Dawkins orchestrates another ranked upset, defying NIL disparities. Analysts laud his coaching brilliance, fueling NCAA Tournament hopes.
Coach Johnny Dawkins grabbed his 11th victory over a ranked opponent in his 10 years as UCF's leader, and his accomplishment has received praise from legendary college basketball analysts.
Dick Vitale and Jeff Goodman — two analysts who have covered college basketball for over 30 years — applauded Dawkins and the Knights for upsetting No. 11 Texas Tech at the Addition Financial Arena Saturday.
"Wow, tip the hat to Coach Johnny Dawkins of @UCF_MBB," Vitale said. "Now 17-4 who beat @TexasTech No. 11 in the nation 88-80. The first star of the Coach K era was Dawkins - yes, he was a superstar on a great Duke team in 1986, which was 37-3 & included my buddy, Jay Bilas, who raves about Johnny as a player and person. Yes, Johnny is #awesomebaby."
UCF's victory over the Red Raiders is its second Quad 1 win of the season, the first coming against then-No. 17 Kansas. The NCAA splits the quality of outcomes into quadrants based on the game's location and the team's NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking.
Dawkins and his squad's second Quad 1 victory increase their chances of earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their performance in conference play has UCF fans believing Dawkins has made an argument for National Coach of the Year honors.
What's impressive about the Knights' success against ranked opponents is the team's NIL payroll. Goodman referenced UCF's NIL payroll in his post praising Dawkins.
"Johnny Dawkins' UCF Knights have been one of the biggest surprises of the season," Goodman said. "Especially with NIL payroll in the neighborhood of $3 million. Just beat Texas Tech and improved to 17-4 overall and 6-3 in Big 12 play. Also have a win over Kansas. Incredible job by Dawkins and his staff this season with this group."
A $3 million NIL payroll is significantly under the average that Big 12 teams are handing out to their athletes. The Athletic reported that the average estimated roster cost in the conference is $8.6 million.
Dawkins rebuilt his squad from scratch after losing 100% of his scorers last season with less than half the money other Big 12 teams spent. The roster construction led them to an 11-1 record in non-conference play and a 6-3 record in a conference with some of the best teams in the nation.
UCF continues to garner media attention with upset victories over top competition, and has a three-game winning streak in the Big 12 for the first time since entering the league. Jon Rothstein, a college basketball insider for CBS Sports, sang his praises for the Knights after upsetting Texas Tech.
"Knights now have beaten the Red Raiders and Kansas at home while also beating Texas A&M in College Station," Rothstein said. "That’s the resume of an NCAA Tournament team."