UCF’s Dior Johnson on a Scoring Tear To Start Season

Dior Johnson has been unstoppable in his first two games for the UCF Knights, torching defenses and posting video game numbers.

Johnson has scored 69 points, 48 in Monday's season opener against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and 21 against Yale on Friday. He's averaging 34.5 points on 68.8/66.7/82.6 splits.

His production is elite even in a small sample. Defenders struggle to guard the plethora of counters Johnson has developed and polished over his storied career.

It all starts with a quick first step that picks up speed driving downhill. When defenders cut off his angle, he uses a rhythm dribble to rise for the mid-range pull-up or creates separation with a stepback for three.

He protects the ball, scooping it into his chest, and absorbs contact for tough layups. Johnson's slashing ability is key to attempting 11.5 free throws per game.

Frequent trips to the charity stripe put UCF into the bonus quickly and force opposing defenses to play conservatively. It's a pick-your-poison approach to guarding the 6-foot-3 guard.

The Knights haven't had a prolific scorer of this magnitude since Jermaine Taylor in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Taylor averaged 20.8 points as a junior and 26.2 as a senior.

He declared for the 2009 NBA Draft, and the Washington Wizards selected him with the 32nd pick in the second round.

What's most impressive about Johnson's scoring tear isn't his efficiency; it's his commitment to becoming an active defender for coach Johnny Dawkins.

Dawkins is a defensive-minded coach. His UCF basketball philosophy is built on playing hard-nosed defense for 40 minutes and stringing together multiple stops.

Johnson isn't a point-of-attack defender who can take on the challenge of guarding the opposing team's best defender. He's doing the little things: making crisp rotations when the ball is flying and sticking his hands in the passing lane for steals.

Defense will ensure the Tarleton State transfer is on the floor for 30-plus minutes. Johnson is righting the wrongs of his first tenure with the Knights.

He played all 35 games coming off the bench and averaged 2.9 points in 8.5 minutes. His best outing came against the Villanova Wildcats last April, as he scored a season-best 13 points in a 104-98 overtime win in the College Basketball Crown.

Johnson transferred to Tarleton State, where he averaged 24 points on 51.8/53.8/84.9 splits, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals. His return to UCF bolstered a backcourt Dawkins revamped in April's transfer portal.

The Knights could have one of the program's best scorers in history, and that could bode well when Big 12 play starts in the new year.