John Bol didn’t just give UCF size last season - he gave the Knights a finishing touch that nobody in the Big 12 could match.
The 7-foot-2 Ole Miss transfer led the conference in field goal percentage for the season, knocking down 71.7% of his shots overall and 75.5% during league play. He did it as a starter for UCF, using his length and efficiency to make the most of every touch around the rim.
Bol’s numbers came on just 3.4 field goal attempts per game, which kept him off ESPN’s Big 12 leaderboard because players need to appear in 75% of their team’s games and take at least five shots a night. Even so, the production was hard to ignore. He averaged 5.9 points across 33 games, and his value went well beyond the box score.
That impact helped fuel UCF’s return to the NCAA Tournament, ending a six-year drought. Bol announced on April 15 that he was coming back, giving Johnny Dawkins another season with a player who is still developing. Dawkins has seen enough to believe there’s more there.
"He plays hard out there on the floor," Dawkins said on Dec. 11.
"And now you want to help that translate into him getting more experience on the court, which he's been able to get with us this season. The more experience he gains with his work ethic, the sky's the limit for how good he can be."
Bol also thrived with help from the guards around him, especially Themus Fulks. Their chemistry showed up in the simple stuff: screens, rolls, and passes delivered right where the big man could finish.
When Bol got enough volume, UCF’s offense usually looked a lot more dangerous. He scored at least 10 points in six of the nine games in which he took more than five shots, a clear sign of how efficient he was when the ball kept finding him.
His career high is 14 points, and he hit that number twice. The first came in UCF’s upset of then-No.
11 Texas Tech, when he went 6-for-8 from the field. The other came in an overtime loss to Oklahoma State, where he was perfect from the floor at 5-for-5 and also went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line.
Now the South Sudan native is set to do it again with a new group of passers. Arturo Dean, Mister Dean and Cayden Vasko are expected to be the top playmakers on Dawkins’ roster, and if they can keep feeding Bol in the right spots, UCF has already seen what kind of damage he can do.
In Other News...
UCF Hit With Another Costly Setback From Its Coaching Fallout
A court ruling this week added another expensive chapter to UCFs coaching fallout, with an Orange County judge siding with former defensive coordinator Ted Roof in a dispute over his termination compensation. The decision leaves the Knights on the hook for Roofs damages, along with attorneys fees and costs, after the university tried to limit what it owed following the coaching change.
The case now shifts to the next step in the legal process, with UCF holding a 30-day window to appeal the final judgment. For a program still dealing with the aftermath of its coaching turnover, the ruling is another reminder that the costs of that transition are not finished showing up on the ledger. [Read more 🡒]
Why Duke Watson Could Change UCF's Backfield Ceiling In 2026
Duke Watson gives UCF something it has been looking to add to the backfield: a transfer runner with the kind of burst and versatility that can change how a drive feels before it even starts. The Louisville transfer is set for the 2026 season, and head coach Scott Frost has been quick to point to Watsons big-play ability as a reason the Knights think the room can be more dangerous than just a one-back operation.
Watson also made it clear the fit mattered to him, praising Frost and the environment around the program as major reasons for the move. He is expected to work alongside lead back Landen Chambers while offering value as a pass-catching threat and an all-around option, the sort of piece that can raise the ceiling of an offense if it develops the right balance. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On This All-Time Receiver List
A new all-time UCF football list is bound to stir debate, and the latest one from the Daytona News-Journal gives Knights fans plenty to argue about. The 105-man roster is built around program greats, with the receiver group drawing especially close attention thanks to the number of pass-catchers who earned All-FBS recognition since UCF moved up 30 years ago.
The list reaches across eras and even includes players whose time in Orlando was only part of their college journey, which only adds to the conversation. Names like Brandon Marshall, Mike Sims-Walker and Tre'Quan Smith give the group real weight, but the deeper cut is where the opinions start to split, especially with a few of the most productive and impactful receivers in program history all fighting for their place. [Read more 🡒]