"It was heartbreak."
That's how Aubrey Dawkins remembers it. When he realized he was going to miss the entirety of the 2017-18 season because of a shoulder injury, it was crushing.
"I spent the whole (2016-17) season preparing with hopes of what would come the following year," Dawkins said. "I worked my butt off in practice, every workout. To make it all the way up to a couple weeks before our first game, it really, really hurt."
After transferring from Michigan to UCF to play for his Dad, Dawkins was only able to practice during his first year in Orlando. Due to NCAA transfer rules he had to sit out, marking the first time he ever missed a full season of basketball.
A two-year contributor for the Wolverines, Dawkins impressed his teammates and coaches in that first year of workouts for UCF. His athleticism, defense, shooting, and overall basketball IQ led many to believe he'd have an immediate impact for the Knights.
After the 2016-17 season, he played in a number of national camps during the summer, impressing scouts at the next level. He could be found as high as the late first round in NBA Mock Drafts this past fall.
Dawkins, in addition to the return of Tacko Fall, B.J. Taylor and A.J. Davis, was one of the main reasons pundits and fans had high expectations for UCF going into last season. Even the American Athletic Conference coaches picked the Knights to finish third in the league standings.
Then, the news broke. Dawkins needed surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Then more. Taylor fractured his foot in the first game of the season, sidelining the all-conference point guard for half the season.
As soon as Taylor returned, it happened again. Fall was out for the year.
"It was extremely disheartening," Dawkins said. "Obviously every team has problems, but sometimes it just felt like nothing was going our way. We really had to work to stay confident, stay positive. If we let it destroy us, we could have easily been below .500, but we didn't."
The Knights persevered, finished the campaign 19-13 with impressive wins over Alabama and Nebraska, and recorded a 9-9 record in The American.
Through it all, the team accomplished a number of things no other group of Knights had done before. The win on the road at no. 24 Alabama was the program's first true road victory over a ranked team. The triumphs over UConn and SMU marked a first since joining The American. And for the first time in program history, UCF defeated Memphis in Memphis.
"We fought, and that shows true character," Dawkins said of his team. "It's easy to do things when everything is going right, but it's hard to keep pushing when you're against all odds. It's hard to keep that motivation, that dedication when things are going wrong. It shows true character for the guys who were playing."
Not being out there with his teammates for the second year in a row, it gave Dawkins a new outlook on life and on basketball.
"There are no guarantees. There are no absolutes," he said. "Life can throw you all kinds of curve balls and that's what happened last year. So now I'm very much of the mindset, don't take any day for granted, don't take any workout for granted. Work your butt off, because you don't know when this game is going to be taken from you.
"It's the appreciation of the game," Dawkins went on to say. "Watching the NCAA Tournament, you watch these teams that have that love, have that passion, have that fight. Villanova, they had that sense of urgency. I look at it like this. This team we have together right now will never be together again. After the season, guys are going to graduate, guys are going to leave, so take advantage of it. Do all the little things. Do what the coaches say. It's all about getting better every day."
And once again, his team's going into a new year with high expectations.
Early in the off-season, NCAA.com's Andy Katz and CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein have both singled out UCF as the favorite in The American.
And although he recently received a waiver for two more seasons of NCAA eligibility, Dawkins is already the elder statesman. He's been in college for four years and has seen what it takes to succeed. This year's squad has what it takes.
"If we all bring our best to the table," he said. "We're a talented enough team to accomplish something great…to shock the world."
But it won't just happen because he says it can. Dawkins is a worker and knows that it will take everyone working to make that dream a reality.
"It's not a one-night success. It's a grind. It's a marathon," he said. "You have to put in the work, night in, night out. Nothing is given to you. I think our guys realize that. You have to attack every day and be grateful for it."
When all the off-season work is put in. The pre-season has come and gone. That day. That first day he is wearing that UCF uniform and stepping onto the court for the first time in over two years. It will all be worth it.
"Bliss. Pure bliss."
That's what he imagines feeling come November.
"I've been playing all my life, as long as I can remember, and there's nothing that can compare to playing in an actual game, especially at the college level," Dawkins said. "That level of competition. That level of care. That teamwork and having a bond with a group of guys, there's nothing that compares to it. It will put a smile on my face."
And for Aubrey Dawkins, that first game back will come with an added bonus. It will be his first time playing for Dad.
"I can't imagine the level of happiness," he said with a grin. "I imagine my mom, brother, my sisters seeing us together on the court for the first time, it's really going to hit home. You can't put a price tag on it. That's emotion you can't fake. It will be a genuine moment that I'll cherish the rest of my life and I can't wait for it."
RENEW FOR 2018-19
It's time to renew your tickets for the 2018-19 season! This year's deadline for renewal is April 16. Fans are encouraged to renew their UCF Basketball tickets today by calling (407) 823-1000 (Option 2) or visiting UCFKnights.com.
