Can UCF Finally Conquer Its February Curse? Johnny Dawkins and the Knights Face a Familiar Crossroads
For UCF, February hasn't just been a tough month - it's been a recurring nightmare. The Knights have opened this February with back-to-back losses, and if recent history is any indication, the rest of the month could be a minefield.
Over the past three seasons, UCF is a combined 8-14 in February games. That’s not just a slump - that’s a pattern.
And it’s one that’s cost them postseason dreams before.
The last time the Knights posted a winning record in February was back in the 2021-22 season, when they were still in the American Athletic Conference. That year, they went 5-2 down the stretch. Since then, the move to the Big 12 has brought tougher opponents and higher stakes - and so far, UCF hasn’t found a way to thrive in the season’s most crucial month.
But here’s where things get interesting. Despite the rocky start to February, this year’s Knights team has shown flashes of something different.
They’re currently 6-5 in Big 12 play - the first time they’ve been above .500 in conference action this late in the season since joining the league. They’ve picked up multiple Quad 1 wins and have 17 victories overall.
That’s the kind of résumé that puts you on the NCAA Tournament radar.
In fact, they’re closer to a tournament bid now than they’ve been since 2019. But as any college hoops fan knows, late-season collapses don’t just hurt - they erase months of hard work.
UCF’s own recent history proves it. Just last season, the Knights started February at 13-7 with a 4-5 Big 12 record.
Then came a brutal six-game losing streak that dropped them to 13-13 and 4-11. That skid knocked them out of NCAA Tournament contention and landed them in the College Basketball Crown instead - a far cry from March Madness.
Johnny Dawkins knows what his team is up against. He’s been vocal all season about the grind that is Big 12 basketball.
“You're running the gauntlet,” he said earlier this year, before UCF pulled off an upset over Texas Tech. “Every night you play a terrific opponent, and then you start preparing for another terrific opponent.
That’s just the way it is.”
And he’s right. There are no off nights in this conference.
But Dawkins also sees the opportunity in that challenge. “If you're a competitor, I think you really enjoy being in these moments,” he said.
“It makes you better over the course of your career when you're facing challenges like this every night.”
That mentality will be tested in the final stretch. UCF faces seven more regular-season games, including just one against a ranked opponent - No.
22 BYU. On paper, that might look like a manageable slate.
But the Big 12 doesn’t hand out easy wins. Just ask the Knights, who are coming off a humbling 20-point loss to Cincinnati - a team they beat earlier this season.
So here we are again. February.
The month that’s tripped up UCF time and time again. But this year’s team has a chance to flip the script.
They’ve got the wins. They’ve got the résumé.
Now, they just need to finish.
If Dawkins and the Knights can find a way to hold steady - or even thrive - in these next few weeks, they’ll be dancing in March. But if the past repeats itself, this promising season could take a familiar, frustrating turn.