With its postseason plans quickly fading, UCF turned to the only thing it could play for when it took the court against Utah on Sunday ... for 40 minutes,” Dawkins said.

The Utes were one week removed from beating Kansas and Kansas State. They were a tick under .500 in Big 12 play, and they had a manageable stretch upcoming — so manageable that it was easy to envision the Utes, who were picked dead last in the Big 12’s preseason media poll, finishing as high as sixth or seventh place.

Kansas dropped its only game to Craig Smith and Utah just days ago, but on Monday the Utes fired their fourth-year head basketball coach.

The Knights have won three of their last four games and believe they have a shot at the NIT with a strong showing in the Big 12 tournament.

The Knights snapped a seven-game losing streak by defeating Utah on Sunday. That stretch showcased how challenging the conference can be.

UCF returns home, hoping to snap a seven-game losing streak that has dragged it into 14th place in the Big 12.

UCF's defense struggled, allowing Utah to shoot 50.9% from the field ... penned a note Thursday to apologize for UCF's ongoing struggles and defend ninth-year head coach Johnny Dawkins, who signed a contract extension in June through the 2026-27 campaign.

With its postseason plans quickly fading away, UCF turned to the only thing it could play for when it took the court against Utah on Sunday: pride. Earlier in the week, forward Keyshawn Hall posted a message to fans on social media apologizing for the Knights’ poor performance while showing support for embattled coach Johnny Dawkins.

That’s why Sunday’s 76-72 win against Utah gave the team some relief ... It’s very tough,” said coach Johnny Dawkins. “I have high expectations, even beyond expectations of what ...