Oct. 11, 2005
ORLANDO - Former UCF men's basketball player Marcus Avant has signed a professional contract with a team in Turkey and will continue his career on the hardwood overseas. Avant recently inked a deal with Seluck Universitesi Konya and has already reported to the team.
Avant started 22 games for the Golden Knights in 2004-05, averaging 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. The small forward missed UCF's last 11 games, including its trip to the NCAA Tournament, with a back injury.
The Valdosta, Ga. native is the second player from last season's team to sign a professional contract. In September, guard Gary Johnson joined a team in Ireland.
In the last two years, four UCF players, including Avant and Johnson, have inked professional contracts in Europe. Following the 2003-04 campaign, Dexter Lyons and Roberto Morentin both joined teams overseas. Lyons is currently with a squad in Turkey and Morentin is playing in Spain.