2021–22 UCF Knights men's basketball team

2021–22 UCF Knights men's basketball
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Record18–12 (9–9 AAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaAddition Financial Arena
Seasons
2021–22 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 15 Houston † 15 – 3   .833 32 – 6   .842
SMU 13 – 4   .765 24 – 9   .727
Memphis 13 – 5   .722 22 – 11   .667
Temple 10 – 7   .588 17 – 12   .586
Tulane 10 – 8   .556 14 – 15   .483
UCF 9 – 9   .500 18 – 12   .600
Wichita State 6 – 9   .400 15 – 13   .536
Cincinnati 7 – 11   .389 18 – 15   .545
East Carolina 6 – 11   .353 15 – 15   .500
Tulsa 4 – 14   .222 11 – 20   .355
South Florida 3 – 15   .167 8 – 23   .258
† 2022 AAC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2021–22 UCF Knights men's basketball team represented the University of Central Florida during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Knights competed as members of the American Athletic Conference. The Knights, in the program's 53rd season of basketball, were led by sixth-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and played their home games at the Addition Financial Arena on the university's main campus in Orlando, Florida. They finished the season 18–12, 9–9 in AAC Play to finish in 6th place. They defeated South Florida in the First Round of the AAC Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Memphis.

Previous season

The Knights finished the 2020–21 season 10–11 overall and 8–10 in AAC play to finish in sixth place. They defeated East Carolina in the first round of the AAC tournament before losing to Memphis in the quarterfinals.

Offseason

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
Josh Kaplan 0 G 6'0" 160 Junior Merrick, NY Walk-on; didn't return
Avery Diggs 5 C 6'11" 245 Senior Brandon, FL Graduate transferred to Chatttanoga
Xavier Grant 11 G 6'3" 185 Junior Fort Lauderdale, FL Walk-on; didn't return
Issac Ward 15 G 6'0" 185 Freshman Tampa, FL Transferred to Spring Hill
Moses Bol 33 C 7'1" 230 RS Junior Wau, South Sudan Graduate transferred to Milwaukee

Incoming transfers

Name Num Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous college
Tyem Freeman 11 G 6'6" 210 RS Sophomore Springfield, IL Indian Hills CC
Cheikh Mbacke Diong 34 F 6'11" 235 RS Senior Dakar, Senegal UNLV

2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Darius Johnson
#26 PG 		Boyds, MD Episcopal High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oct 1, 2020 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
P. J. Edwards
SG 		Springfield, IL Liberty Heights Athletic Institute 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Dec 14, 2020 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Ed'Xavior Rhodes
SG 		Dallas, TX Skyline High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Apr 19, 2021 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.

2022 Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2022)
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Taylor Hendricks
#13 C 		Fort Lauderdale, FL Calvary Christian Academy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Mar 21, 2021 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 85
Tyler Hendricks
#50 SG 		Fort Lauderdale, FL Calvary Christian Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Mar 21, 2021 
Star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

2021–22 UCF Knights men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Darius Johnson 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Episcopal High School Boyds, Maryland
G 1 Tony Johnson Jr. 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr The Skill Factory Eufaula, Alabama
G 2 Darius Perry 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) GS Louisville Marietta, Georgia
F 3 Isaiah Adams 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Paxon School for Advanced Studies Jacksonville, Florida
F 4 Jamille Reynolds 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 285 lb (129 kg) So Lakewood Senior High School St. Petersburg, Florida
G 5 P. J. Edwards 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Fr Liberty Heights Athletic Institute Springfield, Illinois
G 10 Levy Renaud (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr NSU University School Fort Lauderdale, Florida
G 11 Tyem Freeman 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS So Indian Hills CC Springfield, Missouri
F 12 Ed'Xavior Rhodes 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Skyline Dallas, Texas
G 13 Brandon Mahan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) GS Texas A&M Birmingham, Alabama
F 20 Sean Mobley 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Sr VCU Orlando, Florida
F 21 C. J. Walker 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr Oregon Sanford, Florida
G 22 Darin Green Jr. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Wharton High School Charlotte, North Carolina
G 24 Dre Fuller Jr. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS Jr Admiral Farragut Academy Fayetteville, North Carolina
F 25 Ryan Anders (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Sr Wharton High School Tampa, Florida
F 34 Cheikh Mbacke Diong 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Sr UNLV Dakar, Senegal
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
November 10, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Robert Morris W 69–59  1–0
  18 – Perry   8 – Mbacke Diong   4 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (4,869)
Orlando, FL
November 13, 2021*
1:00 p.m., ACCNX 		at Miami (FL) W 95–89  2–0
  23 – Green Jr.   11 – Walker   6 – Perry  Watsco Center (2,950)
Coral Gables, FL
November 16, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Jacksonville W 63–54  3–0
  11 – Green Jr.   6 – Fuller Jr.   6 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (3,937)
Orlando, FL
November 20, 2021*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Evansville W 75–59  4–0
  17 – Green Jr.   6 – Adams   2 – Tied  Ford Center (3,233)
Evansville, IN
November 27, 2021*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Oklahoma L 62–65  4–1
  17 – Green Jr.   7 – Mbacke Diong   8 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (4,198)
Orlando, FL
December 1, 2021*
8:00 p.m., SECN+ 		at No. 21 Auburn L 68–85  4–2
  18 – Perry   7 – Walker   4 – Perry  Auburn Arena (9,121)
Auburn, AL
December 5, 2021*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Bethune–Cookman W 81–45  5–2
  18 – Green Jr.   9 – Diong   6 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (3,804)
Orlando, FL
December 11, 2021*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		North Carolina A&T W 83–68  6–2
  18 – Green Jr.   4 – Walker   6 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (3,507)
Orlando, FL
December 15, 2021
7:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at Temple W 65–48  7–2
(1–0) 		 18 – Mahan   4 – Walker   3 – Tied  Liacouras Center (3,002)
Philadelphia, PA
December 18, 2021*
3:30 p.m., BSSUN 		vs. Florida State
Orange Bowl Classic 		Canceled due to COVID-19 FLA Live Arena 
Sunrise, FL
December 22, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		North Alabama W 75–64  8–2
  15 – Perry   9 – Diong   9 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (3,273)
Orlando, FL
December 30, 2021*
7:00 p.m., ESPN2 		Michigan W 85–71  9–2
  27 – Green   7 – Tied   7 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (9,358)
Orlando, FL
January 2, 2022
2:00 p.m., ESPNU 		at SMU L 60–72  9–3
(1–1) 		 17 – Mahan   8 – Walker   2 – Johnson  Moody Coliseum (3,267)
University Park, TX
January 5, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Temple L 62–66  9–4
(1–2) 		 14 – Perry   9 – Walker   4 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (3,268)
Orlando, FL
January 12, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Memphis W 74–64  10–4
(2–2) 		 20 – Green Jr.   7 – Walker   5 – Perry  Additional Financial Arena (6,163)
Orlando, FL
January 15, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at South Florida
War on I-4 		L 51–75  10–5
(2–3) 		 9 – Walker   4 – Walker   3 – Johnson  Yuengling Center (3,072)
Tampa, FL
January 18, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at East Carolina W 92–85 OT 11–5
(3–3) 		 19 – Perry   6 – Adams   8 – Perry  Williams Arena (4,167)
Greenville, NC
January 22, 2022
2:00 p.m., ESPNU 		Tulane W 68–66  12–5
(4–3) 		 17 – Johnson   10 – Mbacke Diong   4 – Johnson  Addition Financial Arena (4,508)
Orlando, FL
January 26, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Wichita State L 79–84  12–6
(4–4) 		 20 – Mahan   13 – Mahan   6 – Perry  Charles Koch Arena (8,041)
Wichita, KS
January 29, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 7 Houston L 49–63  12–7
(4–5) 		 14 – Green Jr.   7 – Mahan   6 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (8,142)
Orlando, FL
February 3, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		South Florida
War on I-4 		W 68–49  13–7
(5–5) 		 23 – Green Jr.   7 – Mbacke Diong   5 – Perry  Addition Financial Arena (6,722)
Orlando, FL
February 5, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at Memphis L 60–88  13–8
(5–6) 		 11 – Tied   8 – Diong   5 – Johnson  FedExForum (15,280)
Memphis, TN
February 8, 2022
9:00 p.m., ESPNU 		Wichita State W 71–66  14–8
(6–6) 		 19 – Mahan   9 – Tied   5 – Johnson  Addition Financial Arena (4,276)
Orlando, FL
February 14, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPNU 		Tulsa
Rescheduled from January 8 		W 76–67  15–8
(7–6) 		 14 – Johnson   6 – Tied   5 – Johnson  Addition Financial Arena (4,077)
Orlando, FL
February 17, 2022
9:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at No. 14 Houston L 52–70  15–9
(7–7) 		 12 – Tied   7 – Walker   5 – Johnson  Fertitta Center (6,957)
Houston, TX
February 20, 2022
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		East Carolina W 69–66  16–9
(8–7) 		 19 – Green Jr.   8 – Johnson   6 – Johnson  Addition Financial Arena (4,427)
Orlando, FL
February 23, 2022
9:00 p.m., ESPNU 		Cincinnati W 75–61  17–9
(9–7) 		 13 – Walker   7 – Johnson   5 – Tied  Addition Financial Arena (5,102)
Orlando, FL
March 3, 2022
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Tulane L 67–82  17–10
(9–8) 		 15 – Johnson   16 – Walker   5 – Perry  Devlin Fieldhouse (1,569)
New Orleans, LA
March 6, 2022
2:00 p.m., ESPNU 		at Tulsa L 72–73  17–11
(9–9) 		 19 – Tied   8 – Diong   9 – Johnson  Reynolds Center 
Tulsa, OK
AAC tournament
March 10, 2022
7:00 p.m., ESPNU 		(6) vs. (11) South Florida
First Round 		W 60–58  18–11
  13 – Perry   7 – Walker   4 – Tied  Dickies Arena 
Fort Worth, TX
March 11, 2022
9:00 p.m., ESPNU 		(6) vs. (3) Memphis
Quarterfinals 		L 69–85  18–12
  23 – Perry   5 – Tied   7 – Tied  Dickies Arena 
Fort Worth, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Source[1]

References

  1. ^ "2021–22 Men's Basketball Schedule". ucfknights.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.