ORLANDO — As its football team kicks off on the other side of the country, UCF’s men's basketball team simultaneously tips off at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, looking for a sixth straight win.
The Knights (6-1) continue the non-conference portion of their schedule with a matchup against VMI (3-6) at Addition Financial Arena. The visiting Keydets wrap up a four-game swing through the Sunshine State, losing at Stetson and to both Buffalo and Bowling Green in the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUCF rolled in the second half Tuesday, Nov. 25, to defeat Quinnipiac, scoring a season-high 102 points. The Knights’ schedule slows down somewhat following Saturday’s showdown. They will play just twice over the following 18 days.
Here is a quick glance at both teams, plus predictions from The News-Journal’s UCF beat reporter Chris Boyle and sports editor Chris Vinel.
UCF basketball scouting report
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 21: Jeremy Foumena #0 of the UCF Knights blocks a shot from Nikolas Khamenia #14 of the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 21, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)Head coach Johnny Dawkins has said several times that the Knights’ strength will be in their depth, and another one of his reserves stepped up for a career night against Quinnipiac.
Redshirt junior center Jeremy Foumena went 8 of 11 from the field for 18 points with seven rebounds in just 18 minutes. Chris Johnson knocked down three 3-pointers during a pivotal second-half stretch, Riley Kugel paced three starters in double figures with 16 and Themus Fulks dished out 13 assists — the most for any Knights player since 2015.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUCF controlled the glass, holding a 43-29 advantage in rebounding and turning 14 offensive boards into 16 second-chance points. The Knights have moved up to No. 66 in the KenPom rankings, scoring a road win over Texas A&M and taking down Pittsburgh on a neutral floor (the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach).
VMI basketball scouting report
Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year Rickey Bradley Jr. has been sidelined for the Keydets’ opening nine games with an undisclosed injury, per Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times. That’s a significant blow for a squad picked to finish sixth in the SoCon.
TJ Johnson has picked up the scoring slack for VMI, averaging 20.1 points per game — including a 31-point performance against Missouri. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound junior from Belton, Texas, leads the squad in 3-point field goals (23), and he’s hit 88.5% of his free throws.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKeydets head coach Andrew Wilson played 130 games across six seasons at Florida State (2000-06). VMI made big strides in Wilson’s third season in charge, going 15-19 with a 7-11 SoCon mark — compared to 4-28 overall and 1-17 in the league in 2023-24.
UCF vs. VMI time, TV channel
TV channel: ESPN+
Date: Saturday, Nov. 29
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando
UCF vs. VMI score predictions
Chris Boyle: UCF 95, VMI 64
Chris Vinel: UCF 99, VMI 63
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights basketball predictions, picks, TV channel vs VMI
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