Written by Jose Terrassa.
The UCF Men’s Basketball program, fresh off a postseason run to the College Basketball Crown finals, is ushering in a new era for the 2025-2026 season.
After a significant roster turnover due to graduation and the transfer portal, Head Coach Johnny Dawkins and his staff have been aggressive in rebuilding the squad, bringing in a highly touted group of transfers that promises to inject both talent and experience into the lineup.
The new-looking Knights will rely heavily on this influx of acquisitions as they navigate the rigorous Big 12 conference schedule, a league that provides no easy nights.
This new roster composition suggests a team built on quickness, versatility, and the signature defensive intensity that has defined Dawkins’ tenure.
UCF’s basketball team has rebuilt its roster primarily through a strong transfer class, headlined by three key impact players: point guard Themus Fulks and forward Jamichael Stillwell, both arriving from Milwaukee, and scoring guard Riley Kugel, an Orlando native transferring from Mississippi State.
Fulks, a proven floor general, is tasked with running the offense and replacing the graduated Darius Johnson after averaging 14.6 points and 5.9 assists, while the “lunch-pail” Stillwell brings an intense rebounding and defensive presence, fresh off averaging a double-double (13.0 points, 10.7 rebounds).
Kugel provides the explosive offensive weapon and three-level scoring ability the team needed, and the roster is further bolstered by the addition of 7-foot-2 rim protector John Bol (Ole Miss) and versatile 6-foot-9 forward Jordan Burks (Georgetown), adding essential size and flexibility.
Another acquisition was transferring guard Carmelo Pacheco, a player highly touted as a premier spot-up shooter. Pacheco, a rising junior who transferred from Mount St. Mary’s, led the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and ranked fourth in the entire NCAA Division I in three-point field goal percentage during the 2024-2025 season with an impressive 46.4% clip, knocking down 77 three-pointers.
UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins specifically highlighted Pacheco’s value, calling him a “great sharpshooter” who competes hard on the defensive end.
The UCF basketball program under Johnny Dawkins has historically emphasized a tough, physical defensive identity, and the new acquisitions are geared toward maintaining, and even amplifying, that focus in 2025-2026.
The new-look Knights will get an immediate high-profile test as they open their preseason exhibition schedule on the road against the Duke Blue Devils on Tuesday, October 21, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
This matchup holds special significance as it is part of Duke’s “Brotherhood Run” exhibition series, and it marks the return of UCF’s head coach, Johnny Dawkins, to his alma mater.
Dawkins is a Duke basketball legend, with his jersey hanging in the rafters, and this will be his first time coaching a game in Cameron Indoor Stadium since he was an associate head coach for the Blue Devils in 2008.
