The 2026-27 UCF Knights Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

College basketball's transfer portal window has officially opened.

The UCF men’s and women’s teams are coming into this offseason from different places. Coach Johnny Dawkins and the men are coming off their first March Madness appearance since 2019, while the women are going through a coaching transition as Gabe Lazo takes over the program following the Knights' parting ways with Sytia Messer.

This article breaks down all the offseason transfer portal activity for the UCF Knights' men's and women's basketball programs, covering every addition and departure, position-by-position impact, and what it means for their futures.

1. Incoming Men's Basketball Transfers
2. Incoming Women's Basketball Transfers
3. Outgoing Men's Basketball Transfers
4. Outgoing Women's Basketball Transfers
5. Position-by-Position Breakdown
6. How the Transfer Class Stacks Up Nationally
7. Biggest Winners
8. Questions Still Remaining

Incoming Men's Basketball Transfers

By the Numbers

Notes:

• UCF's first offseason addition from the transfer portal is former Florida Gulf Coast forward Isaiah Malone. Named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year this past season, Malone, who had 64 blocks this past season, brings defensive ability to a team that finished with 98 blocks overall. The Knights also added Lewis Walker, formerly of North Carolina A&T to their frontcourt.

• UCF's first addition that could take up the team's starting point guard spot is former Wofford guard Cayden Vasko. However, instead of being one of the top 30 assisters in the country like Themus Fulks was when he was in the portal, Vasko has one of the highest assist-to-turnover ratios in the nation last season.

• Former College of Charleston guard Mister Dean is the younger brother of UCF guard Arturo Dean, who confirmed his return to Orlando for the 2026-27 season on April 10.

• Former Boston College forward Jason Asemota is the Knights' first transfer from a P4 school of this portal cycle.

• Guard Dior Johnson is the first player of the portal era to have transferred out of UCF before returning to the Knights later.

Incoming Women's Basketball Transfers

By the Numbers

Notes:

• The additions of former Pittsburgh guard Mikayla Johnson and former Stephen F. Austin guard Key Roseby, whose rebounding totals show an ability to play the wing position, are the first step sof coach Gabe Lazo of rebuilding a backcourt that saw most of its production either graduate or enter the transfer portal.

• Johnson's Power 4 starting experience lends to her being part of the Knights' starting lineup as well, something that the Knights' wing last season, Summer Yancy, did not do until injuries necessitated it mid-way through last season.

• Unlike the two guards that committed to UCF before her, former Wake Forest guard Caitlyn Jones profiles as more of a point guard, tallying 2.6 assists per game despite playing mostly from off the bench last season.

• Lazo's acquisitions of former ACC players continued with the addition of guard Vittoria Blasigh and center Candace Kpetikou from Miami. Both primarily came off the bench. Blasigh was a distance threat for the Hurricanes last season, sinking 38.2% of her shots from three-point range, while Kpetikou took advantage of her 7.5 minutes per game average to bring down 2.4 rebounds per game.

• Former Robert Morris guard/forward Jennica Suggs is the sister of Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs.

Outgoing Men's Basketball Transfers

By the Numbers

Notes:

• With the departure of Chris Johnson, all three of UCF's guards that played in 500 minutes or more last season are not going to return for 2026-27.

• Jamichael Stillwell, who spent his first two seasons of college basketball at the JUCO level, said in a statement that he is "maintaining the option to return to UCF" while he is seeking an additional year of eligibility.

• Jeremy Foumena is the only one of UCF's three centers from the 2025-26 season to enter the transfer portal.

Outgoing Women's Basketball Transfers

Notes:

• With the departure of guard Leah Harmon, their leading scorer, even after she was out for the rest of the season after the first 20 games, the Knights are officially undertaking a near-complete retooling of their backcourt.

• Center Khyala Ngodu was one of coach Sytia Messer's landmark additions to the Knights and was the longest-tenured player of this past season's squad. Her departure not only means UCF is going to need to replace its leading rebounder, stealer and second-leading scorer, but it also serves as the end of the Messer era from a player leadership perspective.

• The Knights lost some of their oft-used depth pieces to the portal, as well as center Savannah Scott and guard/forward Summer Yancy. Yancy even became a part of the starting lineup 16 times this past season, filling in after injuries to players like Harmon.

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Men's Backcourt

This position group was already going to be undergoing some sort of reboot when it comes to its starters, since both Themus Fulks and RIley Kugel ran out of eligibility. However, the next guard up from those two this past season, Chris Johnson, entered the transfer portal.

With Carmelo Pacheco, who UCF announced is returning to the Knights for the 2026-27 season on April 10, serving mainly as a three-point specialist, Johnson's departure signals the Knights must find a new point guard for the 2026-27 campaign.

The addition of former Wofford guard Cayden Vasko, reported on April 13, gives the Knights their first candidate to start at point guard. An All-SoCon Third Teamer last season, Vasko did not have the most assists in the nation or even in his conference, but he did rank fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. After a season in which the Knights ranked 203rd in the nation in turnover margin, Vasko's addition could help improve upon that next season, regardless of whether he's a starter or coming in off the bench.

Former College of Charleston guard Mister Dean is coming off an injury that ended his 2025-26 season prematurely. However, he was the Big South's Freshman of the Year when he played for USC Upstate as a regular starter. The progress of his recovery is going to be a determining factor in his playing time. However, should it be a slow recovery then the Knights could still have a primary backup guard in Dior Johnson, who is returning to the Knights after earning Second-team All-WAC honors and getting named the WAC's Sixth Man of the Year last season.

Men's Frontcourt

Before any of UCF's big men could announce if they were coming back or entering the transfer portal, the Knights brought in their first addition from outside the program in forward Isaiah Malone, the defending ASUN Defensive Player of the Year. The move brings in a player with blocking talents to a squad that finished 237th in the nation in blocks per game this past season.

With centers John Bol and Elijah Hulsewe both confirmed to return, the Knights going to have at least some continuity here from last season. Though they do have too make one addition at center with Jeremy Foumena entering the transfer portal.

The Knights' addition of New Orleans' Churchill Abass provides a flexible addition to this group. Listed as a center/forward on the Privateers' roster, he could conceivably have a role to play on the court regardless of Bol's playing time. So, if Bol is going to have a similar limitation on his playing time that he had this past season, then Abass, should he be a starter, can shift to the center position, while Dawkins can send in another true forward.

Women's Backcourt

This position group is undergoing a near-complete reboot, with freshman Felicia Schölander, who played less than 90 minutes this past season, being the only UCF backcourt player who has not entered the transfer portal at the time of writing.

Coach Gabe Lazo's first additions to the Knights from the transfer portal gives this group a pair of players that can play at the wing spot: Mikayla Johnson, who has Power 4 starting experience, and Key Roseby, an All-Southland conference first teamer last season. He did not stop there, however, as he also brought in a younger wing in Nyla McFadden, who is coming off her freshman season at Penn State.

Meanwhile, at the point guard spot, there is rising sophomore Caitlyn Jones, formerly of Wake Forest. She played mostly from off the bench as a freshman last season, but did tally five starts. While her playing time is going to depend on who else Lazo can bring in, she nonetheless presents an opportunity to build a potential lasting core he can build on down the line.

The fourth addition to the group, former Miami (FL) guard Vittoria Blasigh, mainly served as a distance threat off the bench for the Hurricanes last season, launching 68.7% of her shots from three-point land and sinking 38.2% of them for one of the highest marks on the team. She does have starting experience from her two seasons with South Florida, which could make her a candidate to start as the Knights' shooting guard. However, she could also serve as the female counterpart of Pacheco, a three-point specialist from the bench.

Women's Frontcourt

Of the five Knights that average more than three rebounds per game, three of them have entered the transfer portal. Ngodu's departure is the heaviest loss incurred by the Knights, considering she was the team’s leading rebounder and stealer, while also being second in scoring behind Harmon.

Lazo's first addition here from the transfer portal is former Miami (FL) center Candace Kpetikou. She was primarily a bench player, averaging 7.5 minutes per game, but she used that time to pull down 2.4 rebounds per game.

How the Transfer Class Stacks Up Nationally

Men

Check back here as the UCF Basketball teams acquire more new players from the transfer portal.

Biggest Winners

Men

Isaiah Malone: With Jordan Burks and Jamichael Stillwell's entrances into the transfer portal, Malone's chances to become a starter for the Knights next season skyrocket. Dawkins' emphasis on defense fits a player like Malone, who was last season's ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.

Churchill Abass: His versatility to play both the forward and center position is likely to grant him some sort of sizeable role on next season's squad, whether it's as a starting forward that can shift to center when Jon Bol is taken out or as a sixth man that can come off the bench for both the forwards and Bol.

Women

Mikayla Johnson: Last season, UCF's wing was a player who came in off the bench to start the season and only entered the starting lineup when injuries needed her to step up. In Johnson, the Knights now have a player like that with two seasons of Power 4 starting experience under her belt.

Questions Still Remaining

Men

Can UCF hold onto its frontcourt?

The Knights finished in the top five in the Big 12 in rebound margin and offensive rebounds per game, so holding on to that production could very well be Dawkins' priority from a retention perspective.

As of Thursday, April 16, the Knights have been partially successful, retaining starting center John Bol. However, forward Jamichael Stillwell, UCF's primary rebounder on offense, and reserve center Jeremy Foumena have entered the transfer portal.

Answer: Partially. The Knights retained John Bol, but lost Burks and Stillwell to the transfer portal.

Women

Does new coach Gabe Lazo need to do a complete rebuild?

It's possible, but it's not there yet. The Knights may have lost their leading rebounder in Ngodu, but they have not lost their entire starting lineup yet, as forward Mahogany Chandler-Roberts is still with the team at the time of writing. When Sytia Messer took over the program four years ago, she had to essentially rebuild it from nearly scratch. Retaining Chandler-Roberts and fellow forward Jasmynne Gibson would help Lazo avoid having to do the same.

Answer: No.

Catch up on more UCF news below:

The 2026 UCF Knights Transfer Portal Tracker

Former Tennessee Assistant Named UCF Women's Basketball Coach

UCF On Verge Of Historic Spring

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