'There will be no nights off': UCF men's basketball prepares for debut Big 12 season
ORLANDO — Johnny Dawkins embraces the "exciting times" surrounding UCF's impending inaugural Big 12 men's basketball campaign. However, the recent National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductee is keenly aware of the challenges that lie ahead for the Knights in entering one of the sport's premier conferences.
"How would I characterize the Big 12? The numbers speak for themselves," Dawkins said, referring to a league that has produced two national champions (Kansas and Baylor) and a runner-up (Texas Tech) in the last four seasons alone. "It's been a phenomenal conference.
"I know what to expect. There will be no nights off. Every single team that you play is going to be a team capable of beating you. There are no easy games. And that's great. If you want to compete, what would you rather do? Would you rather be in that type of environment, or a type of environment where our guys can take nights off and maybe not be as sharp. If we do that in the Big 12, that's a recipe for disaster."
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Given the high degree of roster turnover, the quality of opponents and its relative struggles in the mid-major American Athletic Conference, little will be expected of UCF in its first foray through the league. The Big 12's preseason poll is due to be released in the coming days, and the Knights are likely to sit last among the 14 teams.
"If they have us at the bottom, the only way we can go is up," junior guard Jaylin Sellers, a transfer from Ball State, said. "I'm very confident in this team and how we play. I'm willing to put us against anybody — anybody in our conference, anybody on our schedule. If we go out there and play as hard as we can, we're going to come out with the win. We have no fear of anyone. We're thankful for the opportunity to join the Big 12. It's going to be fun, each and every night."
Shemarri Allen, a fellow newcomer from UMKC, added: "We see it, we hear it, we definitely keep it in the back of our heads. But we don't let it distract us. We just focus on what we've got in front of us, practice every day. Getting better is the main thing, and then all the other stuff will handle itself at the end of the day."
UCF posted a 19-15 record during the 2022-23 season, including an 8-10 mark in AAC play. The Knights, led by No. 9 overall NBA draft pick Taylor Hendricks, impressed through December with Power Five victories over Florida State, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss and two-point losses to eventual Final Four qualifier Miami and Missouri.
A five-game losing streak from mid-January through the beginning of February sunk the Knights' at-large hopes, and they were eliminated in the second round of the AAC tournament by Memphis. UCF advanced to the second round of the NIT, defeating Florida before being bounced by Oregon.
Only four players that suited up for the Knights last season return, most notably junior guard Darius Johnson and fifth-year senior forward C.J. Walker, limited to four games last year due to a leg injury.
Dawkins patched most of the holes with experienced athletes out of the transfer portal. Central Florida natives Antwann Jones and Omar Payne have suited up for three previous teams apiece, while 7-footer Ibrahima Diallo made prior stops at San Jose State and Ohio State. Sellers and Allen were all-conference selections last year for their respective schools, and DeMarr Langford Jr. made 45 starts over the past two seasons for Boston College.
Despite the arrival of 10 players, including true freshman Comeh Emuobor (Raleigh, N.C.), Mintautas Mockas (Lithuania) and Nils Machowski (Germany), the mostly new Knights spoke of a common theme Wedneday: togetherness, a bond started upon enrolling in the summer and strengthened through a 10-day tour of Italy.
"The biggest thing I'm learning is that we have really good chemistry and continuity," Dawkins said. "When you have 10 new guys, that's difficult to get this early. These guys really get along well with one another. They really share the ball. They're playing for each other out there. That's always a good sign any time you're trying to build a new team and you have big roster change."
In addition to Hendricks, other notable UCF departures included second-leading scorer C.J. Kelly to graduation, prolific 3-point shooter Ithiel Horton to Texas and valuable sixth man Brandon Suggs to New Mexico State.
UCF opens the regular season at 8 p.m. on Nov. 6 against Florida International. The Knights will not leave the Sunshine State during the nonconference slate but will face Miami on the road, take part in the Jacksonville Classic with South Dakota State, Charlotte and George Mason and host Ole Miss.
Like their football counterparts, the Knights kick off the conference schedule with a trip to Kansas State on Jan. 6. National championship contender Kansas will be UCF's first home opponent in league play on Jan. 10.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF basketball: Johnny Dawkins, 10 newcomers brace for Big 12 challenge
