# 2024–25 UCF Knights men's basketball team

The 2024–25 UCF Knights men's basketball team represents the University of Central Florida during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, marking their second season as members of the Big 12 Conference. The Knights, in the program's 56th season of basketball, are led by ninth-year head coach Johnny Dawkins and play their home games at the Addition Financial Arena.

## Previous season

The Knights finished the 2023–24 season 17–16, 7–11 in Big 12 Play to finish in a tie for 11th place. They defeated Oklahoma State in the First Round of the Big 12 Tournament before losing in the second round to BYU. The Knights received an at-large bid to the NIT, where they were defeated by South Florida in the first round.

## Preseason

Big 12 Preseason Poll
| | Big 12 Coaches | Points |
| 1. | Kansas | 215 (9) |
| 2. | Houston | 211 (5) |
| 3. | Iowa State | 194 (1) |
| 4. | Baylor | 185 |
| 5. | Arizona | 179 (1) |
| 6. | Cincinnati | 140 |
| 7. | Texas Tech | 135 |
| 8. | Kansas State | 133 |
| 9. | BYU | 116 |
| 10. | TCU | 90 |
| 11. | UCF | 83 |
| 12. | Arizona State | 64 |
| 13. | West Virginia | 62 |
| 14. | Oklahoma State | 46 |
| 15. | Colorado | 37 |
| 16. | Utah | 30 |
| Reference: (#) first-place votes |||
Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team

### First Team

| Player | School |
| Caleb Love | Arizona |
| LJ Cryer | Houston |
| J’Wan Roberts | Houston |
| Tamin Lipsey | Iowa State |
| Hunter Dickinson† | Kansas |
| † denotes unanimous selection Reference: ||

### Second Team

| Player | School |
| Norchad Omier | Baylor |
| Jeremy Roach | Baylor |
| Keshon Gilbert | Iowa State |
| Dajuan Harris Jr | Kansas |
| Coleman Hawkins | Kansas State |
| † denotes unanimous selection Reference: ||
* Player of the Year: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
* Co-Newcomer of the Year: Jeremy Roach, Baylor & Coleman Hawkins, Kansas State
* Freshman of the Year: V. J. Edgecombe, Baylor

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 20, 2024* | | Florida Gulf Coast | W 92–78 | | – | – | – | Addition Financial Arena Orlando, FL |
| October 29, 2024* 7:00 p.m. | | at Georgia | L 76–114 | | – | – | – | Stegeman Coliseum Athens, GA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 4, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | No. 13 Texas A&M | W 64–61 | 1–0 | 24 – Da. Johnson | 5 – Ivy-Curry | 5 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (8,808) Orlando, FL |
| November 8, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Purdue Fort Wayne | W 75–68 | 2–0 | 18 – Ivy-Curry | 12 – Hall | 5 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (7,768) Orlando, FL |
| November 12, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Florida Atlantic | W 100–94 | 3–0 | 26 – Hall | 8 – B. Williams | 5 – Tied | Addition Financial Arena (8,302) Orlando, FL |
| November 19, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Tennessee Tech Greenbrier Tip-Off campus game | W 80–69 | 4–0 | 20 – Hall | 6 – Da. Johnson | 5 – Hall | Addition Financial Arena (7,522) Orlando, FL |
| November 22, 2024* 5:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. No. 19 Wisconsin Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division semifinals | L 70–86 | 4–1 | 13 – Ivy-Curry | 9 – Taylor | 4 – Di. Johnson | Colonial Hall (1,112) White Sulphur Springs, WV |
| November 24, 2024* 3:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. LSU Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division third place game | L 102–109 $^{3OT}$ | 4–2 | 25 – Da. Johnson | 10 – Hall | 8 – Da. Johnson | Colonial Hall (1,112) White Sulphur Springs, WV |
| November 27, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Milwaukee | W 84–76 | 5–2 | 28 – Da. Johnson | 5 – Tied | 4 – B. Williams | Addition Financial Arena (6,027) Orlando, FL |
| December 1, 2024* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | California Baptist | W 74–59 | 6–2 | 15 – Hall | 7 – Thiam | 5 – Ivy-Curry | Addition Financial Arena (5,817) Orlando, FL |
| December 8, 2024* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Tarleton State | W 66–51 | 7–2 | 16 – Ivy-Curry | 9 – Thiam | 7 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (5,859) Orlando, FL |
| December 14, 2024* 2:00 p.m., ESPNU | | vs. Tulsa AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic | W 88–75 | 8–2 | 20 – Coleman | 9 – Coleman | 4 – Ivy-Curry | Amerant Bank Arena (7,866) Sunrise, FL |
| December 21, 2024* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Jacksonville | W 86–66 | 9–2 | 21 – Hall | 6 – Da. Johnson | 4 – Hall | Addition Financial Arena (6,155) Orlando, FL |
| Big 12 regular season |||||||||
| December 31, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Texas Tech | W 87–83 | 10–2 (1–0) | 24 – Da. Johnson | 8 – Hall | 4 – Da. Johnson | United Supermarkets Arena (12,767) Lubbock, TX |
| January 5, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | No. 7 Kansas | L 48–99 | 10–3 (1–1) | 12 – Hall | 6 – Hall | 3 – B. Williams | Addition Financial Arena (9,669) Orlando, FL |
| January 8, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Colorado | W 75–74 | 11–3 (2–1) | 22 – Ivy-Curry | 7 – Hall | 4 – Ivy-Curry | Addition Financial Arena (8,204) Orlando, FL |
| January 11, 2025 10:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Arizona | L 80–88 | 11–4 (2–2) | 22 – Hall | 10 – Thiam | 5 – Hall | McKale Center (13,039) Tucson, AZ |
| January 14, 2025 11:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Arizona State | W 95–89 | 12–4 (3–2) | 40 – Hall | 9 – Taylor | 7 – Da. Johnson | Desert Financial Arena (8,337) Tempe, AZ |
| January 18, 2025 12:00 p.m., CBSSN | | No. 10 Houston | L 68–69 | 12–5 (3–3) | 18 – Thiam | 11 – Hall | 4 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (9,014) Orlando, FL |
| January 21, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at No. 3 Iowa State | L 83–108 | 12–6 (3–4) | 24 – Ivy-Curry | 9 – Thiam | 3 – Tied | Hilton Coliseum (14,267) Ames, IA |
| January 25, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | TCU | W 85–58 | 13–6 (4–4) | 26 – Hall | 8 – Hall | 5 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (8,003) Orlando, FL |
| January 28, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at No. 11 Kansas | L 87–91 | 13–7 (4–5) | 34 – Hall | 7 – Tied | 8 – Ivy-Curry | Allen Fieldhouse (15,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 1, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | BYU | L 75–81 | 13–8 (4–6) | 20 – Hall | 8 – Hall | 3 – Hall | Addition Financial Arena (9,152) Orlando, FL |
| February 5, 2025 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Cincinnati | L 83–93 | 13–9 (4–7) | 23 – Hall | 8 – Thaim | 6 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (7,421) Orlando, FL |
| February 8, 2025 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Baylor | L 76–91 | 13–10 (4–8) | 19 – Hall | 8 – Hall | 5 – Da. Johnson | Foster Pavilion (7,500) Waco, TX |
| February 11, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | No. 10 Iowa State | L 65–77 | 13–11 (4–9) | 22 – Hall | 10 – Thiam | 4 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (8,614) Orlando, FL |
| February 15, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Colorado | L 63–76 | 13–12 (4–10) | 19 – Hall | 9 – Hall | 2 – Machowski | CU Events Center (7,212) Boulder, CO |
| February 19, 2025 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Oklahoma State | L 95–104 | 13–13 (4–11) | 34 – Hall | 7 – Williams | 9 – Da. Johnson | Gallagher-Iba Arena (5,122) Stillwater, OK |
| February 23, 2025 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Utah | W 76–72 | 14–13 (5–11) | 18 – Thiam | 9 – Thiam | 5 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (6,379) Orlando, FL |
| February 26, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Kansas State | W 80–76 | 15–13 (6–11) | 26 – Hall | 10 – Thiam | 4 – Da. Johnson | Addition Financial Arena (7,003) Orlando, FL |
| March 1, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at TCU | L 77–88 | 15–14 (6–12) | 20 – Da. Johnson | 13 – Hall | 4 – Tied | Schollmaier Arena (5,477) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 5, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Oklahoma State | W 83–70 | 16–14 (7–12) | 36 – Da. Johnson | 9 – Hall | 5 – Tied | Addition Financial Arena (7,116) Orlando, FL |
| March 8, 2025 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at West Virginia | L 65–72 | 16–15 (7–13) | 17 – Da. Johnson | 10 – Coleman | 3 – Johnson | WVU Coliseum (12,523) Morgantown, WV |
| Big 12 tournament |||||||||
| March 11, 2025 9:30 p.m., ESPN+ | (14) | vs. (11) Utah First round | W 87–72 | 17–15 | 23 – Hall | 11 – Thiam | 5 – Tied | T-Mobile Center (12,929) Kansas City, MO |
| March 12, 2025 9:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (14) | vs. (6) Kansas Second round | L 94–98 $^{OT}$ | 17–16 | 25 – Hall | 11 – Hall | 7 – Johnson | T-Mobile Center (15,431) Kansas City, MO |
| College Basketball Crown |||||||||
| April 1, 2025* 5:30 p.m., FS1 | (7) | vs. (10) Oregon State First round | | | | | | MGM Grand Garden Arena Paradise, NV |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | — | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | — | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |