ORLANDO – UCF men's basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins announced Tuesday the addition of graduate transfer C.J. Kelly to the program.
A 6-5 guard from Long Island, New York, Kelly spent the 2021-22 season with UMass where he played 29 games, starting 14. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, headlined by a season-high 24 points in an 85-83 win against Rutgers. Kelly finished that game 7-of-12 from the floor, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line.
"We're excited to add C.J. to our program," said Dawkins. "He's a great shooter that can really score and put the ball in the basket. He's also a great defender and is a versatile player that will help our team."
A prolific scorer, Kelly tallied 15 games in double figures and led the Minuteman in scoring five times. He was also strong on the glass, pulling down 118 rebounds headlined by a pair of games with 10 or more. Defensively, Kelly was often tasked with the defending the opposing team's best scorer and he collected 25 steals on the year.
As a sophomore, Kelly started all 14 games he played and led the team with 14.3 points per game. He averaged nearly 29 minutes per game and shot 48.5% from the floor (65-of-134), 27-of-65 from three (41.5%) and led Albany in scoring five times.
He poured in a career-high 27 points at Vermont on 8-of-17 shooting in 36 minutes, along with four assists and an 8-of-9 night from the free throw line in one of his best career performances. He reached double-figures 11 times in 2020-21, including three games with 20 or more points.
Prior to joining the Great Danes, Kelly played one season at Norfolk State in 2018-19. He appeared in 31 games with seven starts, averaging 4.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Gameday app right to your iOS or Android phone. The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news. Click here to download the app now.
