Dec. 6, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 1993-94 season and the Golden Knights are among the national leaders in several statistical categories. Head coach Kirk Speraw's squad ranks in the top 30 in the country in nine key categories.
The Golden Knights are one of just 15 unbeaten teams. UCF has beaten its five opponents by an average of 26.4 points, which ranks fourth nationally. The team's 16.2 rebound margin is good for second in the NCAA statistical rankings and its assists per game mark (19.2) ranks ninth.
UCF ranks both 21st nationally in scoring offense (83.4) and scoring defense (57.0). Last season, the Golden Knights averaged just 63.3 points per contest. Through five games in 2006-07, UCF is shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range, the eighth-best percentage in the country. The squad's field-goal percentage (51.8) and field-goal percentage defense (36.3) rank 12th and 17th, respectively.
Sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares), UCF's leading scorer at 17.4 points per outing, is among the NCAA leaders in a pair of categories. He is shooting 54.2 percent from 3-point range, good for 13th. His 59.3 overall field-goal percentage ranks 62nd.
Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season, UCF has recorded 89 victories, a mark that ranks 39th nationally. Speraw's team has made two trips to the NCAA Tournament during that span.
The Golden Knights, who are in their second season in Conference USA, return to action on Saturday, Dec. 9, hosting in-state rival Florida Atlantic. Tip-off at the UCF Arena is set for 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the game are available by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 407-839-3900. Season tickets are also currently available by calling 407-UCF-1000.
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.