The UCF Knights turned some heads in Big 12 play with an early upset of Kansas at home, but their first season in the league ended early.
The Knights finished 17-16 overall, with a 7-11 record in the Big 12 and a win in the Big 12 Tournament over Oklahoma State before falling to BYU. The Knights received an NIT bid but lost in the first round to South Florida.
Head coach Johnny Dawkins was offered a contract extension after the season. It didn’t lead to a lot of roster continuity, though, as the Knights were busy this offseason. More than half of the roster turned over.
In this edition of Portal Thoughts we look at where UCF is and what it has left to do before next season.
UCF’s Losses (5)
Five players are no longer listed on UCF’s roster. Four were listed as seniors or graduates. All four of them played solid roles for UCF last season.
Forward Ibrahima Diallo was their leading rebounder (5.6 rpg) and scored 6.3 points in 19 minutes per game. Guard Shemarri Allen averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 assists.
Guard Antwann Jones averaged 4.3 points in 13 minutes per game, while forward Omar Payne scored 4.2 points and grabbed 3.5 rebounds per game.
Guard Charlie May, who played in six games, is not listed on UCF’s current roster and is not listed as a transfer at VerbalCommits.com.
UCF’s Transfer Losses (7)
It was a rough season from a transfer portal perspective, as seven players moved on. Only two joined high-major programs, and, oddly, both remained in the Big 12.
Forward C.J. Walker left for TCU, a significant loss for the Knights after he averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. He was UCF’s third-leading scorer. The other was forward Marchelus Avery, who will join new coach Steve Lutz at Oklahoma State. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds a season ago.
The rest ended up at mid-major or low-major programs, with the exception of guard Michael Kalina, who is still looking for a destination after playing five games last season.
The rest played more than Kalina but definitely didn’t get that much run. Forward Thierno Sylla is off to Stephen F. Austin, while guard DeMarr Langford Jr. will play at Albany. Guard/forward Mintautas Mockus will see Sylla again as he joins Incarnate Word, which plays in SFA’s conference. Another guard, Comeh Emuobor, transferred to Siena.
UCF’s Transfer Gains (5-7)
It’s a range because there are a couple of players that are not on UCF’s roster yet.
Guard Keyshawn Hall, who was with George Mason last season, has the potential to make an immediate impact. He delivered 16.6 points and 8.1 rebounds last season for the Patriots while shooting nearly 36% from the 3-point line.
UCF signed experienced guard Dallan Coleman from Georgia Tech, where he averaged 5.9 points and 2.4 rebounds last year, his third in college basketball.
Lithuanian forward Rokas Jocius averaged 8.5 points and 5.4 rebounds with La Salle last season. He is capable of shooting 40% from the 3-point line.
Benny Williams transferred to UCF in May after he averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds with Syracuse. He was dismissed from the program in February, per the Daily Orange.
Forward JJ Taylor played three games for Memphis last season and is now with the Knights. He entered the transfer portal in January. He was a Top 200 recruit as a high school player in Chicago.
Guard Jordan Ivy-Curry is listed as a UCF transfer by Verbal Commits and was reported as a commit to the Knights by Yahoo! Sports last month. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists with UTSA and would be a huge get for the Knights. He is not listed on the Knights’ roster yet.
Guard Mikey Williams committed to UCF in January after he left Memphis amid legal trouble related to a 2023 incident when shots were allegedly fired at a carful of people who had left his residence. He was barred from playing for Memphis because he was facing felony charges, per Yahoo!. UCF has the same rule.
Williams pled to a lesser felony and is working to satisfy conditions that would allow the felony to be dropped to a misdemeanor, which would allow the former five-star recruit to enroll at UCF in August.
UCF’s Recruiting Gains (2)
The Knights announced that 7-foot-1 center Moustapha Thiam would reclassify from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2024, meaning his already enrolled for classes and available next season. The DME Academy product from Daytona Beach, Fla., was a Top 40 recruit nationally.
Orlando product Cameron Simpson is on the roster. He averaged 13.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in his senior season with Oak Ridge High School.
Set to Return (5)
The Knights don’t have much continuity from a season ago. But the good news is their top two scorers are back.
Guard Jaylin Sellers led the Knights in scoring, as he averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. He’s a senior, as is guard Darius Johnson, who averaged 15.2 points. He’ll also bring a team-leading 3.7 assists with him.
The rest are underclassmen that are hoping to make a bigger impact. Guard Tyler Hendricks played in just 14 games. Guard Nils Machowski played in 25 games as a true freshman and guard Poohpha Warakulnukroh only saw time in six games.
What’s Left?
It’s an interesting mix. Sellers and Johnson give the Knights a foundation. There is at least one high-impact transfer for certain, with two more depending upon how things go this summer. If Ivy-Curry and Williams both play, they could be the impact players that help the Knights take the next step in the Big 12.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
