UCF basketball enters this season with a brand new roster, hoping that the fresh start will lead them to their best season since joining the Big 12.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: UCF basketball.
The only player who got playing time on last year’s team in Poohpha Warakulnukroh, who played four total minutes. That’s right, this team had a mass exodus this offseason between guys transferring and graduating. Usually, that’s not a sign of confidence in a coach, yet Johnny Dawkins continues to find a way to suit up for another season. They did finish as the runner-ups in the college basketball crown, but they’ll need to do more to make the fans feel confident in the direction of the program.
With only one freshman joining the team, UCF basketball had to hit the portal hard, bringing in 11 transfers. The most notable is Riley Kugel, who had a good season with Mississippi State. This team is also extremely experienced, with the majority of the team being seniors or grad students.
UCF brings in a lot of guys from Power conference teams who didn’t get many minutes and weren’t very productive because of it. However, that opportunity is open, so perhaps the additional minutes could lead to a breakout. They also bring in several mid-major players, like JaMichael Stillwell, who had productive seasons and are testing their skills in a much more competitive league in the Big 12. Every year is a hot seat year for Dawkins, and this might be the one that makes that decision, both good or bad.
Head coach: Johnny Dawkins (10th season at UCF, 18th season overall)
2024-25 record: 20-17 (7-13)
2025 postseason finish: College Basketball Crown Runner Up
Notable departures:
- Keyshawn Hall (18.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.4 APG)
- Darius Johnson (17.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.4 RPG)
- Jordan Ivy-Curry (13.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- Moustapha Thaim (10.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 0.7 APG)
- Jaylin Sellers (6.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.0 APG)
- Dallan Coleman (5.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.0 APG)
- Everyone else on the team
Notable non-conference games:
- at Duke (Oct. 21 – Exhibition)
- vs. Pitt (Nov. 20)
Projected Rotation
PG: Themus Fulks (6-2, 185, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 14.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 47.7 FG%, 80.5 FT% (Milwaukee)
SG: Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 9.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 43.3 FG%, 75.4 FT% (Mississippi State)
SF: Devan Cambridge (6-6, 210, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 5.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 59.1 FG%, 75.0 FT% (Texas Tech)
PF: Jamichael Stillwell (6-8,225, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 13.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 46.2 FG% (UCF)
C: John Bol (7-2, 210, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 1.1 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.0 APG, 66.7 FG%, 4.1 MPG (Ole Miss)
6: Jordan Burks (6-9, 205, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 5.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 52.1 FG%, 68.4 FT% (Georgetown)
7: George Beale Jr. (6-4, 200, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 13.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 44.7 FG%, 39.5 3P%, 87.3 FT% (Hampton)
8: Carmelo Pacheco (6-5, 190, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 9.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 46.8 FG%, 46.4 3P%, 81.6 FT% (Mount Saint Mary’s)
9: Kris Parker (6-9, 201, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 2.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.5 APG, 43.6 FG% (Villanova)
10: Chris Johnson (6-5, 196, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 10.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 3 GP (SF Austin)
UCF Basketball team MVP: Jamichael Stillwell
There’s no clear MVP on this team, but when looking at last year’s production, Stillwell is the clear #1. He averaged a double-double for Milwaukee, a team that went 21-11 and finished second in the Horizon. Stillwell actually played UCF last year, and was impressive, scoring 14 points on 6-9 shooting to go with 12 rebounds.
What makes him so great is his offensive rebounding. He averaged 4 a game last year, 5th most in the country. If UCF decides to start him at center instead of Bol, he could very easily replicate those stats. He also showcased his passing towards the end of the season, generating 3+ assists in four of the last five games of the season. He and Fulks can continue to be a dynamic duo at UCF and make this team competitive.
UCF Basketball make-or-break player: John Bol
At 7’2, Bol is such a physically imposing player, and out of high school, he was known to be an elite defender thanks to his wingspan. He didn’t get to showcase that last year at Ole Miss, playing just 4.1 minutes a game in 17 total games. Now, with a year of experience and what should be more opportunities, Bol could be a key piece for their success early and often.
Johnny Dawkins had a lot of success coaching another 7-footer named Tacko Fall, and while there’s an obvious height difference between them, he knows how to use the size mismatch to benefit the team on both ends of the court. He’s very thin for his size, and this could lead to him getting bullied on the court and keep him off of it. There weren’t any games last year that showcased his potential, so there are still a lot of questions surrounding him. If he can be a rim protector and a lob threat, life can be good for UCF fans.
Key analytic: Opponent points per game
One of the key reasons UCF struggled so much last year was the lack of defense. They allowed 80.4 PPG, 338th in the country and third worst for any power conference team. The 87.4 PPG they allowed on the road was third-worst in the country. With a new roster, the hope is they can clean that up. As mentioned, Bol could really help with that. Besides that, no one they brought in is considered a plus defender.
They don’t bring a clear elite scorer like Keyshawn Hall or Darius Johnson either, so unless someone breaks out, the defense will have to be better.
UCF Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish: 13th in the Big 12
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Exit