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PHILADELPHIA — A 20-minute car ride from Xfinity Mobile Arena sits arguably one of the most iconic symbols of underdog spirit. The Liberty Bell was created in 1751 and was rung to commemorate historic events, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
It was perhaps one of the biggest Cinderella stories in history as the colonies declared their independence from the perennial power of English rule under King George III.
One of the most famous underdogs in sports movies is just another short road trip away at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That’s where the 9-foot bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa, portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” movies, can be found.
Philadelphia is often known as the city of brotherly love, but it also proudly carries the title of the city of underdogs.
UCF may have been perceived as an underdog with a roster featuring 13 newcomers that returned zero production, which was picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 by coaches in their preseason poll, but that’s not how the Knights envisioned themselves.
“I wouldn’t say we’re underdogs; we just came up short,” forward Jordan Burks said. “I thought we had a good group and we made a platform for years to come to show [future players] what it takes and what we need to do more.”
“I knew we could accomplish a lot more, but we made history,” added forward Devan Cambridge. “We had the most Big 12 wins in a season since joining the league three years ago. I’m proud of us because of all the new guys; it was hard getting close, and we did just that.”
UCF’s season came to a close after the Knights were defeated by UCLA, 75-71, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. It was the first time the Knights were back in the 68-team field since the 2018-19 season.
Johnny Dawkins’ team finished with a 21-12 overall record, beginning with an 11-1 start that carried over into UCF winning a program-best nine conference games, including notable wins over No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 19 BYU.
Despite Friday’s letdown, it’s just the beginning in Dawkins’ eyes.
“This team will have left the foundation for what we want to build on,” Dawkins said. “They left the foundation for what we want to grow from this point on. The players who will return understand what it took along this journey to put us in this position. So with that type of experience, you want just the foundation being laid right now, and for our program, which those guys will always be known for.”
It’s sure to be another busy offseason for UCF, particularly when the transfer portal window opens on April 7.
The Knights must replace at least six players with expiring eligibility, led by three starters in point guard Themus Fulks, shooting guard Riley Kugel and power forward Jamichael Stillwell. Then there are bench contributors in forward Devan Cambridge, guard George Beale Jr. and Poohpha Warakulnukroh.
The six players account for 61% (49.8 ppg.) of the team’s scoring from this season.
That doesn’t account for the loss of other players who could choose to transfer when the portal window opens.
Roster turnover has been a common theme for the Knights since the introduction of unlimited transfers, name, image and likeness deals and revenue sharing. However, retaining players or signing new ones becomes a little easier with an NCAA Tournament appearance.
UCF exploring contract extension for men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins
“The visibility that this offers us by putting our brand out is great,” Dawkins recently told the Sentinel. “The fact that we’re playing in the postseason. It just gives us credibility in the recruiting world that you can come here and you can have that type of success.”
Athletics director Terry Mohajir has been directly involved in discussions surrounding transfer acquisitions and signs the revenue-sharing contracts for the players, so he understands exactly what the program is working with when it comes to building a roster.
“We had a plan going into the spring portal and I think he [Dawkins] had a plan where we’re not going to overspend for players,” Mojajir said. “If you look around the country, I believe some schools overspend.”
The average projected cost of a Big 12 roster for the 2025-26 season is anywhere from $7 million to $10 million, according to On3.com, although it’s widely believed that UCF’s numbers are somewhere near the middle of the league.
“This is a moment in time where I think Johnny has done a really good job of taking players,” Mohajir explained. “He had a roster reconstruction last year, too. If you look at our league, there’s not a lot of talent that’s coming back. There will always be a transition.
“We all talk about the money, but the most important thing is the evaluation. He’s [Dawkins] done a nice job with that evaluation. In this day and age, where people have new rosters every year, you either embrace it or wilt away. I think he’s embraced it.”
Regarding long-term stability, Mohajir told the Sentinel that the university has begun discussions on a possible contract for Dawkins, who is entering his final year of a two-year extension he signed in 2024, with the upcoming season being a non-guaranteed year.
“I haven’t had a chance to really think about any of those things other than I love UCF, love Orlando, and that community has been great to me my entire time there. I have nothing but fondness for the area, so we’ll see what happens,” Dawkins said right after Friday’s loss.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
Continue reading...
It was perhaps one of the biggest Cinderella stories in history as the colonies declared their independence from the perennial power of English rule under King George III.
One of the most famous underdogs in sports movies is just another short road trip away at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That’s where the 9-foot bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa, portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone in the “Rocky” movies, can be found.
Philadelphia is often known as the city of brotherly love, but it also proudly carries the title of the city of underdogs.
UCF may have been perceived as an underdog with a roster featuring 13 newcomers that returned zero production, which was picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 by coaches in their preseason poll, but that’s not how the Knights envisioned themselves.
“I wouldn’t say we’re underdogs; we just came up short,” forward Jordan Burks said. “I thought we had a good group and we made a platform for years to come to show [future players] what it takes and what we need to do more.”
“I knew we could accomplish a lot more, but we made history,” added forward Devan Cambridge. “We had the most Big 12 wins in a season since joining the league three years ago. I’m proud of us because of all the new guys; it was hard getting close, and we did just that.”
UCF’s season came to a close after the Knights were defeated by UCLA, 75-71, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. It was the first time the Knights were back in the 68-team field since the 2018-19 season.
Johnny Dawkins’ team finished with a 21-12 overall record, beginning with an 11-1 start that carried over into UCF winning a program-best nine conference games, including notable wins over No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 19 BYU.
Despite Friday’s letdown, it’s just the beginning in Dawkins’ eyes.
“This team will have left the foundation for what we want to build on,” Dawkins said. “They left the foundation for what we want to grow from this point on. The players who will return understand what it took along this journey to put us in this position. So with that type of experience, you want just the foundation being laid right now, and for our program, which those guys will always be known for.”
It’s sure to be another busy offseason for UCF, particularly when the transfer portal window opens on April 7.
The Knights must replace at least six players with expiring eligibility, led by three starters in point guard Themus Fulks, shooting guard Riley Kugel and power forward Jamichael Stillwell. Then there are bench contributors in forward Devan Cambridge, guard George Beale Jr. and Poohpha Warakulnukroh.
The six players account for 61% (49.8 ppg.) of the team’s scoring from this season.
That doesn’t account for the loss of other players who could choose to transfer when the portal window opens.
Roster turnover has been a common theme for the Knights since the introduction of unlimited transfers, name, image and likeness deals and revenue sharing. However, retaining players or signing new ones becomes a little easier with an NCAA Tournament appearance.
UCF exploring contract extension for men’s basketball coach Johnny Dawkins
“The visibility that this offers us by putting our brand out is great,” Dawkins recently told the Sentinel. “The fact that we’re playing in the postseason. It just gives us credibility in the recruiting world that you can come here and you can have that type of success.”
Athletics director Terry Mohajir has been directly involved in discussions surrounding transfer acquisitions and signs the revenue-sharing contracts for the players, so he understands exactly what the program is working with when it comes to building a roster.
“We had a plan going into the spring portal and I think he [Dawkins] had a plan where we’re not going to overspend for players,” Mojajir said. “If you look around the country, I believe some schools overspend.”
The average projected cost of a Big 12 roster for the 2025-26 season is anywhere from $7 million to $10 million, according to On3.com, although it’s widely believed that UCF’s numbers are somewhere near the middle of the league.
“This is a moment in time where I think Johnny has done a really good job of taking players,” Mohajir explained. “He had a roster reconstruction last year, too. If you look at our league, there’s not a lot of talent that’s coming back. There will always be a transition.
“We all talk about the money, but the most important thing is the evaluation. He’s [Dawkins] done a nice job with that evaluation. In this day and age, where people have new rosters every year, you either embrace it or wilt away. I think he’s embraced it.”
Regarding long-term stability, Mohajir told the Sentinel that the university has begun discussions on a possible contract for Dawkins, who is entering his final year of a two-year extension he signed in 2024, with the upcoming season being a non-guaranteed year.
“I haven’t had a chance to really think about any of those things other than I love UCF, love Orlando, and that community has been great to me my entire time there. I have nothing but fondness for the area, so we’ll see what happens,” Dawkins said right after Friday’s loss.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
Continue reading...
