UCF SG Dior Johnson Excited to Be Back With Program

As UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins looks to continue his program's momentum, he will have a lot more returning production that recent years.

Junior big man John Bol and last year's leading scorer Riley Kugel are both set to return, while Dawkins has brought in significant talent through the portal.

Dior Johnson, who spent the 2024-2025 season with UCF, is also set to return, rejoining the program after a stellar season at Tarelton State.

At the Big 12's Media Day, Johnson joined Dawkins and Wofford transfer guard Cayden Vasko as UCF's representatives, where he talked about his excitement to be back.

"The student section is great," Johnson said. "They love basketball. They love the school. Its a very big university. They embrace sports, and I'm so happy to be back."

Johnson got a limited taste of Big 12 basketball in his first stint with UCF, dealing with lingering injuries and strong guard depth.

In 35 appearances, Johnson averaged just 8.5 minutes per game, failing to crack the starting lineup.

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, knocking down three 3-pointers.

In the following offseason, Johnson had opportunities to transfer to another Power 4 school, but decided to bet on himself at Tarleton State.

Safe to say, it turned out, as Johnson averaged 24.0 points per game while shooting on stellar 50/47/85 splits.

More impressively, Johnson did so despite coming off the bench, serving as one of the best collegiate bench scorers in recent memory.

But, in late-July, Johnson talked about the importance of being an all-around player that can contribute to winning.

""I just want to be a winner," Johnson said. "I know everybody is high on my offense, wondering how its going to translate or what I'm going to do this year, but my play will speak for itself."

Although the Knights failed to come away with a win against LSU in the exhibition game, Johnson was one of the top contributors.

Showing the ability to score from all three levels, Johnson led the team with 18 points.

The former blue-chip high school recruit did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 16 of his 18 down the stretch.

As the season approaches, it will be interesting to see if Johnson is elevated to a starting position or if Dawkins uses his lethal scoring ability off the bench and in closing lineups.