This was supposed to be the breakout year for UCF Basketball.
Year one of the Johnny Dawkins era resulted in a deep run to the NIT Final Four and optimism was at an all-time high going into this season. The Knights returned key players such as B.J. Taylor, Tacko Fall and A.J. Davis and added a complement of newly-eligible transfers, notably Dawkins' son, Aubrey Dawkins.
UCF was selected to finish third in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll and many expected a NCAA Tournament appearance to come with it.
Then injuries got in the way.
Aubrey Dawkins, who drew rave reviews during his sit-out year after transferring from Michigan, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the preseason. B.J. Taylor took an awkward landing in UCF's season opener and missed the opening half of the season while recovering from a fractured foot. While he did return in time for the bulk of conference play, he was far from 100 percent. Tacko Fall, a game changer defensively with his 7-foot-6 frame, played with shoulder issues until the pain finally caught up to him, opting for surgery in late January which curtailed his season short.
That being said, Dawkins' team scrapped and clawed to a respectable 19-13 finish. While there will be no postseason - UCF came up just short to be included in the NIT - one could argue this season was the better coaching job by Dawkins, a point illustrated by Jeff Sharon of Black & Gold Banneret. I couldn't agree more.
In spite of the injuries, UCF still managed to go on the road in early December and beat Alabama (an NCAA Tournament team), withholding future NBA Lottery pick Collin Sexton to zero field goals.
With a healthy B.J. Taylor, it's likely UCF beats St. John's (46-43 loss) and Missouri (62-59 loss, another NCAA Tournament team). And certainly with Taylor, Fall (and Dawkins), UCF would have been more competitive in the American.
Now the focus shifts to next season - and recruiting.
Barring the unexpected, UCF will bring back B.J. Taylor and Tacko Fall and hopefully a healthy Aubrey Dawkins, who will go two full seasons since he last played at Michigan. Collin Smith, a 6-foot-11 center transfer from George Washington, drew rave reviews during his redshirt season and gives Dawkins another high-level post player to complement Fall.
The only major loss is A.J. Davis, though Aubrey Dawkins should be able to seamlessly slide into his role.
On the recruiting front, UCF has signed one player in the Class of 2018 - Andreas Fuller Jr. of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Admiral Farragut. They still have one scholarship remaining, a spot that will likely go to a graduate transfer with immediate eligibility. Ideally that would be a starter-level player (hopefully with elite offensive ability) that would give UCF an extra boost to make the NCAA Tournament in what will be Taylor and Fall's senior year.
If any further scholarships open, it's likely the staff looks again to the transfer market given the fact the majority of talented prep players have already signed.
On top of that, it's absolutely critical to sign a top recruiting class in 2019. Of particular need is a high-level point guard that can replace B.J. Taylor.
Dawkins came to UCF two years ago inheriting a team with young talent and opted to to utilize most of his early scholarships on transfers (Aubrey Dawkins, Dayon Griffin, Terrell Allen, Rokas Ulvydas). Only one of his two 2017 high school recruits remain (Myles Douglas) as Danny Lewis opted to transfer to Kennesaw State after the fall semester.
While there's still plenty of time to improve between now and then, what impact players currently on the roster will still be on the team in 2019-20? At least, those good enough expected to compete at the top of the American? The list isn't long.
For 2019, UCF is known to be high on a few local prospects in particular. Point guard Tre Mann from the Villages is believed to be the top point guard target though there will be plenty of in-state competition for his signature. C.J. Walker from Orlando Christian Prep often had UCF coaches at his games. Hunter Cattoor, a point guard from Bishop Moore, has also been on the radar.
UCF's projected 2018-19 returning roster:
Guards: B.J. Taylor, Terrell Allen, Chance McSpadden
Wings: Aubrey Dawkins, Dayon Griffin, Ceasar DeJesus, Myles Douglas
Power forwards/centers: Tacko Fall, Collin Smith, Chad Brown, Rokas Ulvydas
Key Losses:
Wing: A.J. Davis
