GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Nov. 6
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Austin Lyon (PxP), BJ Taylor (Analyst), Sydney Jones (Sideline)
Radio: FM 96.9/AM 740 The Game
Radio Talent: Eric Lopez (PxP)
Live Stats: click here
STARTING FIVE- QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
- The 2026-27 roster is composed of 11 newcomers and four returners with three true freshmen.
- Dior Johnson returns to UCF after spending last season at Tarleton State where he averaged 24.0 points per game and was named the Western Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year along with Second Team All-WAC.
- During the offseason, Coach Dawkins signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the Knights through 2028-29.
- Cayden Vasko was ranked 5th in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.85) during the 2025-26 season while at Wofford.
- Last season, UCF earned an AP Top 25 ranking after beating No. 17 Kansas and owns four Quad 1 wins.
OPENING KNIGHT WIN OVER FGCU
- UCF opened the season with a 96-95 overtime victory over FGCU, improving to 10-1 in season openers under head coach Johnny Dawkins and earning its first overtime win since the 2026 Big 12 Championship victory over Cincinnati.
- The Knights have won seven consecutive games against in-state opponents dating back to Nov. 12, 2024, and are now 6-0 in their last six games when shooting 50% or better from three-point range after hitting 9-of-18 (.500) from deep against FGCU.
- UCF's depth was on full display in the opener as the Knights' bench contributed 42 points, led by Lewis Walker (16) and Arturo Dean (15). UCF also limited FGCU to just 11 bench points and only one point off turnovers.
- Dior Johnson delivered one of the most prolific performances in program history with 41 points, setting the UCF Division I record for points scored in a season opener and recording the highest-scoring game by a Knight since Darius Johnson's 42-point outing against Villanova in 2025 along with becoming first Big 12 player ever to score at least 40 points in a season opener.
- Johnson extended his streak of consecutive 20-point games to five, recorded his third career 40-point game, matched his career high with four made three-pointers while shooting 100% from beyond the arc and posted a career-best 86.7% field-goal percentage.
- Walker's 16-point opener stretched his double-digit scoring streak to 14 consecutive games. During that span, he is averaging 20.4 points per game and ranks among a small group of active Division I players with streaks of at least 14 straight games scoring 10-plus points
- Center John Bol matched his career high with two assists in the season opener while Vasko and Arturo dished out four assists a piece helping anchor a UCF offense that scored 96 points, its highest output in a season opener under Dawkins.
DIOR DOMINANCE
- In the Knights season opener, Dior Johnson's performance with 41 points marked the fourth-highest single-game scoring total in program history since the Knights joined Division I in 1984.
- Due to his opening night showing, he became the first Big 12 player ever to score at least 40 points in a season opener.
- Johnson dished out an offensive night which recorded the highest-scoring performance by a Knight since Darius Johnson on April 5, 2025.
- Johnson was perfect beyond the arc, matching his career high with four made three-pointers.
- This performance marked his sixth game shooting 100 percent from the three-point range and fourth with the Black and Gold.
- Johnson set a new single-game career high in field goal percentage, shooting 86.6% from the floor.
DOUBLE DIGIT CONSISTENCY
- Lewis Walker continues his double digit scoring streak into the 2026-27 season with a streak of 14 games, ranking among just 22 current players with a streak of at least 14 consecutive games with 10-plus points.
- The sophomore finished the 2025-26 season with 17 games in double figures.
- Walker’s streak dates back to Jan. 22, when he began the run with 24 points against Hofstra.
- During the streak, Walker has averaged 20.4 points per game, including six games with 20-plus points and one game with 30-plus points.
NEW KNIGHTS
- UCF brings in 11 new faces to their 2026-27 roster, including eight transfers and three true freshmen. Seven of the newcomers enter as upperclassmen, giving the Knights a veteran-heavy squad.
- The Knights newcomers that played last season averaged 82.9 points per game in total, led by Dior Johnsons’ 24 points per game and Lewis Walker averaging 18.9.
- Senior Cayden Vasko averaged 10.4 points per game and proved to be a true floor general at Wofford, averaging 4.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He led the team in assists with 131 and was named All-SoCon Third Team.
- Senior Churchill Abass joins the Knights from New Orleans where he averaged 8.4 points per game and 5.7 rebounds and recorded a total of 57 blocks across 33 games.
- Senior Isaiah Malone was named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year after recording 64 total blocks last year. He also grabbed 5.6 rebounds per game and averaged 10.5 points per game. Malone recorded 17 double-digit games at FGCU and ranked 21st nationally in total blocks at the end of last season.
- UCF brings in one incoming junior: Jason Asemota. As a sophomore at Boston College, Asemota appeared in 21 games, averaging 7.9 minutes, 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds.
- Arturo Dean and Dior Johnson are two redshirt seniors that the Knights added to their roster. Johnson was named WAC Sixth Man of the Year at Tarleton State. Appearing in 20 games, Johnson averaged 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Johnson recorded five games with 30+ points and two with 40 or more. Dean played in 34 games for Oklahoma State last season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
- Redshirt sophomore Mister Dean suffered a season-ending injury last season but recorded 11 points and four rebounds in his debut for Charleston. During his freshman season at USC Upstate, Dean was named Big South Freshman of the Year and averaged 15.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He ranked 24th in the nation in total steals with 63 in the 2024-25 season.
- Lewis Walker is another redshirt sophomore for the Knights coming from North Carolina A&T. Walker played in 29 games and started 26 games last season, averaging 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, dropping a career-high 14 rebounds at NC Central.
- The Knights add three true freshmen to their roster: Ladarius Givan, Dylan Mann, and Jahda Swann. Givan averaged 15.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in this senior year. Mann played a post-graduation year at the prep school IV Greatness Academy, where he averaged 22.5 points and 12.0 rebounds. Swann led Thomas Jefferson High School to a city championship, tallying 25.5 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game his junior season. His senior year, Swann averaged 16.5 points per game at St. James Academy.
FAMILY TIES
- UCF is one of 23 teams in the country with brothers on its roster, as Arturo and Mister Dean are set to take the floor together for the Knights in 2026-27.
- The Dean brothers bring plenty of defensive firepower to the same backcourt. Arturo averaged 2.5 steals per game at Oklahoma State in 2024-25, while Mister averaged 2.2 steals per game at USC Upstate, ranking among the nation's leaders.
- This isn't the first time Dawkins has coached brothers at UCF. During the 2022-23 season, he coached twins Taylor and Tyler Hendricks, who both joined the Knights as freshmen. Tyler redshirted that season, while Taylor started all 34 games and led UCF in scoring and rebounding.
- The Hendricks twins made quite an impact in their one season together. Taylor became UCF's first one-and-done player, first lottery pick and first first-round NBA Draft selection when he was selected ninth overall by the Utah Jazz in 2023.
- The Knights have a long history of brothers sharing the court. Marcus and Jeff Jordan, sons of NBA legend Michael Jordan, were teammates at UCF during the 2011-12 season.
- The Dean brothers are also following a family basketball path beyond just their time at UCF. Their older brother, Toru Dean, played at Barry before helping Langston reach the 2024 NAIA National Championship game.
GO KNIGHTS, MARCH ON
- The UCF Knights went to the big dance for the first time since the 2018-19 season, as the No. 10 seed it faced No. 7 seed UCLA in Philadelphia. This marked the Black and Gold’s second at-large bid in program history.
- UCF was one of only two teams, joined by Miami, to make the tournament without any returning scoring production from last season. Since 2007, UCF is now one of only three teams to make the tournament without bringing back any scoring production (UCF and Miami 2026, and Kentucky 2025).
DAWKINS IN THE BIG DANCE
- Johnny Dawkins has led teams to three NCAA Tournament appearances as a head coach (one at Stanford and two at UCF).
- In 2013-14, Dawkins guided Stanford men's basketball to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
- At UCF, Dawkins led the 2018-19 Knights to the Second Round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
- In 2026, the Knights returned back to the NCAA Tournament and faced off against UCLA, ending their season in Philadelphia with a 75-71 loss to the Bruins.
- As an assistant/associate head coach at Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Dawkins was part of 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including one National Championship, one national runner-up finish, one Final Four, and five Sweet 16 appearances.
- As a player at Duke, Dawkins helped lead the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national title game appearance in 1986.
FOES WITH MARCH MADNESS PEDIGREE
- The Black and Gold will matchup against some high caliber teams this season as they are set to play a total of 11 games against teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament last season.
- The 11 games breakdown into four at home, five on the road and one neutral site.
- The nine Big 12 teams the Knights will host have punched 49 tickets to the NCAA Tournament over the last decade. Baylor, Houston, and Texas Tech lead the way with eight appearances in the last 10 seasons.
- Last season, Arizona reached the Championship game and Houston fell in the Sweet 16.
- This season, the Knights will take on 10 opponents who punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament last season.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF men's basketball tickets are on sale now, including season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans. Be sure to catch all the action starting Nov. 2 as the Knights return to the court. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000.
Season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans are available now.
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.