ORLANDO – November is here and that means basketball season is right around the corner.
The UCF men's basketball team will open the 2021-22 campaign Wednesday, Nov. 10 as the Knights welcome Robert Morris to Addition Financial Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
The Knights are among the leaders in the country with 97 percent of their points scored and 96 percent of their minutes played from the 2020-21 season returning for the upcoming season.
Find out more about the key returners and fresh faces that will be suiting up in the backcourt for the black and gold in 2021-22.
#0 / DARIUS JOHNSON / FR. / 6-1 / 190 lbs.
A marquee addition for head coach Johnny Dawkins in the offseason, Darius Johsnon signed on to play with the Knights out of Episcopal High School in Virginia in November 2020. Johnson, a point guard who was ranked in the top 100 in the nation and as high as the fourth best player out of the state of Virginia, gets to see a familiar face around the gym every day in his father Kelvin Johnson, who has served as the team's director of player development since 2017.
Johnson averaged 21 points, six rebounds and three assists per game as a junior for Episcopal in 2019-20. He helped lead the school to an 18-7 record and a trip to the Interstate Athletic Conference Championship Game.
A four-star recruit by both Rivals and ESPN, Johnson earned first-team All-VISAA Division I honors and second-team Washington Post All-Met in 2019-20.
Dawkins on Johnson
"We're thrilled to have signed Darius. Having known him for a long time, we know the type of high character and talented player we're getting. Darius has a great feel for the game and has the potential to be a terrific point guard for us. We're excited to officially welcome Darius into the UCF family."
#1 / TONY JOHNSON JR. / JR. / 6-3 / 185 lbs.
- 2019-20: 75 pts., 30 ast., 12 stls., 8 3-pt FG
- Career Highs: 21 pts., 9 rebs., 6 ast., 6 stls.
Johnson didn't see much time last season as an injury halted his season during the first game of the year. In the season opening win against Auburn, Johnson scored eight points on 2-of-4 shooting from 3-point range and added one assist and a steal before in just one half.
In 2020-21 as a freshman, he appeared in 20 games and started twice. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing 11.8 minutes per game. He was named to American Athletic Conference Honor Roll after averaging 18.0 points per game in wins at Cincinnati (Feb. 19) and against Tulane (Feb. 22).
#2 / DARIUS PERRY / 5th YR. / 6-2 / 185 lbs.
- 2020-21: 14.7 ppg, 3.42 apg, 3.6 rpg, .405 FG%
- Career Highs: 27 points, 7 assists, 11 rebounds, 6 3-pt FG
A first-year Knight in 2020-21, Darius Perry was UCF's leading scorer last season as a senior, ranking seventh in the American Athletic Conference with 14.7 points per game. A third-team all-conference honoree, Perry also led UCF in assists with 3.4 per contest.
Perry came to UCF from Louisville, where he played in 100 games and started 40 in three seasons. He averaged 5.3 points per game over his last two seasons with the Cardinals, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range as a junior and 82.4 percent from the free throw line in his career.
#5 / P.J. EDWARDS / FR. / 6-4 / 200 lbs.
A 6-foot-4 combo guard originally out of Springfield, Illinois, Edwards was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals and was ranked as high as the 17th-best player out of the state of North Carolina when head coach Johnny Dawkins signed him at the beginning of 2021.
Edwards averaged 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals per game, while leading Liberty Heights to a 24-3 record and ranking as high as second in the state of North Carolina.
Dawkins on Edwards
"We're excited to bring P.J. in as a member of our UCF family. He's a talented player who will have a positive impact on our program. P.J. can come in and defend immediately and he's a good scorer with the ability to shoot it consistently from 3-point range. We can't wait to get him on campus."
#10 / LEVY RENAUD / SR. / 6-2 / 185 lbs.
Serving as a team captain for the third straight year in 2021-22, Levy Renaud hasn't seen much action on the court during his career, but his presence as a teammate from the bench cannot be understated.
Renaud enters his fourth season with the Knights in 2021-22. In his freshman season in 2018-19, he was a part of the UCF team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Renaud will once again look to help the Knights return to the big dance in 2021-22.
#11 / TYEM FREEMAN / R-SO. / 6-6 / 210 lbs.
A native of Springfield, Missouri, Freeman was named a National Junior College Association of America first-team All-American as a freshman at Indian Hills Community College in 2020-21.
The 6-foot-6 guard was the only freshman to earn the accolade as he averaged 18.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 52.2 percent from the field.
Freeman led Indian Hills to a 21-3 record, a Region XI Championship, and a no. 6 overall ranking as a freshman. He joins the Knights as a sophomore, but technically has four years of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 extra year.
Dawkins on Freeman
"We're excited to bring Tyem into the UCF Family. He's a versatile player and terrific athlete. He can make a difference at both ends of the floor and can make plays for himself and others. Tyem is going to be a great asset to our program."
#13 / BRANDON MAHAN / 5th YR. / 6-5 / 205 lbs.
- 2020-21: 12.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, 5.0 rpg, 43.8 FG%, 90.6 FT%
- Career Highs: 32 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, 6 3-pt FG
Mahan picked up his first career AAC preseason nod this season as he was selected preseason second-team all-conference. The Birmingham, Alabama native broke out in his second year with the Knights in 2020-21. He totaled 12.3 points per game and was tied for the UCF high with 5.0 rebounds per contest. The six-foot-five guard owns an 84.0 free throw percentage during his career with the Knights, currently the highest mark in program history.
Mahan ranked sixth in the nation with his 90.6 percent mark from the free throw line and was third in the American Athletic Conference with a 43.8 percent clip from 3-point range in 2020-21. He was also Top 15 in The American in threes made per game, field goal percentage, and minutes played per game, helping him to earn third-team all-conference honors following the end of the regular season.
Mahan's best outing from last season was his 32-point effort in UCF's win at 15th-ranked Florida State on Dec. 19. He went 10-of-13 from the field and 10-of-10 from the line to top the Seminoles.
#22 / DARIN GREEN JR. / JR. / 6-4 / 185 lbs.
- 2020-21: 11.3 ppg, 1.0 apg, 2.9 rpg, 53 3-pt FG
- Career Highs: 26 points, 3 steals, 6 rebounds, 6 3-pt FG
Darin Green Jr. had another successful season on the court for the Knights during the 2020-21 season, averaging 11.3 points per game, which ranked 17th in the conference and third on the team. The Charlotte, North Carolina product also led the Knights with 53 made 3-pointers and ranked seventh in the league with 2.3 made threes per game.
Green was also monumental in UCF's 86-74 win over then 15th-rated Florida State last season as he knocked down six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 20 points against the Seminoles.
#24 / DRE FULLER JR. / R-JR. / 6-5 / 215 lbs.
- 2020-21: 7.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, 4.7 rpg
- Career Highs: 14 points, 5 steals, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks
Dre Fuller Jr. was once again a solid contributor for the Knights throughout the 2020-21 season, starting 14 times in 23 games as a sophomore. He averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while dishing out 57 assists and snagging 24 steals on the year.
The Fayetteville, North Carolina native scored in double figures five times throughout the season, including 13-point performances against Auburn and Wichita State.
SEASON AND SINGLE-GAME TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets for the 2021-22 campaign are on sale now. Fans looking to purchase tickets can call (407) 823-1000 or visit UCFKnights.com to secure them today. For men's basketball tickets CLICK HERE.
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