UCF opens basketball season with John Bol back after March NCAA loss
The gist
UCF men's basketball opens its regular season Monday hosting Florida Gulf Coast at Addition Financial Arena at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Knights are chasing another NCAA bid after last season's first-round exit to UCLA.
How it unfolded
- Mar 15, 2026UCF earns an at-large NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 10 seed, its first appearance in seven years, and is set to face 7-seed UCLA.
- Mar 20, 2026UCF loses to UCLA 75-71 in the first round in Philadelphia; John Bol missed all five free throws.
- Apr 17, 2026Isaiah Malone, the 2025-26 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, becomes UCF's first transfer portal signee of the offseason.