ORLANDO, Fla – It’s time to dust off those dancing shoes, UCF! The Knights are heading back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.
Head coach Johnny Dawkins’ team is the 10 seed in the East region and will play 7-seed UCLA in a first-round matchup in Philadelphia.
UCF, which finished tied for seventh in the Big 12’s regular season standings, boasts a 21-11 overall record going into the Big Dance. The Knights struggled a bit down the stretch, losing their final three regular-season games before rebounding with a critical win over Cincinnati in the second round of the conference tournament. UCF’s stay in the Big 12 tournament ended the next day with an 81-59 loss to top seed Arizona in the quarterfinals. UCF matched a program record with three wins versus ranked opponents this season.
THAT DANCING FEELING 🕺@Kia Electric Moments pic.twitter.com/fkmIIrfYK5
— UCF Knights 🌴 (@UCFKnights) March 15, 2026
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The Knights’ roster features four players who are averaging at least 11 points per game, and is led by Orlando native Riley Kugel, who is averaging about 15 points per contest.
Florida schools going dancing
Florida, overall, is well represented in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The Florida Gators earned a No. 1 seed, the Miami Hurricanes earned a 7 seed and the USF men’s basketball team heads to the tournament for the first time in 14 years as a No. 11 seed.
Stay tuned to News 6 for complete coverage of the Knights’ NCAA tournament run.