Kansas

UCF men’s basketball stuns No. 3 Kansas 65-60 in Big 12 home opener

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

UCF men’s basketball stuns No. 3 Kansas 65-60 in Big 12 home opener

ORLANDO — UCF delivered a shocking blow to one of college basketball’s bluebloods Wednesday night, scoring its first Big 12 victory in court-storming style.

Jaylin Sellers led all scorers with 18 points, Darius Johnson finished with 16 after knocking down a pair of clutch free throws with 14.6 seconds left and UCF (10-4, 1-1) climbed out of a 16-point, first-half hole to stun No. 3 Kansas 65-60 in front of a sellout Addition Financial Arena crowd of 9,469 fans.

‘There will be no nights off’: UCF men’s basketball prepares for debut Big 12 season

The Knights forced 18 turnovers and registered seven blocks, none bigger than Ibrahima Diallo’s final-minute rejection of KJ Adams Jr. to spring Sellers for an acrobatic finish at the opposite basket and put UCF up by six.

“It’s a great night for UCF, and for our guys,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “Our guys kept in the game. They got down early in the first half to a very good Kansas basketball team. I’m just proud of the way we fought back. We chipped away and, in the second half, we started to gain a little more momentum, take the lead and sustain it for the most part.

“What a difference a day makes.”

More accurately, what a difference four days made.

UCF, picked to finish last of the Big 12’s 14 teams in the preseason media poll, opened league play with a 25-point loss at Kansas State. The Knights scored 19 points in the first half and shot 23.8% from behind the three-point line.

Sellers set the tone in the game’s first 2½ minutes, burying a corner three after two UCF offensive rebounds and throwing down an emphatic transition dunk to punctuate a 7-0 run out of the gates.

Kansas (13-2, 1-1) settled in after a quick timeout, scoring 23 of the next 28 points and eventually building a 35-19 advantage with 3:41 left before halftime. That’s where, Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, the Big 12 favorites lost control.

“We did some things that, I think, good teams shouldn’t do, especially playing in a hostile environment,” Self said. “We did some very, very careless and loose things to allow them to get back into it. The game was lost — or the game was won, depending on what side you’re on — in the last four minutes of the half, and the first three minutes of the second half.”

UCF went on a 10-0 run before Kevin McCullar Jr. sunk a three-pointer at the buzzer, pulling the Knights within single digits. They pulled even before the 14-minute mark of the second period, and reclaimed the lead moments later on a Sellers turnaround jumper.

Diallo played a key role in his 24-plus minutes in the paint, often winning the individual battle down low with Preseason All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year Hunter Dickinson. The 7-foot Senegalese center set a season-high with 13 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and provided the crucial block on Adams.

“I was excited to match up with (Dickinson),” Diallo said. “There was something I needed to prove. It was really hard; he’s really good, too.”

Dickinson, who Self said labored through a knee bruise, battled foul trouble throughout the night. He tallied 12 poiints and four rebounds in just under 28 minutes. The 7-foot-2, 260-pound senior sunk a second-chance three-ball with 17 seconds left to make it a one-possession game.

One of the few returning Knights, a team reshaped largely through the transfer portal, Johnson escaped the Jayhawks’ full-court press and drew a foul to set up a one-and-one. He made both free throws, and UCF defended for a frantic final 10 seconds to secure victory.

The scenes were unlike any ever produced at a UCF basketball game. Palm fronds adorned the basket nearest to the student section, hundreds of fans rushed the court with cardboard cutouts and inflatable trees in hand, and a shoe landed on the announcer’s table.

“The court-storming was crazy. I’ve never seen nothing like that in my life,” Sellers said. “I kind of got up out of there and went to the locker room. I ain’t ever seen that many people around me, and I am kind of shy.”

UCF’s first foray into Big 12 play appeared to be a baptism by fire. Of the Knights’ first nine scheduled league games, six are against opponents currently ranked in The Associated Press’ Top 25 — Kansas (No. 3), BYU (18), Houston (2), Texas (25), Baylor (14) and Oklahoma (9).

Dawkins granted his players until midnight to relish the moment, but practice resumes 8:30 a.m. Thursday ahead of BYU’s visit to Orlando at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“We really haven’t accomplished anything at the end of the day. This only equals out to one win,” Sellers said. “Yes, it sends a message but at the end of the day it doesn’t mean (anything) if we don’t keep winning.”

On a grander scheme, though, the win holds plenty of significance. Kansas is the highest-ranked opponent UCF has ever defeated; the Knights upended No. 4 UConn at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas more than a dozen years ago.

UCF last knocked off a ranked opponent on Jan. 19, 2020, an 86-74 road win over No. 15 Florida State. It had lost each of its previous seven contests against teams inside the top-25.

“(Orlando) is probably the entertainment capital of the world. … For us, it’s important that we can be one of the attractions, too,” Dawkins said. “The only way you can become one of those is to have success — to be in moments and games like this, but also to win games like this.”

UCF might not see a better team than Kansas all year, but that certainly does not mean the path is any easier. Five of the Knights’ next six games come against squads ranked in The Associated Press’ Top 25 poll: BYU (No. 18), Houston (2), Baylor (14) and Oklahoma (9).

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Kansas

Wisconsin loses defensive lineman Jibriel Conde 2 days after he committed

Published

3 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin loses defensive lineman Jibriel Conde 2 days after he committed

MADISON – Two days after he commited to Wisconsin, Jibriel Conde changed his mind.

On Dec. 1 his agent told On3 the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive lineman from Division II Grand Valley State intends to play for Kansas instead.

The addition of Conde had the potential to be a major one for Wisconsin, which had its four top performers at the position complete their eligibility with the team’s 17-7 loss to Minnesota on Nov. 29.

On3 lists Conde as the No. 1 defensive linemen in the transfer portal.

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Kansas City shelter at capacity still welcomes homeless with volunteers’ help

Published

1 day ago

December 1, 2025

Press Room

Kansas City shelter at capacity still welcomes homeless with volunteers’ help

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Every night, Luis Arellano opens doors for Kansas City’s homeless at Unity Southeast church.

“And when they say ‘Hey, Luis!’, they remember me for something good. ‘Remember me you gave me the jacket!’,” said Luis Arellano, who serves as shelter lead.

Two years ago, someone opened a door for him when he needed it most. In 2023, cancer took his wife. The grief that followed he said nearly took him as well.

“I lost people. I didn’t want to continue living. Drinking,” Arellano said.

Arellano said he spiraled into darkness, drowning his pain in alcohol. On the night he was planning on ending it all, someone saw him differently.

They brought him to the church, where he said he finally slept after days.

“Finally, I cried. I put everything out, and I felt more peace. He said sometimes we don’t understand why God takes away the people we love the most. I tried to get it more. And from there I started to help here,” Arellano said.

That person was Reverend Randy Fikki. Both Arellano and Fikki dedicate their time making sure others don’t face their darkest nights alone.

“If it was my brother or my sister or my mom or my dad, I wouldn’t want it to be a based on if somebody had room or not. The question is not if we have room in our sanctuaries. It’s if we have room in our hearts,” Fikki said.

Sunday night, Unity Southeast was at capacity, but Fikki said they’re not turning anyone away. He’s working to find space for everyone who needs shelter.

For Arellano, it’s more than a mission.

“I miss my wife, believe me. Of course I miss, that’s my baby. But I know the best can happen from her,” he said.

Fikki said their capacity is 70 people, but will not turn anyone away. He said they started the shelter in 2019.

Along with a place for rest, Fikki and Arellano said they give guests food, clothing, and entertainment as asked.

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What are Kansas State football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What you need to know

Published

2 days ago

November 30, 2025

Press Room

What are Kansas State football’s recruiting needs for early signing day? What you need to know

MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has no time to rest after the regular season ended. The Wildcats will now transition into recruiting mode with the early National Signing Day period beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 3, and ending on Friday, Dec. 5.

Chris Klieman will enter his eighth season hoping to rebuild the Wildcats into a Big 12 championship contender and challenge for the program’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

There are a lot of holes that Kansas State will need to fill, but it’s landed a handful of commitments from promising recruits, who will put pen to paper this week.

Here are some recruiting needs for K-State and questions it will need to answer over the next few months.

K-State football 2026 recruiting tracker

Kansas State is going to need a starting running back

This is probably more for the transfer portal, but the Wildcats need to make sure they have the starting running back position covered and depth in case of an emergency. The Dylan Edwards injury hurt the offense for most of the season.

HD Davis, a three-star 6-foot running back out of Wolfe City (Texas), is currently the Wildcats’ lone commit to their backfield. He’s been highly productive this year, rushing for 2,429 yards and 30 touchdowns, bringing him to over 6,300 yards and 73 touchdowns for his career.

We’ll see if Joe Jackson can take a step next year after taking positive steps in the latter half of the season when he got comfortable in the leading role. He rushed for a school-record 293 yards on Nov. 22 against Utah, giving him something to build off. Barring transfers, the Wildcats are also set to return Devon Rice, JB Price, Antonio Martin Jr. and Monterrio Elston Jr.

Would Kansas State be ready for a life without Avery Johnson?

The Wildcats should be thinking about their future without Avery Johnson, whether or not he enters the transfer portal. If he stays in Manhattan, he’ll have one more season before graduation, turning eyes toward those on the roster and the Wildcats’ potential targets in the portal.

Thankfully, Johnson has been healthy since he became the full-time starter prior to the 2024 season, but those behind him have minimal experience. Jacob Knuth, Blake Barnett, Dillon Duff and Hudson Hutcheson follow him on the depth chart, and none have taken any meaningful snaps, outside of Barnett when he enters the game as somewhat of a power back in a Wildcat formation.

Miles Teodecki, a three-star out of Vandegrift (Texas), is expected to sign with the Wildcats. Entering the weekend, he had thrown for 1,729 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

Kansas State needs depth along the offensive line

The offensive line is taking the biggest hit with this year’s graduations. Contributors, including Sam Hecht, Andrew Leingang, Taylor Poitier, JB Nelson and Terrence Enos Jr., are all listed as seniors. The main returners include John Pastore, Devin Vass and Gus Hawkins. It’ll be difficult for K-State to go into the offseason banking on that George Fitzpatrick will be good to go after missing this year after an offseason medical emergency.

The offensive line has been a focus for the Wildcats’ early recruiting, with five commitments. The team’s highest-ranked commit is Justin Morales, an offensive tackle out of Franklin (Texas), who is listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 31 player at his position.

Can Kansas State hit on its wide receiver targets?

The Wildcats were thin at wide receiver this season, thanks in large part to injuries, but they need more development and depth at the position. They need to get into a spot where they can be comfortable with Linkon Cure lining up as a tight end rather than being split out wide. Having Jayce Brown and Jerand Bradley impacted by injury for at least half the season didn’t help matters. There is some promise in Jaron Tibbs and Adonis Moise.

K-State has two wide receiver commits. Derrick Salley Jr. committed on Nov. 25 as the No. 1 juco receiver in the country and should be an instant-impact player. Fellow commit Maxwell Lovett, a three-star out of Cherry Creek (Colorado), caught 34 passes for 700 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year.

K-State’s receivers need to produce more than they did during the 2025 season. Salley is a great get, and more will be needed, whether it’s via the high school route or by trying again in the transfer portal.

How deep is Kansas State at linebacker without Des Purnell?

K-State is set to lose Des Purnell to graduation after his standout season. There’s also the chance that Austin Romaine will declare for the NFL Draft. The Wildcats are typically strong within this group, but there will rightfully be some questions heading into 2026. Rex Van Wyhe and Asa Newsom could be pushed into larger roles.

The Wildcats have a pair of committed linebackers, including four-star Lawson McGraw out of Blue Valley West. The son of former K-Stater Jon McGraw is rated as the No. 22 athlete in the country and should be someone to be excited about. Dejon Ackerson, out of Putnam City (Oklahoma), climbed to the No. 53 linebacker in his class.

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

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