UCF's Dior Johnson Earns National Honors Following High-Scoring Week

Entering the 2026-2027 season, UCF men's basketball is once again going to have to gel together in limited time, as head coach Johnny Dawkins has done a lot of work in the transfer portal.

Dior Johnson, who was Dawkins' highest-ranked get out of the portal, was one very intriguing addition, returning to Orlando for his second stint with the program.

Thus far, Johnson has been excellent, leading the country in scoring at 34.5 points per game through his first two appearances.

His efficiency has also been stellar, shooting a whopping 68.8% from the field and 66.7% from 3-point range.

Following his standout week, Johnson was named the Lute Olson award National Player of the Week, which previews some of the talents competing for the end-of-season award given to the top player in division I.

This is a big honor for Johnson this early into the season, and should keep his confidence at an all-time high as the Knights progress throughout non-conference play.

The former blue chip high school recruit burst onto the scene in his first game back with UCF, scoring a game-high 41 points in a 96-95 victory over Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU).

Not only was it the highest debut scoring output in program history, but Johnson's 41 also represented the third-most points scored by a UCF Knight in the D1 era.

Very early in the game, Johnson got going from the mid-range, pouring in a quick seven points and beginning to get hot.

This carried over throughout the game, with Johnson converting on 13-of-15 shot attempts.

Johnson also tied his career-high mark with four made 3-pointers, showing his ability to score from all three levels.

Getting to the free-throw line has also been a main tool for Johnson, who is averaging 11.5 attempts from the charity stripe per game.

Following his 41-point outburst, Johnson once again was UCF's lead scorer, dropping 28 points against Yale.

The former Tarleton State standout also recorded seven rebounds and two steals, displaying a level of versatility that was talked about by Johnson throughout the offseason.

At Tarleton State, Johnson was an elite scorer, but didn't do much outside of putting the ball in the hoop.

Upon his return to UCF, Johnson was focused on finding more ways to contribute to winning, which was displayed against the Bulldogs.

UCF and Johnson are back in action Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m. against South Alabama.

The Jaguars are 1-1 on the season, beating Jacksonville State, but falling to Ohio in their season opener.