Men's Hoops Hosts No. 17 Kansas to Begin Big 12 Play

Now you’re Dawkin; Knights Start 11-1            

• Since head coach Johnny Dawkins took the helm in 2016, the Knights have never opened a season quite like this, as their electrifying 11-1 start stands as the best of his tenure. Their win over Florida Atlantic on Dec. 23 also pushed their streak to 10 straight victories, the longest ever by a Dawkins-led team and the longest since the 2010-11 season when the squad opened the season on a 14-0 tear.
• More to note: Dawkins’ team is one of three in the Big 12 with just one loss entering conference play, joined by Oklahoma State, No. 8 Houston, and No. 10 BYU, while No. 1 Arizona and No. 3 Iowa State remain undefeated.
• Beyond Dawkins’ own record-breaking start, his group has already left its mark in the program record book, as the Knights set a new single-game record with 19 made three-pointers in their Dec. 20 win over FGCU, surpassing the previous mark of 17 set against Tulsa on Feb. 11, 2023.
• Dawkins has his core group locked down early, as the Knights have yet to lose with Riley Kugel, Themus Fulks, Jamichael Stillwell, Jordan Burks, and John Bol in the starting lineup.

Fulks Controls The Flow            

•  Milwaukee transfer Themus Fulks has quickly established himself as UCF’s floor general, ranking second in the Big 12 and eighth nationally with 86 assists (7.2 apg) across 12 games. He delivered his most impressive performance in the Knights’ win over Quinnipiac on Nov. 25, dishing out 13 assists, the most by a UCF player in more than a decade. That effort left him just one shy of the program’s single-game record of 14, held by Kingsley Edwards and Cory Perry.
• Notes to watch: Should Fulks maintain a seven-assist per game average across the regular season, he’d shatter the previous program single-season assist record of 183 set in the 1991-92 season by Sinua Phillips.
  1 Fulks is one of only two players in the Big 12 with at least three games with 10 or more assists, and one of seven across the Power Four.
• Heading into conference play, Fulks has directly contributed 160 points himself and another 209 through his assists, giving him responsibility for 369 of UCF’s 1060 total points. That means he has accounted for an impressive 34.8 percent of the Knights’ total scoring production this season  
• Fulks has recorded two point-assist double-doubles this season: 11 points and 10 assists against Oakland, and an impressive 24 points and 12 assists in the win over FAU. That makes him one of only three Knights this century, alongside Isaiah Sykes and Darius Johnson, to post two point-assist double-doubles in a single season. No guard has ever recorded three in one season.

The 4 Factor            

• Number four, Jamichael Stillwell, who transferred from Milwaukee alongside Fulks, has become a dominant two-way presence for the Knights, already recording five double-doubles across 12 games. Unsurprising for the senior who averaged 13 points and 10.7 rebounds last season. He ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally with 48 offensive rebounds, highlighted by a career-best 10 in the win over VMI, which ties him for second all-time in program history for offensive boards in a single game.
• Notes to watch: Stillwell is on pace to surpass UCF’s single-season double-double record of 12, set by Tacko Fall during the 2016-17 season. Notably, Stillwell recorded 16 double-doubles last season at Milwaukee.
• Fall also set UCF’s single-season offensive rebounding record in 2016-17 with 129, another benchmark Stillwell could challenge if he maintains his production on the offensive glass throughout the season.
• It is worth noting that Fall was a true center, but no forward has surpassed 100 offensive rebounds in a single season, a benchmark that Stillwell is already almost halfway towards.
• Stillwell’s five double-doubles tie him for third-most in the Big 12 as non-conference play concludes, and rank third in program history for double-doubles during non-conference competition, trailing only 2012-13 Keith Clanton (7) and 2016-17 Tacko Fall (8).

Rising Through The Ranks            

• As of Dec. 30, UCF ranks 36th in the NCAA NET. The Knights have climbed as high as 31st this season, their best NET position since joining the Big 12, and have shown far more movement than in their first two seasons, when they sat 80th at this point in 2024 and 70th in 2023.
• Notes to watch: UCF’s eight quad 1-3 wins as of Dec. 30 are tied for the second most in Division I with No. 7 Gonzaga, trailing only No. 2 Michigan, which leads the nation with 10.
• UCF’s remaining schedule includes eight quad 1 games and seven quad 2 games. The Knights are 1-1 in quad 1, having swept Texas A&M in a home-and-home series, but fell to now No. 11 Vanderbilt.
• Dawkins’ 2018-19 team finished nonconference play ranked 46th in the NCAA NET Rankings, though they climbed as high as 26 before ending their season in the tournament’s second round.

Bench Brigade            

• Depth has been a defining trait for the 2025-26 roster, with six different players leading the team in scoring through 12 games. A balance that has translated to one of the Big 12’s most productive benches, as the Black and Gold are averaging 28.8 points per game from their reserves, fourth-best in the conference, highlighted by a 51-point bench performance in the win over Florida A&M on Nov. 11.
• Notes to watch: The Knights’ bench reached a program high in 2010-11, scoring 828 points at an average of 25.5 per game. So far, the 2025-26 reserves have amassed 345 points, hinting that this year’s bench could emerge as one of the most efficient in recent history.
• Among the UCF’s bench contributors are key sharpshooters like Carmelo Pacheco, who has scored 66 of his 78 points this season from beyond the arc. Pacheco ranked fourth in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal percentage last season at 46.4 percent and is looking to match that again, currently maintaining a strong 40.0 percent.
• Beyond scoring, the bench has contributed 148 rebounds so far, echoing Coach Dawkins’ 2023-24 unit, which set a program record with 475 rebounds, a mark this year’s group is already more than a quarter of the way toward.

Record Night vs. FGCU

• A program record night from the three-point range and a balanced scoring effort that saw five Knights reach double figures, as the Knights rolled past FGCU, 102-80, on Saturday, December 20.
• The three-point barrage was led by Jordan Burks, who drilled a career-high six triples on his way to a game-high 23 points, also a personal best for the Alabama native.
• Jamichael Stillwell finished the night with 14 points and 13 rebounds to earn his second consecutive double-double and fifth of the season. His 13 rebounds included eight on the offensive glass, pushing his season total to 46 offensive boards, the second most in the Big 12.
• Devan Cambridge finished the night with 16 points, the outing marked his first double-digit scoring performance of the season and highest total as a Knight. The Nashville native was nearly perfect from the field, knocking down 6-of-7 attempts, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the three-point line.
• Chris Johnson (12) and Themus Fulks (21) added to the quintet of double digits scorers. Fulks and Johnson also directed the offense throughout the night, each handing out five assists.
• John Bol made an impact on the glass, pulling down a carerr-high nine rebounds. 

Beating Florida Foes    

•  UCF has found success against in-state opponents under head coach Johnny Dawkins, going 31-11 against teams from Florida since his arrival. The Knights swept the Florida foes this season, as they faced Florida A&M, FGCU and Florida Atlantic adding three wins to Dawkin’s record against Florida teams.
• UCF added two tallies to the win column last season with the 100-94 win over Florida Atlantic on Nov. 12 and the 86-66 victory over Jacksonville on Dec. 21.
• The Knights have topped Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Florida, Stetson, FIU, Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M during Johnny Dawkins’ tenure as UCF’s head coach and added Florida Atlantic to that list last season.

Stillwell Tabbed to Big 12 Starting Five            

• UCF senior Jamichael Stillwell was named to the Big 12 Starting Five, the first Knight in program history to earn the weekly honor
• The Big 12 Starting Five recognizes five top performers across the league each week
• Logged second double-double of the season in the win over Pittsburgh: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 32 minutes
• Recorded first double-double of the season (and UCF’s first of the year) vs. Oakland: 20 points, 14 rebounds, 8-of-13 shooting

Legends Classic Sweep            

• UCF wrapped up the Legends Classic with a 2-0 slate against Pitt and Quinnipiac
• The Knights earned a 77–67 win over Pitt in the Legends Classic at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach
• The Knights outrebounded the Panthers 37–28 and shot 52.5% while holding Pitt to 38.9%
• Riley Kugel was named Legends Classic MVP with 18 points and four assists
• Themus Fulks also scored 18 points and tied his career high by going 3-for-3 from three
• Jamichael Stillwell posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double
• The Black and Gold came out victorious against Quinnipiac, 102-91, in Addition Financial Arena
• Five players hit double digits in points for the Knights: Jeremy Foumena (18), Kugel (16), Jordan Burks (13), John Boll (13) and Chris Johnson (11)
• The Knights got themselves into a 10-point deficit early in the second quarter, but UCF quickly found its rhythm and strung together a quick 7-0 run over the span of a minute, cutting the deficit to 64-63
• UCF went on to hold the Bobcats scoreless for nearly seven minutes, Foumena recorded back-to-back dunks that punctuated the surge and stretched the Knights’ lead to 72-66.
• From there, the Black and Gold never looked back, surrendering only 19 points until the final minute. They piled up 15 defensive rebounds and forced five turnovers in the second half to seal a 102-91 victory

On Point from the Long Range            

• UCF broke a program record with 19 three-pointers in the game against FGCU (12/20), the previous record was 17 against Tulsa (2/11/23)
• The Knights are currently ranked 11th in the nation with a 39.8 three-point percentage
• Transfers George Beale Jr. and Carmelo Pacheco shot the three-ball above 40% last season
• Both Beale Jr. Pacheco averaged 6.3 three-point attempts per game on their two previous teams, respectively
• UCF earned 10 or more three-pointers for the 14th time last season against Oregon State, hitting 10 or more threes in four of its last five games after not doing so for the entire month of February. The streak included tying a season-high 14 made threes vs. Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Championship. To put in perspective the shooting capability of this year’s team, the Knights hit 10 or more three pointers just twice last season. Additionally, UCF has five games where they’ve shot 50% or better from the floor after doing that four times in the previous campaign.
• The Black and Gold have knocked down a program record 328 three pointers last season, reaching the milestone during the College Basketball Crown first round. The mark tops the 295 made triples during the 2022-23 season.

1K Point Club            

• Riley Kugel recorded his 1,000th career point against Oakland on Nov. 17.
• Kugel tallied 18 points in the game, marking his fifth consecutive game with double digits in points.
• The Orlando native joins fellow teammates: Themus Fulks and Devan Cambridge, as they have both scored over 1,000 points in their career.

Complete Sweep against Texas A&M            

• UCF took down Texas A&M, 86-74, on Nov. 14 at Reed Arena in College and last season opened up the season against then No. 13/15 earning a 64-61 win inside Addition Financial Arena on Nov. 4, 2024.
• The Knights dug their way out of a 14-point hole in the second quarter, mounting a 15-7 run powered by back-to-back threes from Jordan Burks to pull within striking distance at 61-59 with 7:42 remaining. Burks finished the night with a career-high 21 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, also a career-best for made three-point shots in a single game.
• UCF erased an 11-point deficit with seven minutes to go to come from behind to beat No. 13/15 Texas A&M 64-61 last season in the home opener on Nov. 4, 2024.
• Texas A&M was the third ranked opponent UCF has played on opening night in the program’s D-I history, joining tilts against No. 16 Florida State (11/25/88) and No. 25 Miami (11/19/99). Neither of those resulted in a win.
• Last year’s ranked victory was the 11th in program history and the ninth under head coach Johnny Dawkins.

Dominant Team Victory vs. Florida A&M            

• The Knights shined in the first half, as 12 different players scored a bucket. This marks the most players to record a bucket in a game since playing Kansas State Jan. 6, 2024.
• UCF’s 24 team assists is the most in a game since recording 23 assists vs. Bethune-Cookman Dec. 29, 2023.
• The Black and Gold were lighting it up from beyond the arc, knocking down 13 three-pointers and shooting 65% from downtown. This marks UCF’s best shooting percentage from three with 20-plus attempts in a game since shooting 60% vs. Michigan Dec. 30, 2021.
• Jordan Burks recorded a career-high performance with 17 points and came up with a crucial block and an offensive rebound in the closing second to help lead the team.
• The fronds were in full effect in the in-state battle, as Florida A&M shot 12-22 from the charity stripe. Florida A&M’s 55% from the free throw line is the lowest by a team in Addition Financial Arena since Houston’s 50% Mar. 6, 2024.

Top 25 In Height    

• According to KenPom, the Black and Gold are rnaked 23rd nationally with an average height of 6’5”.
• There are only three teams that UCF will face that are on-average taller, those being Arizona, Arizona State, and Cincinnati.

Setting the Stage    

• In the Knights’ season opener against Hofstra, 10 new Knights stepped on the hardwood in Addition Financial Arena for the first time donning the Black and Gold
• Three Knights delivered career-best performances in the win. Orlando native Riley Kugel sparked the offense early, knocking down a career-high five three-pointers in the first half. Jordan Burks added a career-best 17 points and led the team with seven rebounds, while John Bol chipped in a personal-best seven points to round out the strong individual efforts.

SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF men's basketball single-match and season tickets are on sale now. Be sure to catch all the action at Addition Financial Arena. Tickets can be purchased online at ucfknights.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.