ORLANDO — From the moment he chose to re-sign for a second season at UCF, John Bol has had one goal in mind: bringing the Knights back to the NCAA Tournament.

The 7-foot-2 junior center desperately wants another bout of March Madness to right individual wrongs and guide the program he loves on a deeper journey. His status was in doubt until the day before UCF's first-round matchup with UCLA after collapsing to the court with a chest injury against Arizona in the Big 12 tournament.

Against UCLA, Bol inadvertently rebounded a ball into his own net, took a hard fall that required a short trip to the locker room and missed all five free throw attempts with his unorthodox, one-handed release. The Knights lost 75-71 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

"We were all-in. We all win and we all lose together. The coaches all came and talked to me, assured me that we would not be in that position if I didn't do the things I did throughout the season. They gave me that confidence that we would be back in the same spot next year," Bol said Oct. 19 during the team's preseason media day. "I want to go back badly, you feel me? It didn't really last a long time. It really hurt a lot. I felt like I let down myself, my school, my coaches, my teammates, but that's just part of the game. You win some, you lose some, but you've got to come back stronger."

Bol emerged as an important addition to UCF's squad that secured an automatic NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in seven years. The former McDonald's All-American started all 33 games — compared to none the year prior at Ole Miss — and averaged 5.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 71.7% from the field and contributing 38 blocked shots.

Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins, who signed a three-year contract extension in May, believes Bol can unlock his full potential with more minutes and by adding functional strength.

"He's not ever going to look like he’s Shaq(uille O'Neal), but he's filling out really well for who he is and for his body type," Dawkins said. "He's long, and he's gained a little weight. I don't want to compromise him gaining too much weight and him not being mobile or as athletic as he needs to be."

Bol did not recall hitting a true growth spurt as a child, rather always being noticeably taller than his peers. By the seventh grade, he estimates standing 6-foot-6.

Around the same time, he enjoyed playing soccer in his native South Sudan and in Kenya, finding inspiration in 6-foot-7 English striker Peter Crouch, who holds the Premier League record for headed goals. He could play all positions, but usually slotted into central defense due to his height.

"I move easily because of soccer," Bol said. "In soccer, you have to have that footwork. I feel like all that training and all them drills translated to basketball, how I'm running, how I'm sliding, how I'm shuffling my feet."

Bol found basketball in high school, dunking a ball the first time he touched it. He moved to the United States in 2021 to continue his development, eventually landing at Overtime Elite in Atlanta and blossoming into a four-star prospect.

"He not only runs the floor and moves well laterally, but he's also a bouncy vertical athlete who gets off his feet quickly and can play up at the top of the box," CBS Sports director of basketball recruiting Adam Finkelstein wrote in his July 2023 evaluation. "He's a quick-twitch rim protector, both rotating from the weak side of the floor and also directly on the ball. He's virtually never out of the play defensively, even when it seems he's initially beaten, and is a constant threat to erase mistakes inside the paint, and thus fairly switchable as well."

Ole Miss fended off the likes of Florida, Michigan and Missouri in Bol's recruitment, but he made just 17 appearances for the Rebels and averaged 4.1 minutes per game off the bench. UCF quickly made its move for Bol in the portal in April 2025, seeking a replacement for the outgoing Moustapha Thiam.

Bol felt an immediate connection with Dawkins and his staff, as well as UCF's fan base. Knights fans chanted his name loudly during a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) performance in a signature home win over Texas Tech. He takes pride in attending events for UCF's other athletics teams, including a tripleheader back in April for rowing, baseball and softball.

He is one of six Knights who returned to the squad for the upcoming campaign, along with leading scorer Riley Kugel, 3-point marksman Carmelo Pacheco, reserve center Elijah Hulsewe, redshirt freshman Tanner Jones, and point guard Arturo Dean, who redshirted after joining the team in January.

"I feel like, by me being here this year and coming here last year, I really created a bond here," Bol said. "The fanbase here loves me. Everything is great. To just throw all that away would not be right."

UCF faces six power-conference opponents before its 18-game Big 12 schedule ramps up in January. Five of those games are away from Addition Financial Arena, including in-state, neutral-site trips to Lake Buena Vista (Boston College and Georgia) and Fort Lauderdale (Virginia Tech).

That gives the Knights ample opportunities to build a résumé strong enough for inclusion into the expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament field.

To achieve his goal, Bol spent the summer polishing his skills and familiarizing himself with his new teammates. At least one major component of his game, he said, is significantly improved.

"This year, I've really been working on my free throws and my form. I'm excited to get back out there," Bol said.

"It's changed. I can just tell you that right now. … It's more buckets; it's butter."