Opening Knight
- UCF opens the 2025-26 campaign against Hofstra, marking the 10th consecutive season the Knights have opened up at home.
- The matchup against the Pride will be the first time the two teams have met on the hardwood in program history.
- There are just 22 head coaches at the NCAA Division I level that have played in the NBA, Monday’s matchup is unique as both coaches played in the NBA. Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton was drafted 20th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2000 and he went on to play seven seasons in the league. Johnny Dawkins spent nine seasons in the NBA after being selected 10th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 1986.
- Hofstra returns five players from last season and brought in six transfers, as they were picked to finish 8th in the Coastal Athletic Conference. Returner Cruz Davis was tabbed to preseason first team.
Dawkins' Homecoming in Durham
- For the first time in UCF program history, the Knights played in Cameron Indoor against Duke in an exhibition game on Oct. 21.
- The exhibition was part of Duke men’s basketball series called the “Brotherhood Run”, a tradition in which Duke invites former players who are now collegiate head coaches back to Durham for a matchup.
- Prior to the game, Coach Dawkins was honored at half court by Duke head coach Jon Scheyer and former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, they handed him a commemorative basketball.
- Head Coach Johnny Dawkins returned to his alma mater, where he was a two-time consensus All-American and was enshrined in the Duke Hall of Fame in September 1996, when his No. 24 jersey was retired.
- Dawkins stepped back onto the hardwood at Cameron for the first time since 2008, when he was an associate head coach at Duke.
- The last matchup between the two teams took place on March 24, 2019, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, where the Blue Devils advanced following a narrow 77-76 victory.
- Dawkins played at Duke for Coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1982-86. He is regarded as a key early figure in the program’s ascent to becoming a national power. Dawkins and company began to build the foundation for Duke basketball after a sub-.500 freshman season. The Blue Devils finished 24-10 the following campaign, sparking back-to-back NCAA Tournament Second Round appearances. His senior season culminated with a 37-3 record and a National Championship game appearance.
- Throughout his time at Duke, Dawkins piled up 2,556 points, a mark that stood as the school’s scoring record until 2006 and remains second all-time. He was a two-time consensus All-American, a four-time All-ACC selection, four-time team MVP, and was the recipient of the 1986 Naismith National Player of the Year award.
New Knights
- UCF lost 100% of its scoring from last season and is one of five Power Four teams to not bring back any returning scoring, joined by Baylor, Miami, Indiana and West Virginia.
- The Knights’ newcomers that played last season averaged 86.1 points per game in total at their respective schools, led by Themus Fulks’ 14.6 and both George Beale Jr. and Jamichael Stillwell averaging 13.0.
- Devan Cambridge is heading into his sixth year of college basketball, previously playing with Auburn, Arizona State and Texas Tech. In Cambridge’s most-recent season with the Red Raiders, he reached the 1,000-point milestone.
- Fulks enters his fifth year of college hoops, previously playing for South Carolina State, Louisiana, and Milwaukee. Fulks ranked 22nd in the NCAA last season with an impressive 5.9 assists per game.
- UCF has three incoming senior transfers in Riley Kugel, Beale Jr. and Stillwell. Kugel posted double figures in 17 games while managing a 43.3 field goal percentage last season at Mississippi State. Beale scored 62 three-pointers in his past season at Hampton, the 12th most in the CAA while maintaining a 39.5 three-point percentage. Stillwell was a double-double magician at Milwaukee, earning 16 double-doubles to tie for 11th-most in the NCAA last season.
- The Knights bring in four incoming Juniors: Jeremy Foumena, Carmelo Pacheco, Chris Johnson and Jordan Burks. Foumena appeared in 28 games off the bench for Rhode Island, averaging 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Pacheco was lights-out from the three at Mount St. Mary’s, knocking down four or more three-pointers in a game 10 times and averaged 46.8% from downtown last season. Johnson, despite only playing in three games last season, averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for Stephen F. Austin. Burks scored double-digits in nine games with Georgetown while maintaining a 52.1 shooting percentage.
- Kris Parker and John Bol are the two incoming sophomore transfers. Parker appeared in 27 games for Villanova and played an average of 10 minutes per game, averaging 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Bol was named as a top recruit in the state of Georgia and the eighth best center in the 2024 class by ESPN.
- UCF brings in freshman Zach Johnson and Tanner Jones. Johnson competed for IV Greatness Academy and averaged 30 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. Jones played 21 games at Campbell Hall, averaging 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Knights On The Road
- After the exhibition game at Cameron Indoor, the Knights have road matchups in the non-conference and Big 12 conference slate that consist of teams that are known for protecting their home court.
- The Knights head to College Station to face the Texas A&M Aggies for their lone non-conference road matchup. The Aggies are 54-13 in their last four years at Reed Arena, going 7-0 in their non-conference home games last season.
- UCF will face Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones are 60-10 their past four seasons. Iowa State won 29 straight home games before losing to Kansas State on February 1, 2025.
- Two of the toughest Big 12 venues to play in are Houston and Iowa State. UCF heads to the Fertitta Center to play Houston after two years of not previously playing there. The Cougars are 33-1 at home since joining the Big 12 in July 2023.
Foes with March Madness Pedigree
- Along with the exhibition game against a NCAA Final Four team in Duke, come regular season play, the Knights will play eight teams who appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season.
- The nine Big 12 teams the Knights will host have punched 49 tickets to the NCAA Tournament over the last decade. Kansas leads the way with nine appearances in the last 10 seasons with Baylor boasting eight and Arizona and Texas Tech reaching March Madness seven times.
- The nine Big 12 teams the Knights will host have punched 49 tickets to the NCAA Tournament over the last decade. Kansas leads the way with nine appearances in the last 10 seasons with Baylor boasting eight and Arizona and Texas Tech reaching March Madness seven times.
- Last season, Texas Tech reached the Elite Eight and Houston wound up in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Milwaukee duo
- Themus Fulks and Jamichael Stillwell both had breakout years with Milwaukee in the 2024-2025 season after their first year playing together. Fulks and Stillwell bring their talents to Orlando to continue their duo chemistry.
- Fulks and Stillwell bring elite scoring, dropping 14.6 points and 13.0 points per game, respectively.
- Fulks assisted the ball at a high level with the Panthers last season, putting him at ninth nationally for returning assist leaders at 5.9 assists per game.
- Stillwell recorded 10.7 rebounds per game last season, putting him fifth nationally for returning rebound leaders at 10.7 rebounds per game. Stillwell’s 16 double-doubles last season put him at No. 5 nationally for top returning double-double leaders.
- Stillwell’s efforts on the glass for the Panthers put the team at second nationally in rebound margin, fifth in offensive rebounds per game, and 21st in rebounds per game.
- Milwaukee went 13-5 last season when Fulks and Stillwell each played 25-plus minutes in a game.