Oklahoma State Transfer Officially Joins UCF Hoops
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It took some time, but former Oklahoma State guard Arturo Dean is now officially a UCF Knight, coach Johnny Dawkins confirmed Wednesday night.
Dean's commitment to the Knights from the transfer portal was initially announced back in early October. However, as recently as Dec. 11, coach Johnny Dawkins said he could not comment on a prospective student-athlete, implying Dean had not yet joined the program. That changed on Wednesday, when Dean, in street clothes, joined the Knights on the bench for their game against Mercer.
Following the game, Dawkins said that Dean would officially join the team in the spring semester and be able to join in on practice, but he could not take the court for the rest of this season. The earliest Dean can take the court for the Knights in a game is the fall of 2026.
Dawkins praised Dean's competitiveness and said he thinks he fits UCF's style of play, and that we would be "really good" in his system.
"I love how hard he defends," Dawkins said. "He just really gets after it defensively. He's like a whirlwind out there."
Dean started 21 of the 37 games last season in his only season at Oklahoma State. He averaged 7.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, went 64-93 from the free-throw line and recorded 116 assists. He also recorded 84 steals, leading the Big 12 and ranking sixth in the nation. It was also one more steal than UCF's own Darius Johnson.
Dawkins was no stranger to Dean when he entered the transfer portal, as the guard had actually played against the Knights twice in his career before he came to Orlando.
The first time was UCF's season-opener of the 2023-24 season in Addition Financial Arena, when he was a sophomore at Florida International. While he had an off day shooting, going just 1-7 from the floor, he still contributed four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Dean ended up finding his shot for the second time against the Knights, this time in Stillwater, on Feb. 19. He shot 5-9 from the floor, 5-8 from the free-throw line and 1-3 from beyond the arc. However, he also led the Cowboys with seven rebounds while tallying three steals and four assists.
"So, when he was available, I'm like, 'You know, we can, you know, get this young man, that would be great.'"
While Dean might not be able to join them on the court, the Knights still have a game to prepare for as Florida Gulf Coast comes to Orlando at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
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Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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