UCF point guard Dior Johnson plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

UCF Knights point guard Dior Johnson plans to enter the Transfer Portal, On3’s Joe Tipton reports. This comes after he spent one season with the Knights.

Coming out of high school, Johnson was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Notably, he played for nine different high schools in five different states. He was the 49th-ranked player overall and the eighth-ranked point guard in that recruiting cycle. At the time, On3 national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw shared his thoughts on Johnson.

“Plays with a chip on his shoulder,” Shaw wrote. “Has good length for his height. A streaky to below-average shooter. Is a good rebounder from the guard position. An average athlete but can be a tough-nosed defender on the ball. Can get overaggressive off the bounce, lead to unforced turnovers.”

As a recruit, Dior Johnson initially committed to play for Syracuse. He would later also commit to Oregon and Pitt. However, in December 2022 he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges for simple assault and strangulation, stemming from a September 5 incident in the same year where he struck a woman multiple times. Pitt would go on to suspend him and he was later no longer enrolled with the school.

For the 2022-23 season, Johnson used a redshirt. After that, he began attending Clarendon College in Texas. A JUCO school, he became one of the best players at that level before ultimately deciding to transfer to UCF.

At UCF, Dior Johnson saw limited playing time. He appeared in 31 games, all of which he came off the bench for, and averaged 7.4 minutes per game. For the season, Johnson averaged 2.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. He also shot 41.5 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-point range, and 90 percent from the free-throw line. On the defensive end, he averaged 0.3 steals per game.

The UCF Knights, as a team, struggled in their second season in the Big 12. In his ninth season in Orlando, head coach Johnny Dawkins led the Knights to a 17-16 record overall and a 7-13 record in Big 12 play. That was two more losses in conference play than he suffered last season but the same record overall. The 2019 NCAA Tournament remains the only time Dawkins has taken UCF to the NCAA Tournament.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.