UCF Basketball: Johnny Dawkins recaps win at Miami, previews JU

UCF Basketball is off to a 2-0 start after Saturday's 95-89 win at Miami. The Knights have a trio of early scorers averaging double digits between Darin Green Jr. (18.5 ppg), Darius Perry (13.5 ppg) and C.J. Walker (13.0).

We caught up with head coach Johnny Dawkins on Monday to chat about a few topics in advance of Tuesday's home game against Jacksonville. The Dolphins are led by first year head coach Jordan Mincy, who spent the previous six years at Florida as an assistant. JU is 2-0 with early wins against Trinity Baptist (79-43) and North Carolina A&T (63-54).

Here's everything Dawkins had to say.

It was obviously a big win the other day at Miami. What did you like most about your team's performance?

"I thought going into a hostile environment, I thought we played with a lot of poise. We executed well. I thought our guys really played with a lot of confidence."

The one stat that jumped out at me, I think it was 24 of 27 from the free throw line. As a coach, you have to like a number like that.

"Especially some of the free throws they made down the stretch. They did a great job of shooting them all game and down the stretch to close the game. I thought our guys really stepped up and made a lot of big free throws."

18 assists really shows the way your team is playing together.

"Definitely. That's something we've talked about all summer. Making connecting plays, making each other better. I thought that was on display this past Saturday. Guys really shared the basketball. They moved it. They're trusted each other. That's what you want to have with a team."

We know what Darin Green can do. He's a great shooter. He had a fantastic game. What did you like about his performance and what improvements are you seeing now in his third year of college ball?

"It's good to see guys do what you see them do in practice. I've seen an improvement in Darin's game each year. He's expanded his game. He's not just a shooter anymore. He knew he had to develop in that other area. It was on display the other night. He made a lot of plays for us off the dribble, not just catch and shoot. That's what he has to become if he wants to be a terrific scorer. He showed that he's capable of that on Saturday."

Your team had a 17-point lead then let that slip away against Miami. You want to see them close out stronger?

"Definitely. We talked about that. We have to be better in finishing games. We need to build on leads that we have. That comes with experience. I think being in these games early, we'll learn from those experiences. We should get better as we go on. We're practicing those situations and showing our guys what they should and shouldn't do."

You're so deep. I know you said the other night you feel like you have more than five starters. Is that a process, figuring out who should start and what the playing rotation should be? I know you went with a different lineup against Miami.

"Definitely. We have good depth. Knock on wood, we keep our depth and stay healthy. We can start different lineups. For us, that's good because I don't want our team to get caught up in egos of who's starting and not starting. The sign of a good team, and I've been on some good teams as a player and I've coached some good teams, is everyone considers themselves a starter. Everyone thinks they can come out and contribute. That way everyone can come out and give their best effort. We want to continue that where our guys understand everybody's ego is healthy because they all view themselves as potential starters."

What are you most happy about after two games?

"The thing I'm most happy about is I'm happy about the way we're playing. We put a style of play that's been different than previous years here. We're playing more aggressive. We're playing more in the full court with pressing. I've been really proud of our guys' effort in that regard. That requires a lot of effort, the pace we want to play, that type of defensive pressure in the full court we want to apply. I'm really proud that our guys have bought into that and giving that effort every day."

C.J. Walker had another good game. What are you seeing from him? He looks like he's improved a lot, particularly offensively.

"C.J. understands who he is as a player. Last year was his first year with us. He was still trying to find himself. You can see he understands who he is. He's terrific around the basket. He's a heck of an offensive and defensive rebounder. He's one of our best defenders. He can make an open shot. Those are things he's playing off of. When you're playing off of things you do well, you usually have more success. I'm happy to see him understanding what his strengths are and playing towards that. That allows you to play at a higher level."

Your team gives up 89 vs. Miami. What do you want to see them do defensively going into tomorrow's game?

"We have to defend a lot better. That was definitely not one of our better defensive efforts. I thought the energy was there. We just made some mistakes that we have to clean up. The attention to detail wasn't to the level that we want. We showed a lot of film. We went through it today in practice. Have to do a better job of holding people down. We can't allow teams to score almost 90 points. That's something we're going to work on diligently."

What did the win mean to one of your assistant coaches, Kevin Norris? I know he was a star player at Miami back in the day. Did the team realize they were playing against his alma mater?

"They realized he went to Miami and was a great player there. After the game, I think all the players congratulated him and were happy to get that win and share it with him. That's what it's about. You go on the road and you play in somebody else's hometown or where somebody played, you always want to put your best foot forward. I think the players understood the importance of that game for not just themselves, but for Coach Norris as well."

Brandon Mahan struggled on opening night, but rebounded a bit against Miami.

"He did. I think what really helped him is he got to the line a lot. 10 free throws. He went 10 for 10. That always helps. Whenever you're struggling, if you can get to the line and get easy baskets, it kind of helps you shake that not being as consistent as you want to be. I think that's going to help him, that he was able to see that ball go in from the free throw line. He's playing with a lot of confidence. He'll be fine."

You've got Jacksonville coming in here on Tuesday. What's the early scouting report on the Dolphins?

"New coach came from Florida. He's doing a great job. Had a lot of success at Florida. He's bringing a new energy to their program. They're playing very hard defensively from what I can tell. They run a really good offense. They have two guys on the interior that can play inside out. They have scoring on the perimeter. They're going to be a tough team. Like all teams in college basketball, we know they're going to be a great challenge. We have to be really prepared for a 40-minute basketball game."

Besides getting the win, what do you want to see from your team vs. JU?

"I just want to see us continue to play with great energy and effort we've been playing with. Our team is built on how hard we want to play. Using our depth. To do that, no one should ever pace themselves. We should be out there flying around, playing hard defensively and turning defense into offense. If we can do those things, I think that gives us a chance every night."

What does it do for the confidence of your team to get an early road win at Miami?

"It definitely helps us. Whenever you can go on the road and beat any opponent, it's tough to win a road game anywhere, let alone an opponent like Miami, it helps give your team more confidence. We're going to be in these situations all year. Having a reference point or something you've accomplished or achieved, will carry a lot of weight going forward when we're in that situation again."

How can doing well in the non-conference schedule set the tone for the rest of the season?

"It's important that we get off to a good start. We have a great preseason schedule. Every team that we play is going to be good. For us, it's a function of trying to build momentum. Taking it one game at a time. They all count the same for us, one win or one loss. That's how we approach it. We want to try to go 1-0 whenever we step on the court."