Like most teams in this era of college sports, UCF men's basketball had a lot of roster turnover from last season.
After far-exceeding preseason expectations and making March Madness , head coach Johnny Dawkins has assembled a new-look Knights squad, with multiple standouts from mid-majors transferring in.
Dior Johnson, who played for UCF two seasons ago, is one familiar face, returning to the program after a standout year with Tarleton State.
Expectations for Johnson are much higher than his first time around with UCF, as College Basketball Report predicted he would be the No. 18 leading scorer in the nation this season.
Trailing six Big 12 representatives, Johnson is predicted to average 17.5 points per game, which could be doable depending on his role.
Last season, Johnson was one of the most dynamic players in Division I, averaging 24.0 points per game while shooting on stellar 50/47/85 splits.
More impressively, Johnson did so despite coming off the bench, serving as one of the best collegiate bench scorers in recent memory.
However, Johnson's focus is not on replicating these numbers, but rather showing that he can contribute to winning on a power four team.
"I just want to be a winner," Johnson told Knights 247's Andrew Cherico in late-July. "I know everybody is high on my offense, wondering how its going to translate or what I'm going to do this year, but my play will speak for itself."
Two seasons ago, at UCF, Johnson got a limited taste of Big 12 basketball, dealing with lingering injuries and strong guard depth.
In 35 appearances, Johnson averaged just 8.5 minutes per game, failing to crack the starting lineup.
During the regular season, Johnson scored double-digits just once, dropping 11 points against Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
However, in the College Basketball Crown Semifinals, Johnson was a key part of the Knights' 104-98 overtime victory over Villanova, scoring a season-high 13 points, knocking down three 3-pointers.
Johnson was one of the last Knights to enter the portal in the complete migration two offseasons ago and choosing Tarleton State allowed him to shine in a larger role.
After deciding to hit the portal, both Johnson and former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 among all transfers, according to teamrankings.com.
Johnson had power 4 interest, but elected to take his talents to Tarleton State, which clearly seemed to be the right decision.
Now, he returns to a coaching staff and program that he is familiar with, and has a real opportunity to not only compete for a starting job, but be one of the top scorers in the country.
Alongside incoming backcourt talent like Lewis Walker and Cayden Vasko, Dawkins has formed a deep backcourt, with multiple different types of player.
Johnson's ability on offense and familiarity with UCF's schematics will be a huge boost for the Knights early on, as they learn to play together and gain continuity.
