With a potential NCAA Tournament bid on the line, UCF men’s basketball faces a crucial must-win scenario as the Knights prepare to host TCU on Tuesday night.
Two weeks ago, UCF (17-7, 6-6 Big 12) seemed a lock to earn its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 2018-19 season. But three straight losses have left the Knights reeling, and with just six regular-season games remaining, the margin for error has gotten razor-thin.
Even more concerning than the current losing streak is just how UCF has lost those games.
A 24-point loss to No. 3 Houston wasn’t entirely unexpected, but following it up with a 20-point defeat against a struggling Cincinnati team was certainly puzzling. On Saturday, the Knights were leading by 14 points at home against West Virginia with just 11:27 remaining in the game, only to watch as the Mountaineers stormed back for a stunning 74-67 loss.
“We’ve got to go out there and sustain and keep going for 40 minutes,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said after the loss. “Doing it really well for 30 minutes, that’s not going to be enough.”
West Virginia went on a 28-13 run over the final 8 minutes to pull away for the win as Mountaineers guard Honor Huff scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
UCF has been out-rebounded a combined 114-91 over the past three games.
“A telltale sign for us has always been how we rebound the ball,” Dawkins explained. “We’ve been a really good rebounding team throughout this year, and when we haven’t had success, we haven’t rebounded the ball as well as we would like to.”
The Knights were without their top rebounder, senior forward Jamichael Stillwell, who missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury. Stillwell is averaging eight rebounds a game, but more importantly, it’s his defensive presence on the court that UCF missed the most.
“He’s like the backbone of the team,” forward Jordan Burks said. “He’s an enforcer and he works hard. He helps us defend better. We need him back for sure.”
Dawkins gave no indication when Stillwell would be back, only stating he was day-to-day.
UCF is eighth in the Big 12 in team rebounding, averaging 37.1 rebounds, while TCU (16-9, 6-6 Big 12), the Knights’ next opponent, is averaging 36.1 rebounds.
The current three-game losing streak is the longest since UCF lost seven straight games from Jan. 28 to Feb. 19 last season. Even more distressing for the Knights is the program’s recent history of late-season collapses. The team is 5-13 in February since joining the Big 12 two seasons ago.
“We’ve got to fight out of it. It’s just that simple,” Dawkins said. “Nothing is going to be given to you in this league. We understand that. We have to look at what we did wrong, make the necessary adjustments and come out better next time we step on the floor.”
UCF guard Riley Kugel (middle) drives through West Virginia defenders Amir Jenkins (left) and Morris Ugusuk (right) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
The UCF band cheeers during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
The UCF mascot gets flowers on Valentines Day during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF forward Devan Cambridge (35) drives past West Virginia center Harian Obioha (55) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF center John Bol (7) blocks a shot by West Virginia guard Treysen Eaglestaff (52) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF forward Jordan Burks (middle) powers through West Virginia defenders Treysen Eaglestaff (52) and Chance Moore (13) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Themus Fulks (middle) drives through West Virginia defenders Brenen Lorient (0) and Treysen Eaglestaff (52) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
West Virginia Chance Moore (13) slam dunks over UCF center John Bol (right) and UCF guard Riley Kugel (2) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins yells during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Chris Johnson (22) grabs a rebound over West Virginia forward DJ Thomas (5) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF players gather during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
West Virginia coach Ross Hodge is pictured during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Themus Fulks (right) works past West Virginia guard Jasper Floyd (left) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF center John Bol (7) looks to pass during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
West Virginia center Harian Obioha (55) loses the ball to several UCF defenders during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Riley Kugel (2) works between West Virginia defenders Honor Huff (3) and Jasper Floyd (right) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Chris Johnson (22) shoots past West Virginia guard Chance Moore (13) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins signals during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF center Jeremy Foumena (0) shoots over West Virginia guard Chance Moore (13) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF center Jeremy Foumena (0) battles West Virginia guard Chance Moore (right) for a rebound during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF guard Chris Johnson scores during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF cheerleaders cheer during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF center John Bol (right) scores past West Virginia center Harian Obioha (55) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir applauds during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF mascot Knightro cheers during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
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UCF guard Riley Kugel (middle) drives through West Virginia defenders Amir Jenkins (left) and Morris Ugusuk (right) during the West Virginia at UCF college basketball game in Orlando on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
UCF enters Tuesday’s showdown ranked No. 50 in the latest NCAA NET rankings, which is used to determine a team’s resume for the NCAA Tournament field. The Knights already have four Quad 1 wins, including victories over ranked Kansas and Texas Tech, but they could improve their postseason resume with at least three more conference wins.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has UCF projected into the 68-team tournament field as of Monday. He also has TCU listed among the last four teams earning a berth.
The remaining schedule features three home games: TCU (Tuesday), Baylor (Feb. 28) and Oklahoma State (March 3) and three road contests: Utah (Saturday), BYU (Feb. 24) and West Virginia (March 6).
The Big 12 basketball tournament begins on March 10 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
“Everybody’s hunting everybody in this league,” Dawkins said. “It’s the nature of this league. You’re going to get everyone’s best shot, so you have to be prepared for that.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.