UCF G Dior Johnson Shines Throughout Exhibition Outings

With UCF men's basketball's season opener right around the corner, the Knights have an opportunity to make back-to-back appearances in March Madness for the first time in program history.

Key returners like John Bol and Riley Kugel are joined by talented transfers like Arturo Dean and Cayden Vasko, while Dior Johnson makes his highly-anticipated return to UCF.

After spending the 2024-2025 season with the Knights, Johnson transferred to Tarleton State, where he averaged 24 points per game and was one of the most-dynamic scorers in the country.

Now, he returns to UCF looking to carry over that momentum, and he did so during the offseason.

UCF faced off against LSU, Rollins, and Kentucky in three exhibition bouts prior to Monday's season-opener, with Johnson serving as head coach Johnny Dawkins' top scorer.

Johnson averaged 19.7 points per game across the three-game slate, scoring 22 points against Kentucky.

The former blue-chip high school recruit has a lot of versatility in his offensive game, scoring from all three levels and being able to be effective out of different shooting pockets and angles.

As the season approaches, it will be interesting to see how Dawkins utilizes Johnson's dynamic scoring abilities, especially with the depth and experience in UCF's backcourt.

Prior to his breakout year with Tarleton State last season, Johnson played a limited role on UCF's 2024-2025 squad, averaging just 8.5 minutes per game in 35 appearances.

During the regular season, Johnson scored double-digits just once, dropping 11 points against Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

However, in the College Basketball Crown Semifinals, Johnson was a key part of the Knights' 104-98 overtime victory over Villanova, scoring a season-high 13 points and knocking down three 3-pointers.

Despite having interest from various Power 4 programs, Johnson. bet on himself, transferring to a school like Tarleton State where he could have an instant impact.

Of course, this decision certainly paid off, and Johnson managed to make headlines despite coming off of the Texans' bench.

With the captain pair of Dean and Vasko likely manning the starting guard spots, Dawkins will have to decide if he wants Johnson's high-octane scoring punch in the first five.

If not, Johnson's proven ability to produce off the bench will be a big boost for UCF, who struggled with offensive lulls in the second unit at times during last season.

The Knights host Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) on Monday night at 7:00 p.m.