Johnny Dawkins had something come up at the last minute, so filling in at UCF Basketball Media Day were two of his longtime assistants, Kevin Norris and Robbie Laing. The duo have been with Dawkins since the beginning and will be entering their seventh season in Orlando.

UCF tips off their final season as a member of the American Athletic Conference with a trio of three consecutive home games: UNC Asheville (Monday, Nov. 7), Florida State (Friday, Nov. 11) and Western Illinois (Monday, Nov. 14).

Here's a recap of their interviews.

Asked about team development to this point knowing they've got a lot of newcomers, Norris says he really likes this year's group.

"This is a team that's showing it's about team," Norris said. "It's not an individual thing with this team. When you start interviewing them, you'll see how much they really like each other. That's really encouraging to us."

To help build chemistry and familiarity with one another, they spent time with community outreach, going out to eat together, etc.

What are his expectations for Darius Johnson in his sophomore year? More leadership. He's a "go-hard guy" that the team is "following behind." He thought he learned a lot during his freshman year.

On heralded freshman Taylor Hendricks, Norris says he's a terrific young man and they're expecting great things from him.

No starting five at the moment.

On C.J. Kelly, a transfer from UMass: He's bringing in leadership and can score. He sacrifices a lot for the betterment of the team.

On recruiting as a future member of the Big 12: Norris says it helps because of the Power Five tag. The AAC not being in the P5 may have put them at a disadvantage in past years.

The biggest difference with this year's team?

"Nothing against the team last year, but early on I'd say they're more together. I've never seen a team click together so early."

The top leaders have been returners C.J. Walker and Darius Johnson as well as newcomers C.J. Kelly (UMass transfer) and Lahat Thioune (Utah transfer).

Laing says this team has a "very high basketball I.Q.," they're "very unselfish" and "willing learners." He says their great attitude has helped them come together in a short period of time. "I like the trajectory they're on right now."

To bond during the summer, the team had bowling outings, went to the movies, Topgolf, etc. The best teams are always player led. He sees a lot of guys stepping forward with leadership.

He really likes this group. Willing to learn. He mentioned his 40 years in coaching and says he's super excited about this group.

With the Transfer Portal, they can be more selective in high school recruiting because the portal is a safety net. He acknowledges the portal isn't ideal for high school players to get scholarship opportunities.

Recruiting in the Big 12 is a "different game now." Says players always left this area to play in the Power Five. There is a difference. He doesn't understand how "Power Five" applies to basketball, mentioning Villanova and Gonzaga, but says that's a stigma they had to overcome. That's not an issue anymore.

On Darius Johnson, he says he was tentative early during his freshman season and really blossomed in the second half particularly as a scorer. They'd like to see him establish himself as a floor leader, being an extension of Johnny Dawkins on the court and the "quarterback" of the team.

Asked about newcomers that have impressed, Laing mentioned Ithiel Horton (Pittsburgh transfer) and C.J. Kelly (UMass transfer). "Experience is the greatest teacher."

Also name dropped freshman Taylor Hendricks.

"Highly touted recruit. Has not disappointed. He's still a freshman and still learning. But there are things he can do that we can't teach. He's very long. He's a great teammate. That has resonated through our team. They like each other. Taylor is a very likeable guy. Guys don't mind throwing him the ball not only because he's a good player, he's a good guy too."

Also expecting big things from Lahat Thioune, a 6-foot-10 Utah transfer.

"Lahat Thioune has played with a lot of energy in our two rehearsals and had a really nice weekend. We're excited about him."