Johnny Dawkins is quietly putting together one of the most impressive coaching performances in college basketball this season-and it’s time people start paying attention.
UCF wasn’t supposed to be here. Not with a completely overhauled roster.
Not in their first year navigating the gauntlet that is the Big 12. And certainly not after losing every single point of scoring from last season.
But here they are: 17-5 overall, 6-4 in one of the toughest conferences in the country, and very much in the thick of the March Madness conversation.
The Knights haven’t danced since 2019, but this group is making a legitimate case to change that-and Dawkins is the driving force behind it all.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a feel-good story about a team exceeding expectations. This is a masterclass in roster management and culture building.
Dawkins brought in a wave of transfers and molded them into a cohesive, gritty group that’s already knocked off some of the Big 12’s biggest names. Wins over Kansas and Texas Tech aren’t just résumé boosters-they’re statements.
And while Dawkins didn’t crack ESPN’s top 12 National Coach of the Year candidates-falling just outside a list that includes names like Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd (whose Wildcats are still undefeated) and Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg (who’s turned the Cornhuskers into a top-10 team)-there’s no denying the job he’s doing in Orlando deserves serious recognition.
Even after a tough 79-55 loss to No. 8 Houston on Wednesday, the Knights remain one of the most surprising and resilient teams in the conference.
They’re the only squad in the Big 12’s top seven that’s still unranked in the AP Poll, despite stringing together a solid stretch of wins. That includes a week that earned Dawkins some well-deserved love: The Field of 68 named him their Coach of the Week, marking the first time this season a UCF player or coach has made the list.
That honor came after a pair of big-time home wins, starting with a dramatic comeback against Arizona State. Down 11 with just over five minutes to play, UCF caught fire from deep-hitting five of six from beyond the arc-and stormed back to steal the game in the final moments. It was the kind of gritty, never-say-die performance that’s becoming a signature of this team.
“You know, we had to dig deep,” Dawkins said after the win. “We’ve had to do that a number of times this year.
They’ve shown the ability to be able to do that. The one thing about them is they still believe we have a chance as long as there’s a second on the clock-and they just keep fighting.
And they did it again tonight.”
That fight carried over into a marquee matchup with No. 11 Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders came in with serious firepower-led by junior forward JT Toppin and sophomore point guard Christian Anderson, both of whom are playing at an All-American level. But it was UCF that controlled the game, leading for more than 36 minutes and never letting Texas Tech fully close the gap.
Sophomore center John Bol was a force, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. The home crowd let him hear it, chanting his name as he helped seal the win in an electric 88-80 victory.
And yes, the court storming that followed? Well-earned.
After the game, Dawkins praised his team for finally delivering the complete performance he’s been asking for all season.
“I thought our guys just played a 40-minute basketball game,” he said. “We’ve been challenging our guys all season long-when will we play 40 minutes?
Not 35, not 30. And I thought it took a 40-minute game tonight in order to be successful.”
That’s the kind of accountability and standard-setting that’s defined Dawkins’ tenure at UCF. And this season, it’s paying off in a big way.
The Knights still have work to do to lock in a tournament bid, and the Big 12 doesn’t offer many breathers. But with Dawkins at the helm and this group continuing to grow, UCF is proving they belong-and they’re not just here to make up the numbers.
They’re here to make noise.