UCF lands New Orleans center Churchill Abass from portal
UCF has added another frontcourt piece out of the transfer portal.
New Orleans center Churchill Abass announced his commitment to the Knights on Tuesday, giving Johnny Dawkins and his staff a veteran interior presence with three years of college experience.
The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Nigerian center is coming off a productive 2025-26 season at New Orleans, where he emerged as one of the Southland Conference’s top rim protectors. Abass played in 33 games with 27 starts, averaging 8.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 57 total blocks while ranked No. 42 nationally.
His addition gives UCF its fifth transfer portal commitment of the cycle, joining Isaiah Malone (FGCU), Cayden Vasko (Wofford), Lewis Walker (North Carolina A&T) and Mister Dean (Charleston).
Coming out of the NBA Africa Academy, Abass was regarded as a four-star prospect and ranked No. 85 overall in the On3 class of 2023. After a strong performance during the National Prep Invitational, he was selected for the Basketball Africa League’s Elevate program, one of 12 NBA Africa Academy prospects chosen for participation. He also played for U.S. Monastir in the BAL.
He began his college career at DePaul in 2023-24, appearing in 30 games with 13 starts. As a freshman, he averaged 3.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor. His late-season flashes included a 13-point, nine-rebound performance against Xavier, while also posting nine rebounds against Marquette and eight against Villanova.
Abass then transferred to Wake Forest for the 2024-25 season, where his role was more limited. He played in 13 games with one start and averaged 1.3 points per game. His best defensive showing came against Western Carolina, when he recorded three blocks in a season-high 23 minutes.
UCF had already secured the return of starting center John Bol. Abass appears to be a logical replacement for backup center Jeremy Foumena, who has entered the transfer portal.
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