UCF Knights Men's Basketball Season Preview
The UCF Knights Men’s Basketball team had an up and down 2021-22 season, compiling an 18-12 record overall with a 9-9 record in the American Athletic Conference.
The Knights proved they were a capable bunch by beating two Sweet 16 teams (Michigan and Miami), but ultimately the team could never find consistency and the 9-2 start to the season fizzled out.
The 2022-23 season is a new chapter, and with it comes a roster that is comprised of just four players that were on the team last year. It is a new beginning, and a new chance to defy expectations for a team with a lot to prove.
The Returning Veterans
- CJ Walker - F - Senior
- Darius Johnson - G - Sophomore
- Tyem Freeman - G - Redshirt Junior
- PJ Edwards - G - Sophomore
Walker saw significant playing time all season in 2021-22, and while he has not performed quite like the 5-star player many thought he could be coming out of high school, he is still a key cog in what the Knights are trying to do. He is a pure athlete that can intimidate opponents simply with his size and his burst.
Defensively, Walker can guard almost anyone on the floor, with the frame to body up centers, and the lateral quickness to keep up with the most nimble of guards. Walker was a major contributor on the boards, as he was second on the team hauling in 5.7 rebounds per game. His shooting also improved, as he shot an impressive 37% from three-point range, up from just 14% the year prior.
Johnson slowly garnered more and more minutes as the season progressed, eventually earning a starting role, accruing 13 starts throughout the season. If his shooting can take a step forward (32.2% from the floor last season, 29.9% from behind the arc), he has the tools necessary to be a leader for this team.
Ty Freeman saw limited action in his first season as a Knight after transferring over from Indian Hills Junior College. When given an opportunity, Freeman showed he can be efficient, shooting 57% from the floor in 13 minutes per game. If he can keep up that efficiency, he may earn himself more playing time moving forward.
Edwards did not appear in a game in 2021-22. What his impact on this year’s roster will be is unclear.
The Newcomers
- CJ Kelly - G - Senior - transfer from UMass
- Lahat Thioune - F - Redshirt Senior - transfer from Utah
- Jayhlon Young - G - Redshirt Sophomore - transfer from Baton Rouge CC
- Michael Durr - F - Fifth Year Senior - transfer from Indiana (previously at USF)
- Brandon Suggs - G/F - Senior - transfer from East Carolina
- Ithiel Horton - G - Redshirt Senior - transfer from Pittsburgh (previously at Delaware)
- Tyler Hendricks - G - Freshman - 3-star recruit
- Taylor Hendricks - F - Freshman - 4-star recruit
- Thierno Sylla - F - Freshman - unranked recruit
It is safe to say that there is a lot to be learned about how this roster will fit together. Given head coach Johnny Dawkins’ history of playing veterans, expect the five seniors, Kelly, Thioune, Durr, Suggs, and Horton to get a lot of playing time and take on big roles right from the jump.
UCF is familiar with Suggs, as the Knights have faced him multiple times in AAC play throughout the last few years. He averaged double figures for the East Carolina Pirates last season, putting up 10.1 points per game.
Durr will try and replicate what Cheikh Mbacke Diong was able to do last year defensively, which is to keep opponents out of the paint. Durr is a seven footer at 250 pounds. He has proven himself as a capable rim protector over his four seasons, especially back when he was with USF.
Taylor Hendricks is perhaps the most intriguing of the new guys, as he will enter the college ranks as UCF’s highest ranked recruit in school history. A four star forward, Hendricks has the tools to do it all on both sides of the ball.
The Fort Lauderdale native showed a capability in high school to be a high-level scorer, a dominant rebounder, and an all-around defensive menace. He should, and probably will, be inserted into the starting lineup very early into the season, if not on opening night.
The Schedule
The non-conference schedule offers some opportunity for the Knights to make a splash. After the season opener versus UNC-Asheville, the Knights will host the Florida State Seminoles in a chance to secure a signature win early on. Darin Green Jr. will make his return to Addition Financial Arena in this game as a member of the Seminoles. A win here could spur a wave of confidence and set the tone for the rest of the season.
UCF will also host Miami (Fla.), whom the Knights knocked off last year in Miami 95-89. Miami reached the Elite Eight last season before being knocked out of the tournament by the eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks. The Hurricanes have lost multiple key players from last year to graduation, but key transfers and a few returning players, make them a formidable foe.
During consecutive games, The Knights will face two SEC opponents in mid-December. They will travel to Mississippi to take on the Ole Miss Rebels before coming home to face the Missouri Tigers a few days later. Neither of these teams are expected to be very competitive in the SEC, and UCF stands a good chance against both of them.
In conference play, the Knights will face Houston twice. The Cougars are being named Final Four contenders and might possibly be the best team in the country. Houston has troubled the Knights for years.
UCF will also get the opportunity to play Memphis, SMU, Wichita State, and Cincinnati, all teams that perennially have the potential to be dangerous. It will be UCF’s last time facing many of their conference foes, which may give them some level of motivation in their last hurrah as members of the AAC.
The Expectations
Frankly, this UCF team is one of the biggest wild cards in the AAC. It is not often that you see a roster with as much turnover as the Knights have had this offseason. There is no specific way to evaluate whether these players will mesh together or not. None of the names on the roster outside of Johnson or Hendricks really pop out at you, but there is a lot of experience to go around with the other players.
The reality is that UCF will probably struggle with many of the same issues that have plagued them for years, such as offensive lapses, limited on-court chemistry, and mental mistakes. With such a low level of continuity, it is tough to expect any of that to change. The bright side is that Dawkins consistently fields a very good defensive team, and UCF has the size and speed to defend at a high level this year once again.
What UCF has on their side is experience, as the roster is littered with six seniors to lead the way. In games that go down to the wire, this could help the Knights secure some wins down the stretch.
Expect UCF to finish near the middle of the pack in the AAC once again. The low offensive ceiling is going to hinder the team unless it can find a diamond-in-the-rough go-to scorer from within the roster. They will play in a ton of close, low scoring games and likely finish with around a .500 record in the conference. Any chance at UCF receiving an NCAA Tournament bid will probably be by way of the AAC tournament at the end of the season.
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