However, it’s on to the next, says coach Johnny Dawkins

UCF men’s basketball started Big XII conference play on the right track after defeating the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks 81-75 at home Saturday afternoon.

Fifth-year guard Themus Fulks called their victory “surreal,” saying how he and senior forward Jamichael Stillwell dreamt of this opportunity while in the NCAA transfer portal last year.

“We want to show that we deserve to be up there with the better half of the conference and the country,” Fulks said.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins thought his players finished strong against one of the nation’s principal defensive teams.

“We beat a good basketball team tonight,” Dawkins said. “They showed a lot of heart throughout the game because Kansas is a team that’s terrific, and I thought our guys did a great job of sustaining effort on the court.”

Stillwell said he anticipated the fierce exchange with Kansas, especially when the Jayhawks began to catch up and tie the game throughout the second half.

“We went on the run [and] got complacent, but it’s just about fighting back and not letting the game go away,” Stillwell said.

Dawkins praised senior guard Riley Kugel for his performance during the matchup, leading the Knights in scoring with 19 points while finishing with three rebounds and one assist.

“Riley is a terrific talent. I was hoping I’d have an opportunity to coach him at some point, and I got him now,” Dawkins said. “Riley’s a competitor, and he wants to win more than anything. I thought he showed that tonight with the type of effort he gave.”

At the same time, Dawkins said he was impressed by Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson as he led the Jayhawks in scoring with 26 points and ended the game with six rebounds and three turnovers.

“I didn’t know what to expect other than I knew he was really good. But seeing him in person, he’s a great player,” Dawkins said. “I hope the young man can stay healthy and can finish out his college career because I think he’s great for our game.”

Though UCF is off to a solid start in the conference, Dawkins believes that how the team plays is more important.

Dawkins said his players need to have a “short memory” and move forward—or what he calls “next play mentality”— as there is more competition ahead of them in conference play.

“We have to throw all of our preparation into Oklahoma State because that’s how this league is. You’re going to have 17 more games like we had tonight. None of them is going to be different,” Dawkins said. All these teams are well-coached, have a lot of talent, and we have to prepare for it that way.”

Dawkins aims to keep that mindset as the Knights head to the Gallagher-Iba Arena to play against Oklahoma State University at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6.