Knights led by coach Donnie Jones and guard Marcus Jordan were nationally ranked for the first time in program history. In the 2016-17 season, newly hired head coach Johnny Dawkins took the Knights to a semi-final berth in the NIT for the first time in school history. UCF was a layup away from advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and beating Duke, the consensus number-one seed, in the 2019 NCAA tournament, as Coach Dawkins, with his son on the team, faced off against his own previous coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
The Knights main rival is the University of South Florida Bulls, with whom they share the War on I-4.
== Notable alumni ==
Graduates include a former prime minister of Libya, a Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, a United States assistant secretary of state, a Deputy assistant secretary at the Department of the Treasury, a Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, and a Director of the Secret Service; in addition many members of the Florida Cabinet, Florida House of Representatives and Florida …
