ORLANDO — Johnny Dawkins and the UCF Knights ended a seven-year NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament absence last month. Now, the challenge is maintaining that status as a Big 12 Conference contender amid the annual chaos created by the transfer portal.

Dawkins found value last spring and signed many of the key pieces of a squad that went 21-12 with three wins against ranked opponents. UCF earned an at-large tournament bid for just the second time in school history, seeded 10th in the East region but ultimately falling to UCLA in a first-round matchup in Philadelphia.

With the portal closed, it's time to get a first real look at what the Knights gained and lost in the offseason. Here are five takeaways from UCF's transactions to date.

1. Johnny Dawkins won't have to completely start over

In 2025-26, UCF was one of five power-conference teams that did not return a single player who scored a basket the previous season. Projected incumbents Keyshawn Hall (Auburn) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) landed lucrative deals elsewhere, and Dawkins rebuilt the squad from the ground up.

Of course, the Knights hit on many of their evaluations — Riley Kugel, Themus Fulks, Jamichael Stillwell, Jordan Burks, etc. — and built a roster deep enough not only to contend in the Big 12 but qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Dawkins will not need to overhaul the entire team this year as UCF retained starting center John Bol, reserve shooting guard Carmelo Pacheco, quick-handed point guard Arturo Dean and backup big man Elijah Hulsewe. Bol, a 7-foot-2 former McDonald's All-American, became a bit of a cult hero among Knights fans after notching his second double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in a home upset of Texas Tech.

2. Jordan Burks' late portal entry is a major blow

UCF could not keep its top projected returner, 6-foot-9 forward Jordan Burks, away from the portal. On3s' Pete Nakos broke the news two days after the portal's closing that Burks had entered ahead of time, dealing a major blow to the Knights.

Burks went through some streaky shooting stretches, but he knocked down 37.3% of his 3-point attempts and averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while starting all 33 contests. He set a career high with 24 points on the road in a top-25 win over BYU, and he tallied a team-best 22 in UCF's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to UCLA.

Burks should have significant Power Four and Big East interest, though some teams are holding roster spots and rev-share/NIL dollars open in case the five-for-five rule passes, allowing seniors an extra year of college eligibility.

3. Could Jamichael Stillwell make an unexpected UCF return?

One of those seniors awaiting his fate is Jamichael Stillwell, who entered the portal to keep his options open should the ruling go in his favor. Stillwell played two years of JUCO ball before enrolling at Milwaukee and then transferring to UCF.

The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Atlanta native finished second in the Big 12 for offensive rebounds per game (3.35) and compiled nine double-doubles, highlighted by a 17-point, 15-board performance versus Cincinnati at the Big 12 tournament.

Stillwell left open the possibility for a return to UCF, and he would assuredly be a captain for the team if he were to do so. He emerged as a vocal and emotional leader for the group, and he was also its most trusted on-ball defender, putting in an excellent display against likely No. 1 overall NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa.

On Monday, April 27, the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors directed its cabinet to advance an age-based eligibility concept. However, under that model, additional retroactive eligibility would not be granted.

4. Dior Johnson comes back after shining at Tarleton State

Dior Johnson found an expanded role after leaving UCF for Tarleton State last spring, averaging 24 points in his 20 appearances for the Texans — all but two coming off the bench. On Monday, he announced he will be returning to Orlando to play his final year for the Knights.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3 point guard, played 35 times for UCF in 2024-25 but scored just 2.9 points in his 8.5 minutes on the floor. He helped the Knights reach the final of the inaugural College Basketball Crown with 13 points against Villanova.

In his lone campaign for Tarleton, Johnson earned WAC Sixth Man of the Year and second-team all-conference honors. He was one of just four players in the country to record multiple 40-point outings, doing so against Baylor and Southern Utah.

5. UCF hopes for more mid-major magic with new additions

UCF struck gold when it double-dipped from Milwaukee (Fulks and Stillwell) and found useful backcourt pieces from the likes of Mount St. Mary's (Pacheco) and Stephen F. Austin (Chris Johnson). Dawkins and his staff scouted the mid-major ranks again this spring and reshaped the rotation with experienced players.

Isaiah Malone picked up ASUN Defensive Player of the Year recognition by protecting the rim for Florida Gulf Coast. Cayden Vasko had the fifth best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.85) in the country at Wofford. Lewis Walker averaged 18.9 points per game and ranked inside the top-100 nationally in free throw makes and attempts per game for North Carolina A&T. Churchill Abass made the Southland Conference's defensive team by rejecting 57 shots.

Those players, along with Bol and the other returners, will form the foundation of UCF's 2026-27 roster. UCF was picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 ahead of last season and might again need to exceed expectations to return to the Big Dance.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF men's basketball didn't have to rebuild entire roster this year