As UCF basketball prepared to move from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 last season, coach Johnny Dawkins relied on the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Dawkins felt the newcomers the Knights added last season from the portal — such as Shemarri Allen, Ibrahima Diallo, Omar Payne, Jaylin Sellers, Marchelus Avery and DeMarr Langford Jr. — worked well into what he envisioned for the team.
Sellers and Diallo were named to the All-Big 12 honorable-mention team along with guard Darius Johnson.
“The pieces have got to fit; they’ve got to fit,” Dawkins recently told the Sentinel. “We need talent, but we must ensure good chemistry and continuity. Guys that want to play with each other, that’s just as important as anything you’re going to do out there.”
UCF finished 17-16 overall and 7-11 in the conference in Year 1, including a program-best three wins over ranked opponents. As the Knights prepare for their second year in the Big 12, Dawkins hasn’t changed much of his team’s blueprint in the transfer market.
“We stuck to what we really wanted to do,” he said. “Of course, people live in the portal these days, so we tried to identify in the portal that we thought was the best fit for what we wanted to do.
“We knew what we were returning with two experienced guards on the perimeter, so we tried to find the right pieces to fit around them. You can take talent and many players, but that’s not necessarily a recipe for success because your pieces have to fit.”
UCF added seven transfers this offseason, led by guards Jordan Ivy-Curry (UTSA), Keyshawn Hall (George Mason) and Dallan Coleman (Georgia Tech), forwards JJ Taylor (Memphis), Benny Williams (Syracuse) and Rokas Jocius (La Salle), and center Elijah Hulsewe (Bethune-Cookman).
The transfer class ranks No. 51, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
“I thought we were able to identify some guys that we felt good about with regards to coming here,” Dawkins said. “Understanding our culture, getting to meet our players and seeing if there’s a fit there with them because that’s ultimately how you’re going to be successful.”
UCF went into this transfer class looking to fill some specific needs, specifically perimeter shooting. The Knights finished near the bottom of the Big 12 in field goal percentage (42) and 3-point field goal percentage (32).
“Last season, I didn’t think we shot the ball as well as we have in years past,” said Dawkins. “We wanted to make sure when we went in the portal that we found guys that could knock down shots consistently.”
Three of the incoming transfers — Hall (47%), Hulsewe (52%) and Jocius (56%) — shot better than the Knights last season while Ivy-Curry (39%), Hall (36%), Coleman (34%) and Jocius (39%) were better from behind the arc.
Another trait Dawkins was in search of was versatility.
“Guys who could play multiple positions,” added Dawkins. “We can play big, we can play small and I like versatile guys who can play different spots on the floor. I thought we were able to find those players that could do that, which allows us to do some neat things offensively.”
Hall is one of the players who can play both guard and forward for the Knights.
The group will mesh with five returning players: Tyler Hendricks (2.6 points per game), Poohpha Warakulnukroh (0.3), Nils Machowski (2), Sellers (15.9) and Johnson (15.2), along with incoming freshmen Cameron Simpson (Oak Ridge) and Moustapha Thiam (DME Academy).
UCF’s Johnny Dawkins believes Knights proved they belong in Big 12
Having Johnson and Sellers back as the centerpiece of this season’s team was a key component for Dawkins.
“It was very important to have two guards coming back that were honorable-mention all-conference players in the Big 12,” the coach said. “These guys know what to expect in the conference, so now we have a rallying point with all the new players we’re bringing in from all over the place. We have some people we can rally around, not just me as a coach, but as captains.”
With the Knights kicking off offseason workouts this month, one of the keys to success depends on chemistry.
“We’re very big on team building and that starts now,” said Dawkins. “We’re not a team yet and must continue building and forming our team. Part of that is about relationships. Relationships are built on trust and the only way you can have that trust is spending time with each other.”
UCF opens the season hosting Texas A&M at Addition Financial Arena on Nov. 4.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
