The UCF Knights are off to a scorching start, and it’s not just the wins piling up - it’s how they’re doing it that’s turning heads across the college basketball landscape.
At 9-1, this is the best start of the Johnny Dawkins era in Orlando, and the Knights have earned more than just a shiny record. They’ve climbed into the national conversation with a résumé that now ranks 18th in the country, according to the College Basketball Report’s “Best Resumes of College Basketball” released Friday.
That puts them right in the thick of the Big 12 elite - sandwiched between No. 17 Kansas and No.
19 Texas Tech, and just a notch below No. 8 Houston.
This isn’t just about style points. These rankings factor in key metrics like Strength of Record, the Kevin Pauga Index (KPI), and Wins Above Bubble - all tools that help paint a fuller picture of who’s for real and who’s just riding an early-season hot streak. UCF’s spot among the top 20 suggests they’re building something sustainable.
And they’re doing it with defense, grit, and a growing belief in what’s possible.
Their most recent outing - an 18-point win over Mercer - wasn’t exactly an offensive clinic. The Knights struggled to find rhythm on that end of the floor, but they didn’t let cold shooting define the night.
Instead, they leaned into their identity: tough, physical defense. Mercer shot just 8-for-28 in the first half and coughed up 10 turnovers.
UCF held them to 27 points in the first 20 minutes - a testament to the kind of effort Dawkins demands and his players are embracing.
“We're getting there,” Dawkins said after the win. “Of course, we're still not there yet.
I think we have a ways to go with regards to where we want to see them. Like I said, I have a lot of belief in this team and how good they can become.”
That belief is rooted in the day-to-day work. Dawkins isn’t just looking at the scoreboard - he’s watching his players grow in real time.
One example? Center Jeremy Founema.
The big man took a shot to the eye during the Mercer game, needed stitches, but came back in and kept battling. He pulled down tough rebounds, made hustle plays, and embodied the kind of resilience Dawkins is trying to instill across the roster.
“Jeremy did a lot of really good things,” Dawkins said. “He got hit in the eye, he ended up getting stitches, he came back, he kept competing.
He made some tough plays for us, rebounding-wise. And so, those are all growth.
Those are ways for our guys to grow.”
That kind of toughness - physical and mental - is becoming a calling card for this team. And it’s not just about one player or one game.
It’s a program-wide commitment to doing things the right way. From the coaching staff to the last man on the bench, everyone is aligned on what it takes to win in a conference as unforgiving as the Big 12.
Now, with eight straight wins in the rearview, UCF is looking to make it nine when they host Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday evening. It’s another chance to extend the streak, sure, but more importantly, it’s another opportunity to sharpen their identity and strengthen a résumé that’s already turning heads.
The Knights aren’t just winning - they’re building something. And if they keep trending upward, they won’t just be in the conversation. They’ll be leading it.