Coach Johnny Dawkins leans on veteran transfers and dynamic scorers like Dior Johnson to navigate a brutal Big 12 schedule and secure a consecutive postseason berth.
However, head coach Johnny Dawkins has shown the ability to connect a team in short time before, with last season's brand new squad earning a March Madness berth.
On Friday, College Basketball Analyst Ryan Hammer and PhD Statistician Evan Miyakawa released their top 100 teams heading into next season, with UCF coming in at No. 72.
The new adaptation to the number of teams within March Madness (76), starting in 2027, would allow the Knights to return to the Postseason, but barely.
UCF has some challenging matchups in non-conference play before a beastly schedule against the Big 12.
Key contributors like Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks left big gaps in UCF's backcourt, but Dawkins has done well to bring in a variety of guards.
Arturo Dean is the likely starting point guard, providing the Knights with a veteran presence with experience playing in the Big 12.
Dean joined the team in December, but it was too late for him to participate in the season.
He joins UCF after two years at Florida International and one year at Oklahoma State. Dean led all of Division I in steals (3.35 per game) during his 2023-24 season at FIU before serving as a critical rotational guard for the Cowboys two seasons ago.
He is also reuniting with his brother, Mister Dean, who transferred to UCF this past offseason.
Mister is a dynamic, young forward who has showed flashes of special scoring talent at the mid-major level.
At shooting guard, Dior Johnson is projected to be one of the most-dynamic scorers at his position.
After spending the 2024-2025 campaign with UCF, Johnson transferred to Tarleton State and dominated.
With the Texans, Johnson averaged 24.0 points per game, shooting on stellar 50/47/85 splits.
Johnson showed the ability to take over games on multiple occasions, scoring 30-plus in seven appearances and eclipsing 40 twice.
Against Big 12 rival Baylor, Johnson exploded for 42 points, shooting an incredible 17-for-24 from the field.
He followed up this flurry with 33, 29, and 27-point showings, with all three leading to wins.
In the middle resides John Bol, who will be expected to take a major jump in his junior year.
Bol was the youngest player who saw action for UCF last season, serving as the Knights' starting big man all year, despite only being a sophomore.
Returning Bol was the biggest retention for the Knights, as the 7-foot rim protector has become a fan favorite and will be much more comfortable in his second season with the program.
With the talent spread throughout the Big 12, getting back to March Madness will not be easy, but Dawkins has amassed a versatile group.
