Oct. 14, 2006
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Saturday marked the first day of basketball practice across the country and the UCF men's team took to the UCF Arena court for a pair of practices. The Golden Knights worked out in the morning and also practiced in the afternoon.
During the squad's morning session, head coach Kirk Speraw's team participated in individual drills. The Golden Knights focused on ball-handling, passing, defensive closeouts and conditioning. The afternoon session featured more individual drills and the team also worked on its offensive system.
"The first day of practice is always an exciting day," said Speraw. "We had two good practices and our guys really gave a good effort out there. I am pleased with their intensity on the practice court and the chemistry that they developed during the offseason."
Prior to the afternoon practice, Speraw and several players, including senior forward Josh Peppers (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven HS) and junior guard Mike O'Donnell (Largo, Fla./Largo HS), spoke to members of the local media about the Golden Knights' upcoming campaign.
UCF will open the regular season on Nov. 15 at home against cross-town opponent Rollins. The team will face St. Leo for an exhibition game in Orlando on Nov. 9. The 2006-07 campaign will serve as the program's final season at the UCF Arena. The Golden Knights will move into the new Convocation Center on campus in the fall of 2007.
Last season, UCF posted a 14-15 overall and 7-7 Conference USA mark. Playing in C-USA for the first time, Speraw's squad finished fifth.
Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 campaign, UCF has won 84 games, a mark that ranks 39th nationally and second among all programs in the state of Florida. The Golden Knights have played in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments.
Season tickets are currently on sale. Call 407-UCF-1000 for more information or to purchase tickets. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.