BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 18, 2023

Johnny Dawkins

UCF Knights

Media Day Press Conference

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, for us, we're excited to be in this conference. I'm excited to be taking my team on this next journey.

I believe in our guys. I think our guys are working really hard. Practices have been competitive. We have 10 new players. They're mixing real well with the players that we have returning.

We understand that we have to earn everything. Going into a new league, we have to prove ourselves. We have to earn everything that we do. It starts with what we're doing in practice.

Our guys are having to earn everything there, as well.

That's what we're doing, and I think our continued growth will be because of that, and we'll take it one step at a time.

Q. Johnny, for those of us who may be unfamiliar with UCF, explain what UCF basketball is and what your calling card it.

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Our calling card, if you look at us over the last seven, eight years, we've been one of the top defensive teams, top 100, top 50 around three of my seven years there, and top 100 probably more than that.

Our calling card is we're going to defend and we're going to rebound. I think it starts there. If we're going to have any success in any league, especially this league, we're going to have to be a really good defensive team and a team that understands the importance of rebounding the basketball.

Q. I wonder if you could talk about the loss of IT Horton a bit, and who are some of the guys in line to replace him?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Absolutely. Losing Ithiel, he was a terrific young player for us. He had transferred in, played one year with us. Really good shooter of the basketball, really good competitor. He's going to be missed. We were able to, in the transfer portal, find some players that we think can come in and contribute, as well. Like Jaylin Sellers who's coming in our program, as well.

We'll miss Ithiel, and I think we were able to obtain a young man that will continue to come in and help us grow in our program, as well.

Q. What are the traits that you look for in the portal when you're recruiting a guy knowing he has to go get some of this Big 12 length and athleticism?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, I think it's important when you're looking in the portal to do your homework. You need to find players that fit your style of play. You can't just grab talent.

I think you have to look for character. When you're bringing new guys into your locker room, that's very important that you bring the right guys. The pieces have to fit.

We're looking for character, of course talent, but it has to make sure it's the right fit for us, and I think that's something that we've looked to do. I think our staff has done a very good job of finding young men that fit that role for us, and we've been able to build through the portal over the last few years.

Q. When you're looking at the transfer portal, you're also trying to bring in freshmen. How do you strike a balance of where you need to go find those players to build out your program?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, I'm a big believer in balance. That's a great question. I think for us, you have to have freshmen in your program. I don't want freshmen to get lost in this new world of basketball. These are opportunities for people and their families.

A lot can be first generation of young men who are getting a college degree. We're always going to make sure we have freshmen in our program to balance out the transfer portal and guys that are already in our program.

I think it's great for your locker room, as well. I think when you have that mixture of young and old, I think you have a better locker room because guys understand the importance of growing and the progression of what you have to do to become a great player from freshman through a senior year, and that starts with our young guys. We're always going to bring them in. We're always excited about them. We want them to stay with us for four years.

Q. When you got into this business a couple years ago, did you ever imagine you'd be in a conference that goes from Orlando to Provo, Utah, and just what does kind of the national nature of the Big 12 mean to UCF do you think?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, it's a national brand. When you think of the Big 12, you think of unbelievable basketball, as you mentioned before. I think the last seven out of ten years they've been the best basketball conference in the country.

Last year I believe every game was played was pretty much a Quad 1 game, which is unheard of. So the nature of our sport, conferences are no longer having borders. This game is going from coast to coast, and that's the way it is.

I think we have to lean into that, understanding that conferences are going to be larger. You're not going to be able to look at regionally, and that's okay. There are ways to be successful in that new arena, and then as a program we're going to try to find a way to be successful in it.

But I'm excited. I love what I see in the Big 12, and we're very grateful to be in the conference.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about Shemarri Allen who played just down the road here?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: You know, I love Shemarri. Shemarri is a leader. Hands down, one of the best leaders I've had over the last several years, and he's only been here for four months. He's left an impact with every one of his players and me as a coach. He has a great way about him, of getting players to rally around what he's doing, what we're doing.

I've really enjoyed coaching him. He's going to be a terrific player on the court. But the best thing that he's provided for us is he's brought a real good leadership into our locker room, and that's something that every coach loves to see.

Q. Having Taylor Hendricks go in the top 10 in last year's draft, how much has that helped you in recruiting this summer and fall as you guys have been able to sell that to kids, of hey, we can get you to the league quickly?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, definitely. Taylor going in the lottery has helped our recruiting but also going to the Big 12 has helped our recruiting, the fact that we're in a Power Five conference, like I said before, the best basketball conference in the country, has definitely helped our recruiting, and then Taylor Hendricks having gone as a lottery pick has enhanced it, as well.

I think both things happening kind of around the same time has definitely given us momentum on the recruiting trail and something that we're going to continue to try to pursue.

Q. With the conference realignment, much has been made about West Coast teams have to travel to the east multiple times a season, but I'm wondering are there any concerns of yours regarding travel for your team, particularly next year making multiple trips to Arizona, Utah, Colorado, within a few weeks of each other?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: Well, they're challenges, definitely, because of the distance, but having played in the Pac-12, coached in the Pac-12 for almost -- well, for eight years, the thing I saw was that you have to strategize how you go out on the road to accomplish that.

Obviously if you're going out to play West Coast teams, similar to the NBA, similar to the Pac-12 when I was there, you may have to just play multiple games before you return, and I think vice versa if they come east.

To go out to play one game at Utah and then come right back, but you may have another game that you're going to play against BYU or somewhere else, so why wouldn't you just go out there and maybe stay and play both games and then return. I think it would make the trip more efficient.

We did that in the Pac-12. Of course I played in the NBA. That's how we would travel. You have to find ways to be successful in how you prepare your travel plans, and if you do that well, I think it gives you a chance to be competitive.

Q. What is it like for you and your program and your players being able to come to the Big 12 and play in a lot of these historic stadiums?

JOHNNY DAWKINS: You know, it's great. I love great basketball. I love playing in amazing environments, and every one of the environments in the Big 12 is like that.

I think it brings the best out of everyone, players and coaches, when it's that type of competition, that type of environment with students and fan support.

I think it's great. I think it's going to help us become better because every night -- you will never take a night off. Every time you step foot on the floor you know you're going to be in an amazing environment, and if you don't show up, it's going to be an embarrassing night, so you have to come ready every time you step foot on the court.