gets after it defensively. He's like a whirlwind out there. And so I played against him enough times and saw him. So when he was available, I'm like, 'If we can get this young man, that would be great.' I think he fits in with how we play, our style of play, I think, fits him very well. I think he would be really good in our system."
Dean is ineligible to play this season, but is practicing with the team. The valuable unseen practice reps can help familiarize himself with Dawkins' system.
The 5-foot-11 guard could be a matchup nightmare for opposing ball handlers who draw his assignment next season.