The UCF Knights enter the preseason underrated in the Big 12 coaches' poll, ranking 13th after breaking a six-season NCAA Tournament drought.

UCF ranked below teams like the Oklahoma State Cowboys (11th) and Cincinnati Bearcats (8th), two programs that didn't punch their ticket to the dance. The Knights beat the Bearcats in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament and marched to Philadelphia as a No. 10 seed.

Back-to-back 20-win seasons, three upset wins and a tournament appearance don't seem like enough to lift UCF in the rankings.

April's transfer portal window and incoming freshmen do impact these rankings. Coach Johnny Dawkins has a disadvantage in those areas compared to his fellow coaches.

UCF isn't a basketball powerhouse, like Kansas or Arizona, which had multiple players selected in this year's NBA draft. The school doesn't have an enormous NIL budget to poach talent, as last year's roster was estimated at around $3 to $4 million in NIL.

Dawkins got the job done regardless of the disadvantages. He earned praise for upsetting Darryn Peterson and No. 17 Kansas, JT Toppin and No. 11 Texas Tech and AJ Dybantsa and No. 19 BYU.

His talent evaluation is likely an underrated strength. The Knights lost nearly 100% of their scoring in back-to-back seasons, forcing Dawkins to revamp his roster through the transfer portal.

Riley Kugel, Themus Fulks, Jamichael Stilwell and Jordan Burks were the top four scorers last season. They accounted for 65.8% of UCF's 81 points per game.

Kugel and Fulks chased their NBA dream in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers; Stillwell transferred to Texas Tech with another season of eligibility, and Burks transferred to Oklahoma State.

Dawkins added Tarleton State transfer Dior Johnson, returning for his second stint, and North Carolina A&T transfer Lewis Walker to bolster UCF's backcourt scoring.

Johnson and Walker impressed in Wednesday's loss to the LSU Tigers. The returning Knight scored 19 points on 9-for-17 shooting, and Walker added 13 off the bench.

UCF may not attract the biggest named recruits, like Tyran Stokes, or the biggest transfer names, like Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, but Dawkins recruits talent that fits the program's culture and his vision.

His success in the last two seasons has earned him a contract extension, extending his decade-long tenure in Orlando. The Big 12 is one of the country's toughest conferences, but the Knights fared well for the first time since joining in 2023.

Dawkins and his squad should have a bit more respect for their name as they enter the preseason.

Source: Yahoo Sports