Dior Johnson is back in Orlando, and UCF is counting on the scoring punch he sharpened at Tarleton State to carry over to the Big 12.
Johnson, who spent the 2024-2025 season with the Knights, rejoined the program after a breakout year elsewhere and spoke about the move at the Big 12’s Media Day alongside UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins and Wofford transfer guard Cayden Vasko. For Johnson, the return is about more than familiarity.
"The student section is great," Johnson said. "They love basketball.
They love the school. Its a very big university.
They embrace sports, and I'm so happy to be back."
His first run with UCF was short on opportunity. Limited by lingering injuries and a crowded guard room, Johnson appeared in 35 games but averaged only 8.5 minutes per contest and never earned a start. He scored in double figures just once in the regular season, finishing with 11 points against Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
Still, he gave the Knights a glimpse of what he could do when the lights got brightest. In the College Basketball Crown semifinals, Johnson scored a season-high 13 points and buried three 3-pointers as UCF outlasted Villanova 104-98 in overtime.
After that, Johnson had chances to move on to another Power 4 program, but chose Tarleton State and a chance to prove himself. That decision paid off in a big way. He averaged 24.0 points per game and shot 50/47/85, all while coming off the bench.
Even with that offensive explosion, Johnson made clear in late July that he views himself as more than just a scorer.
""I just want to be a winner," Johnson said. "I know everybody is high on my offense, wondering how its going to translate or what I'm going to do this year, but my play will speak for itself."
That message showed up again in UCF’s exhibition against LSU, even in a loss. Johnson led the Knights with 18 points and scored 16 of them in the second half, showing the kind of shot-making that can change a game in a hurry.
With junior big man John Bol and last year’s leading scorer Riley Kugel also back, and Dawkins adding more talent through the portal, UCF will bring far more returning production into this season than it has in recent years. Johnson’s return gives the Knights a proven bucket getter who has already shown he can adapt, score efficiently and make an immediate impact.
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