UCF Men’s Basketball Seeks Third Straight Home Win Tonight Against Oakland

Orlando, Fla. — Riding momentum from a strong 3–1 start to the 2025–26 season, the UCF Knights return to Addition Financial Arena tonight to host the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at 7 p.m. The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the programs as the Knights try to secure their third home win of the year and improve to 4–1.

Through four games, UCF ranks among the top three-point shooting teams in the country, hitting 52.4 percent from deep. Senior guard Riley Kugel leads the team with 13 made threes and a 65 percent mark from long range, while Carmelo Pacheco has added 11 threes at a 64.7 percent clip.

The Knights have already posted multiple games with 13 or more made threes this season, showing an ability to get hot quickly and overwhelm opponents from the perimeter.

Kugel enters tonight at 998 career points, needing just two more to become the next UCF player to reach the 1,000-point mark. He has been UCF’s go-to offensive threat early in the season, averaging 18.0 points per game.

UCF replaced all of its scoring from last season but has quickly built chemistry with an entirely new group of contributors. The likely starting lineup tonight features:

Themus Fulks (G): A dynamic playmaker averaging 6.8 assists per game.
Riley Kugel (G): Team’s leading scorer.
Jamichael Stillwell (G): Averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Jordan Burks (G/F): Coming off a career-high 21 points at Texas A&M.
John Bol (C): A 7-foot-2 rim protector making an early impact.

Fulks has been critical in directing the offense and currently ranks sixth in the nation in total assists.

UCF’s confidence is high after an impressive 86–74 road win at Texas A&M. The Knights rallied from 14 down, using efficient scoring, timely defense, and a flurry of second-half threes. Burks led the comeback with back-to-back threes and finished with a career night.

The win marked UCF’s second straight victory over the Aggies dating back to last season.

Oakland enters at 1–3, looking to regain its footing under head coach Greg Kampe, now in his 42nd season. Though tonight is the first-ever matchup between the schools, the Golden Grizzlies have a long track record of challenging high-major opponents.

UCF will aim to push the pace — the Knights rank among the top teams nationally in tempo — while continuing to generate turnovers, a trademark of Johnny Dawkins’ teams.

The Knights’ homecourt identity will again be on display as the fan-favorite “Fear the Fronds” tradition returns. Palm fronds waved by the student section have become one of college basketball’s most memorable free-throw distractions, contributing to missed free throws and energizing home crowds.