Already making waves in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll and on the verge of entering the top 25, UCF has begun the season with a 3-0 record for just the second time in its recent seven seasons. The Knights achieved a victory against a top-15 opponent to kick off their campaign and successfully defended their home floor against two solid mid-major teams. Senior guard Darius Johnson is just six points away from becoming the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 points.

UCF Knights Basketball - A Team on the Rise

Absorbing Early Challenges and Countering Effectively

Coach Johnny Dawkins mentioned that his team still needs to improve at the start of games. UCF faced difficulties in their first few matchups, missing their first eight shots against Texas A&M, their first nine against Purdue Fort Wayne, and falling into a 10-1 hole against Florida Atlantic within two minutes. However, they have managed to absorb these early punches and come back strong over the course of 40 minutes. On Tuesday, they overcame a three-point shooting slump and made 13 out of 28 attempts from beyond the arc. In their first two games, they combined to make only 10 out of 46 three-pointers, ranking near the bottom of Division I. To combat these initial woes, UCF consistently worked their way to the free-throw line. They average 28.7 free-throw attempts per game and make 22.7 free throws per game, ranking 10th in Division I. If their performance against FAU is a sign of things to come, UCF's offense should see a significant improvement from the previous season when they finished near the bottom third in scoring.

Building a Tough Schedule and Securing Non-Conference Wins

UCF is projected to have one of the toughest schedules in college basketball. They will play nine games against teams ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll, including home-and-home dates with Kansas and Iowa State. This will give them plenty of opportunities to enhance their resume throughout the season. They have already picked up three solid non-conference victories. Texas A&M started the year at No. 15 in the poll and returned 80% of its offensive production from a team that reached the second round of last year's NCAA tournament. Purdue Fort Wayne is a co-favorite to win the Horizon League along with Milwaukee (UCF's opponent on Nov. 27). Florida Atlantic underwent a roster overhaul after back-to-back NCAA appearances and a coaching change, but they scored 196 points in their first two outings and should be a contender in the American Athletic Conference. UCF will have two chances to gain valuable neutral-site victories next week against Power Four programs when they square off with Wisconsin and either LSU or Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Scoring in Multiple Ways and Reinforcements on the Way

Dawkins' teams always have a defense-first mentality, but Tuesday's win over FAU proved that the Knights can score in various ways. Six players have recorded at least one game in double figures. Johnson and Jordan Ivy-Curry are the team's reliable 3-point shooters. Keyshawn Hall has shown his spin move around the rim and has some touch from beyond the arc. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam had a career-high 13 points against Purdue Fort Wayne in addition to his rim-protection skills. Off the bench, JJ Taylor made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor in the upset of Texas A&M, and Benny Williams got into a mid-range rhythm with 17 points against FAU. And there are still reinforcements on the way for Dawkins' group. He reiterated this week that guards Jaylin Sellers (with an unspecified injury) and Mikey Williams (left ankle injury) are "day to day." Sellers led the Knights in scoring last season with 15.9 points per game while recovering from a broken left hand suffered in August 2023. Redshirt freshman Williams was considered one of the 10 best combo guard recruits in the country in his graduating year by 247Sports.