April 19, 2005
ORLANDO - The UCF men's basketball team held its annual postseason banquet on Tuesday evening at the Radisson University Hotel. Head coach Kirk Speraw recognized several Golden Knights for their achievements during the 2004-05 season.
Senior guard Gary Johnson was named UCF's Most Valuable Player. Johnson led the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game and established a school single-season record with 103 three-point field goals. A second team All-Atlantic Sun selection, he was named MVP of the conference tournament after averaging 16.7 points and four rebounds at the event.
The squad's Best Defender award was presented to senior guard Kingsley Edwards. He totaled 43 steals on the season.
Edwards was also recognized for leading UCF with 137 assists, a mark that ranked third in the conference. On Jan. 16 against Troy, he dished out 14 assists while recording a triple-double. The 14 assists tied a program single-game record.
After leading the Golden Knights with 5.6 boards per game, junior forward Anthony Williams garnered the Best Rebounder honor. A junior-college transfer, Williams grabbed 184 rebounds in his first season in Orlando.
Junior center Will Bakanowsky was named the Most Improved Player. This past season, Bakanowsky averaged a career-high 6.4 points, compared to just 2.2 the year before. He also established career bests in field goals made (57), three-point field goals made (27), rebounds (4.3 per game) and assists (36).
The Most Inspirational Player award was given to senior forward Marcus Avant. Avant started the first 22 games of the season, but missed the team's last 11 contests due to a back injury. He finished the year averaging 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per outing.
UCF concluded the 2004-05 campaign with a 24-9 record. The squad claimed a share of its first regular season A-Sun crown and won its second consecutive conference tournament title, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
The Golden Knights join Conference USA next season.