Following a successful run through the College Basketball Crown Tournament , UCF faces a familiar challenge as the offseason approaches.

The Knights have already seen a significant shake-up, with 10 players opting to leave the program through the transfer portal. This wave of departures follows the loss of three seasoned seniors, among them key player Darius Johnson .

As a result, the team needs a comprehensive overhaul to reshape its roster for the upcoming season.

PF JAMICHAEL STILLWELL



Resume: Stillwell averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds as a senior at Elevation Prep in Fort Wayne, Ind., before enrolling at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. He averaged 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 27 games in 2023-24 for the Grizzlies before signing with the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Role: The Georgia native played 31 games (29 starts) for the Panthers last season, averaging 13.0 points and a school-record 10.7 rebounds per game. Stillwell was named first-team All-Horizon League and Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. He became the first-ever player in program history to average a double-double for a season.

Outlook: Stillwell, 21, reteams with former teammate Themus Fulks, who previously committed to the program earlier this week. His experience gives the Knights an experienced starting forward heading into the 2025-26 season.

C JOHN BOL



Resume: Bol signed with Ole Miss as a 4-star standout at Overtime Elite in St. Louis, averaging 10.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Role: The South Sudan native appeared in 17 games this past season, averaging 1.1 points in 4.1 minutes for the Rebels.

Outlook: The Knights lacked size off the bench this past season, and Bol’s presence gives the team another 7-footer who can pair up with Moustapha Thiam.

G THEMUS FULKS



Resume: Fulks began his college career at South Carolina State before winding up at Dodge City Community College in Kansas. He led the Conquistadors to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA National Tournament in 2021-22 before signing with Louisiana-Lafayette. After two seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Fulks transferred to Milwaukee this past season.

Role: Fulks was named to the second-team All-Horizon League after leading the Panthers in scoring with 14.6 points and 5.9 assists per game. He scored in double-figures 23 times, including a career-high 26 points against IUSB on Dec. 29.

Outlook: With Johnson’s departure, the Knights desperately need a playmaker to facilitate their offense. Fulks fits this role well while also providing the team with a solid shooting option, having connected on 48% of his shots last season.

G GEORGE BEALE JR.



Resume: A three-year guard out of Virginia who spent time at Norfolk State and Hampton, Beale averages 7.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 81 career appearances.

Role: After spending two seasons as a backup with the Spartans, Beale transferred to Hampton, where he appeared in 33 games with 15 starts. He averaged 13 points, 2.3 rebounds and 24.4 minutes per game for the Pirates, cracking the 20-point mark five times.

Outlook: The Knights add another guard to their mix with the addition of Beale.

SF JORDAN BURKS



Resume: UCF lands another 4-star prospect in Burks, who signed with Kentucky out of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) with Overtime Elite in 2023-24 before transferring to Georgetown.

Role: Burks’s role increased significantly with the Hoyas last season. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 18.6 minutes in 34 games (11 starts), including a season-high 16 points in Georgetown’s first-round win over Washington State in the College Basketball Crown tournament on March 31.

Outlook: A career 52% shooter, Burks’s presence will be welcome to a team that shot a Big 12-worst 42% last season.

SG RILEY KUGEL



Resume: Kugel is returning home, where he played his high school basketball at Dr. Phillips before signing with Florida as part of the Gators’ 2022-23 recruiting class. After two seasons at UF, he transferred to Mississippi State.

Role: The former 4-star standout averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in his two seasons at Florida, appearing in 65 games with 28 starts. Last season, Kugel started 14 games for the Bulldogs, averaging 9.3 points and 3 rebounds.

Outlook: Kugel gives the Knights plenty of experience and size at the small guard spot.

G JORDAN IVY-CURRY



Resume: Ivy-Curry arrived via the transfer market after spending last season at UTSA, where he averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists and 27 minutes in 21 games with the Roadrunners. He was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team after averaging 7.2 points, 1.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 26 games (11 starts). In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while appearing in 21 games (19 starts), but transferred to Pacific in 2022-23.

At Pacific, Ivy-Curry averaged 10.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 33 games (seven starts). He scored double figures in 20 games, which was highlighted by 25 points against San Diego.

Role: Ivy-Curry averaged 13.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 34 games (25 starts) for the Knights.

Outlook: A fifth-year senior, Ivy-Curry was seeking a waiver from the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. He announced earlier this month he would return to UCF next season, but had a change of heart.

G DIOR JOHNSON



Resume: Johnson was among 11 newcomers to join the Knights last offseason after averaging 29.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game at Clarendon (Texas) Community College, which finished 23-10 in 2023-24.

He was a 4-star prospect from Southern California Academy who signed with Pittsburgh’s 2022 recruiting class. Because of legal troubles, he never played and left the program. The New York native committed to Syracuse and Oregon the following season before ending up at Clarendon CC.

Role: The redshirt sophomore averaged 2.9 points in 35 games this past season but only scored in double-digits twice.

Outlook: Johnson was part of the Knights’ guard rotation.

SG JAYLIN SELLERS



Resume: Sellers averaged 15.9 points per game in 2023-24 after signing with the Knights as an offseason transfer from Ball State.

Role: He is coming off a frustrating season in which the fifth-year guard was limited to just three games with an undisclosed injury. The Georgia native was injured in an exhibition game on Oct. 20, missing the first 10 games before returning against Jacksonville on Dec. 21.

He averaged 16 minutes in the next three games, scoring 18 points and grabbing 4 rebounds before finding himself back on the bench the rest of the season.

Outlook: Nobody knows what a healthy Sellers could have meant for the Knights this past season, but what is certain is that not having his presence on the court was a huge loss.

F KEYSHAWN HALL



Resume: The junior came to UCF after spending last season at George Mason, where he started 28 games for the Patriots, averaging 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 30 minutes per game. His performance earned him a spot on the All-Atlantic 10 second team.

Originally from Cleveland, he began his college career at UNLV, averaging 5.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 10 minutes in 18 games for the Rebels.

Role: Hall started all 33 games for the Knights, averaging 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. He was named second-team, all-Big 12 and all-newcomer team this past season after leading the league in scoring.

Outlook: Hall became the second straight transfer to lead the team in scoring along with Sellers in 2023-24.

SF JJ TAYLOR



Resume: Taylor was an offseason transfer who appeared in three games as a freshman at Memphis. The Chicago native was a 4-star recruit who began high school at Morgan Park before transferring to Kenwood Academy, where he averaged 28.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He moved to California to attend Donda Academy his junior season before settling at San Ysidro High in San Diego.

Role: He appeared in 25 games off the bench, averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in his first season at UCF.

Outlook: Taylor would provide the occasional spark off the bench for the Knights but never cracked the starting lineup.

SF CAMERON SIMPSON



Resume: Simpson signed as part of UCF’s 2024 recruiting class out of Oak Ridge High School.

Role: Simpson redshirted this season and didn’t see any action.

C ROKAS JOCIUS



Resume: Jocius joined the program last season as a transfer from La Salle, where he played two seasons for the Explorers, averaging 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 61 games.

Role: The junior averaged 2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 25 games. Suffering from a foot injury, he missed the final seven games, the Big 12 Tournament and the College Basketball Crown Tournament.

Outlook: Jocius spent the first part of the season as the primary backup to freshman Moustapha Thiam, but was eventually replaced in the rotation by Benny Williams.

SG TYLER HENDRICKS



Resume: Hendricks wrapped up his second season with the Knights. He joined the program with his twin brother, Taylor, who became the UCF’s first lottery and first-round NBA pick in 2023.

Role: The redshirt sophomore appeared in 26 games, starting eight, and averaged 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds this season.

Outlook: His playing time increased significantly throughout the season, especially in the postseason.

G NILS MACHOWSKI



Resume: Machowski signed with UCF in 2023-24 after playing for Germany’s Alba Berlin.

Role: He appeared in 56 career games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11 minutes, primarily off the bench. As a sophomore, he appeared in 31 games with nine starts, averaging 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. Machowski had a season-high 15 points in the Knights’ 76-75 win over Oregon State in the first round of the College Basketball Crown Tournament.

Outlook: Machowski became a significant part of UCF’s rotation, particularly later in the season.

G MIKEY WILLIAMS



Resume: Williams, 20, was in his first season at UCF after arriving from Memphis.

Role: He averaged 5.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 14 minutes in 18 games. He missed the first 10 games with a foot injury, returning to the lineup on Dec. 21 against Jacksonville, starting against Colorado, Oklahoma State, Utah, Kansas State and TCU.

However, Williams dislocated a kneecap in practice before the Oklahoma State game on March 5, ending his season prematurely.

Outlook: He showed flashes of his ability throughout the season but was limited by injuries.

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: . Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

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