As a veteran coach for close to three decades, UCF men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins knows there is no secret ingredient to help a team instantly bond together. It takes a lot of effort to build chemistry that enables a team to succeed.
But in today’s day and age of college athletics, where pay-for-play can flip a roster as quickly as it can destroy it, it’s crucial to be able to adapt.
“You need to keep it more simple and simplify things a little more so that they aren’t having to go into depth, but they’re getting the foundational things and the fundamental things that they need to be successful with,” Dawkins said of his approach to help build chemistry with so many new faces.
That approach is particularly crucial with UCF featuring 13 newcomers.
Eleven transfers and two freshmen have joined returning backups Elijah Hulsewe and Poohpha Warakulnukroh to make up the Knights’ roster. The team is one of five Power Four teams not to bring back any returning scoring from last season, along with Baylor, Miami, Indiana and West Virginia.
Seniors Themus Fulks (Milwaukee), Devan Cambridge (Texas Tech), Riley Kugel (Mississippi State), George Beale Jr. (Hampton) and Jamichael Stillwell (Milwaukee), juniors Jeremy Founema (Mississippi State), Carmelo Pancheco (Mount St. Mary’s), Chris Johnson (Stephen F. Austin) and Jordan Burks (Georgetown), sophomores Kris Parker (Villanova) and John Bol (Ole Miss) and freshman Zach Johnson (Greatness Academy) and Tanner Jones(IMG Academy) make up the newcomers on the roster.
Throughout the years, while UCF’s roster has undergone many changes, one constant has remained: Darius Johnson.
As the point guard for the Knights over the past four seasons, Johnson brought invaluable leadership on and off the court. His graduation this spring presented a significant challenge for Dawkins and his coaching staff as they navigate this transition.
“Having someone that I’ve been able to rely on at that position for several years, it’s rare these days to have a player like Darius. He may be the last player like that. So it was great having him for all four seasons,” said Dawkins. “Now, what you want to do is try to recruit guys that fit the system. We think we were able to do that. Once they learn who I am and what I expect, they’ll be able to go out there and compete at a high level for us.”
UCF forward Devan Cambridge (35) does interviews during basketball media day in Addition Financial Arena. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
The last two seasons in the Big 12 have provided a valuable learning experience for Dakwins and the Knights, who have managed to secure just seven conference wins in each season.
“We’re growing along with learning the league and part of that is just gaining experience,” said Dawkins. “We found that we were one of the smaller teams in our conference, physically, over the last several years. So we tried to get a little more length, a little more physicality to face the teams that we have to play against.”
UCF’s roster has seen an increase in size, with the average height rising from 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds in 2023 to an impressive 6-foot-7 and 206 pounds.
“Throughout league play, you get beat up pretty good in this league,” he added. “It’s very physical and that took its toll on us the last couple of seasons. So, we tried to size up in some of our positions and get a little more length and a little more weight.”
Size is sure to help UCF as it looks to return to a more defensive-minded team.
Opponents averaged 80.4 points per game against the Knights last season, the most points allowed under Dawkins and the most allowed since the 1991-92 season.
“They understand the importance of every defensive possession,” Dawkins said of his newcomers. “It starts with that, and then they have to understand the technique and positioning or where they need to be consistently, but I do like their attitude from the standpoint that they want to compete defensively.”
It’s an important step considering the 11 transfers joining the UCF roster averaged a combined 86.1 points per game last season.
“Most of these players come from scoring,” said Dawkins. “When you get a lot of players who have scored throughout the years, in any program, the toughest thing to teach them is to understand the importance of how you have to defend on a nightly basis to be successful consistently.”
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The Big 12 remains one of the premier college basketball conferences in the country, as proven by the league landing six teams in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll released last week.
UCF hasn’t finished higher than 11th in the conference through its first two seasons and the Knights were picked to finish 14th in the preseason coaches’ poll.
To say there is plenty of pressure facing Dawkins and the team this year is an understatement.
“The expectation is not going to change for me ever,” Dawkins said. “We always are going to have a championship vision. That’s in our conference and nationally. I won’t do it any other way.”
2025-26 UCF men’s basketball schedule
Oct. 26: vs. LSU* — Noon, ESPN+
Nov. 3: vs. Hofstra — 8 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 8: vs. Vanderbilt — 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 11: vs. FAMU — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 14: at Texas A&M — 8 p.m., SECN+
Nov. 17: vs. Oakland — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 20: Pittsburgh# — 7 p.m., ESPN2
Nov. 25: vs. Quinnipiac — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 29: vs. VMI — 1 p.m., ESPN+
Dec. 7: vs. Towson — 4 p.m., ESPN+
Dec. 17: vs. Mercer — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Dec. 20: vs. Florida Gulf Coast — TBA
Dec. 23: vs. FAU% — TBA
Jan. 3: vs. Kansas — 2 p.m., Peacock
Jan. 6: at Oklahoma State — 8 p.m., ESPN+
Jan. 11: vs. Cincinnati — 5 p.m., ESPN2
Jan. 14: at Kansas State — 8 p.m., Peacock
Jan. 17: vs Arizona — 4 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Jan. 20: at Iowa State — 7 p.m., CBSSN
Jan. 24: at Colorado — 3 p.m., ESPN+
Jan. 27: vs. Arizona State — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Jan. 31: vs. Texas Tech — Noon, ESPN2
Feb. 4: at Houston — 7 p.m., FS1
Feb. 8: at Cincinnati — 2 p.m., CBSSN
Feb. 14: vs. West Virginia — 6 p.m., FS1
Feb. 17: vs. TCU — 7 p.m., ESPN+
Feb. 21: at Utah — 9 p.m., ESPN+
Feb. 24: at BYU — 11 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Feb. 28: vs. Baylor — 8 p.m., FS1
March 3: vs. Oklahoma State — 7 p.m., ESPN+
March 6: at West Virginia — 8 p.m., CBSSN
# Legends Classic at Ocean Center in Daytona Beach
% Festiball – Neutral Site TBD
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
Originally Published: October 22, 2025 at 12:14 PM EDT