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The Charge •

Dawkins named Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year

UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins was named the 2026 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year on Thursday, marking the first time a Knights head coach has received the award.The Jim Phelan Award has been presented to the best head coach in Division I college basketball since 2003.
Dawkins led the Knights to a program-best 9-9 Big 12 record and a second straight 20-win season in just their third season in the conference.UCF earned multiple marquee victories over ranked opponents...
The Charge •

No.1 Arizona routs UCF, ending Knights’ Big 12 tournament run

UCF’s brief Big 12 tournament run ended Thursday afternoon as top-seeded Arizona notched an 81-59 win at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.The Knights entered the matchup as 16.5-point underdogs just 24 hours after rallying from a 12-point deficit to defeat Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime and advance to the quarterfinals.
The contest marked the second meeting between the teams this season after Arizona defeated UCF 84-77 on Jan. 17 at Addition Financial Arena.The Wildcats asserte...
The Charge •

Men's basketball narrowly escapes Cincinnati, reaches Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals

UCF men's basketball rallied to overcome Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime at the T-Mobile Center Wednesday afternoon, earning the Knights a spot in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.The comeback snapped UCF’s three-game losing streak and kept its NCAA tournament hopes alive after the skid dropped the team's regular-season record to 20-10 overall and 9-9 in Big 12 play.
UCF entered the game reeling from its regular-season finale against West Virginia University on Friday, leaving the Knight...
The Charge •

UCF secures first-round bye in Big 12 tournament despite 3-game skid

The Knights’ seeding in the Big 12 tournament was locked up on Saturday, securing a first-round bye despite the men's basketball team’s Friday night loss to West Virginia at Hope Coliseum in Morgantown.A 73-63 home win by TCU over Cincinnati on Saturday locked UCF into the No. 8 seed in the conference standings and solidified their spot in the tournament bracket, sending the Knights to Kansas City with a 20-10 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Big 12 play. 
The result ensured UCF would av...
The Charge •

Fulks sets UCF single-season assists record in win over No. 19 BYU

Fifth-year guard Themus Fulks etched his name into the record books Tuesday night, setting UCF’s single-season assists record in the Knights’ dominant 97-84 victory over No. 19 BYU at the Marriott Center.His 184th assist of the season pushed him past Sinua Phillips’ long-standing mark of 183 — a record that stood for 34 years.Phillips originally set the program record during the 1991-92 season, serving as UCF’s primary point guard during the program’s early Division I era. He established himself...
The Charge •

UCF men's basketball left unranked for 4th straight week despite key upsets

The UCF men’s basketball team remains unranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll as of Feb. 2, despite Saturday’s court-storming home win against then-No. 11 Texas Tech.The Knights (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) currently sit in sixth place in the Big 12 conference standings and are the only unranked team among the top seven.Despite home wins against then-No. 17 Kansas (16-5, 6-2 Big 12) and current No. 13 Texas Tech (16-5, 6-2 Big 12), along with a road victory against SEC-leading Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SE...
The Charge •

Former UCF football head coach Gus Malzahn announces retirement

Former UCF football head coach Gus Malzahn announced his retirement in a social media post on X from coaching on Monday after a brief stint with Florida State University, ending a 35-year career.After being fired by Auburn in 2020, Malzahn accepted the head coaching position at UCF in 2021, where he stayed for the next four years.
"It's exciting to be head of a program where the future is extremely bright,” Malzahn said after being hired by UCF in February 2021. “I will be hitting the gr...
The Charge •

Stillwell returns to lineup, UCF ends two-game skid with 95-86 win at Colorado

The UCF men’s basketball team took down the University of Colorado 95-86 on the road Saturday afternoon, rebounding after suffering consecutive losses.The Knights (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) saw senior forward Jamichael Stillwell, who missed Tuesday's game against Iowa State with an ankle injury, return against the Buffaloes (12-8, 2-5 Big 12), adding much-needed support to UCF’s frontcourt.
UCF got off to a rocky start in the opening minutes, falling behind 7-0 as senior guard Riley Kugel got in...
The Charge •

UCF held to season-low in points, falls 87-57 against No. 9 Iowa State

The UCF men’s basketball team fell 87-57 to No. 9 Iowa State University on the road Tuesday evening, losing two consecutive games for the first time this season.Senior guard Riley Kugel scored the game's first points, sinking a 25-foot 3-pointer to give the Knights what would be their only lead of the game.
The Cyclones’ stingy defense gave the Knights (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) trouble early, forcing 13 turnovers in the first half, the most Iowa State (17-2, 4-2 Big 12) has forced in any half t...
The Community Paper - •

Orlando to host award-winning international guitarists for annual music festival - The Community Paper

This August, award-winning guitarists from around the globe will bring their talents to Orlando for Timucua Arts Foundation’s annual International Guitar Festival.
Timucua aims to combine amazing music with diverse cultural traditions. Participating musicians hail from countries including the U.K., Japan, Haiti, the U.S.A., Canada, Germany and India. The festival also intends to introduce new genres to attendees, featuring both familiar and unanticipated playing styles.
The festival will begin A...
The Community Paper - •

Creative City Project to host multisensory poetry event this August - The Community Paper

Creative City Project will host its Anthology: Elemental event in Ivanhoe Village this August, featuring engaging nights of poetry, music and cocktails. The event will be presented by Massey Services and produced in collaboration with Play The Moment.
Each performance invites guests to survey the five classic elements: earth, water, air, fire and spirit. The performances will be paired with unique cocktails to enhance the guests’ experience and deepen their connection to each story through sense...
The Community Paper - •

Orlando Museum of Art collaborates with wearable tech company, bringing art to visually impaired visitors - The Community Paper

The Orlando Museum of Art is celebrating the 2025 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art with a new partnership with eSight by Gentex Corporation. This wearable technology assists individuals with visual impairments.
This collaboration was inspired by Kelly Joy Ladd, an Orlando-based artist who was featured in this year’s Florida Prize exhibit. Ladd suffered a traumatic brain injury in March 2020 that, according to a press release, left her with impaired vision, making everyday experiences impossible...
The Community Paper - •

Orange County libraries to celebrate Pride Month, Juneteenth with events, musical performances - The Community Paper

The library is more than just books! Orange County Library System will offer some amazing events and musical performances for everyone this June alongside its annual Summer at Your Library event.
Melrose Pop Festival will be held indoors at Orlando Public Library from June 21 to 22, with live performances by various artists and free admission for all festival-goers.
As a way to celebrate the contributions Orlando’s LGBTQIA+ community has made for LGBTQ rights, OCLS will celebrate Pride Month wit...
The Community Paper - •

Orange County Regional History Center offers June events to connect, explore - The Community Paper

School may be out, but learning is still in! The Orange County Regional History Center is offering a variety of family-focused programs this month to provide activities for all to enjoy.
In addition to newly opened exhibits and other classic collections, the museum is hosting select events, including panels about local, recognized artists, exclusive Lunch and Learn sessions, a speaker series about Orlando’s first African American community, and more.
The museum is offering various days of free a...
The Community Paper - •

Orange County libraries offer fun for all with annual ‘Summer at Your Library’ event - The Community Paper

The Orange County Library System’s annual Summer at Your Library event kicked off on June 1 and runs through July 27 across 15 OCLS locations. The program, aimed at bringing people of all ages together for days, is full of a variety of fun activities and performances.
Summer at Your Library also features a summer reading challenge. Kids who register and accumulate 600 minutes worth of reading time via the Beanstack app, or by tracking their time on paper, will be able to enter for a chance to wi...
The Community Paper - •

Central Florida ‘hunger fighters’ raise $379,000 at Ultimate Garden Party - The Community Paper

Three hundred Ultimate Garden Party attendees raised $379,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida on May 17, helping supply 1.5 million meals for Central Florida residents experiencing hunger.
As government funding supporting the purchase of healthy foods from local farmers is pulled, every donation to Second Harvest is essential in the fight to keep Central Florida residents fed.
“The Ultimate Garden Party is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when our community comes together f...