If anyone is in a position to understand Cuonzo Martin’s ill-timed injury plight, Johnny Dawkins is a good candidate.
Coming off a run to the NIT semifinals, Dawkins’ second year in Orlando appeared poised to end an NCAA tournament drought stretching back to 2015. Then bodies started dropping. First, a preseason shoulder injury sidelined Aubrey Dawkins, a 6-foot-6 wing and Michigan transfer. Next, B.J. Taylor was hobbled by a foot injury, costing him half his junior campaign. And just as Taylor was on the mend, gargantuan big man Tacko Fall underwent shoulder surgery to repair a lingering injury and missed the back half of UCF’s season.