June 22, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF men's basketball head coach Kirk Speraw announced on Friday that Clemson transfer A.J. Tyler (Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University) has enrolled at UCF and will join the Knights this fall. A 6-foot-9 forward, Tyler will sit out the upcoming campaign due to NCAA rules and will be eligible as a sophomore for the 2008-09 season.
As a freshman at Clemson last year, Tyler appeared in 30 games as a reserve and averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in five minutes per contest. He saw time in 11 Atlantic Coast Conference contests. He appeared in all five of the Tigers games in the postseason National Invitation Tournament as Clemson advanced to the title contest against West Virginia.
Tyler was a Florida Class 5A All-State First Team selection in 2005-06 at Palm Harbor University High School. He averaged 21.4 points, 12 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game as a senior.
"We are very excited to have A.J. join our program. He is a tremendous young man and a great student-athlete," said Speraw. "He is a very skilled post player who will make great contributions to our team."
Tyler concluded his prep career with a school-record 1,746 points. He garnered all-state second team honors after averaging 22.7 points, 10.5 boards and 2.6 blocks as a junior.
The Knights went 22-9 overall in 2006-07 and finished second in Conference USA. Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 campaign, UCF has won 106 games, a mark that ranks 31st nationally and second among all programs in the state of Florida. This fall, the Knights will make their debut at the 10,000-seat Convocation Center on campus.
UCF is currently accepting season-ticket deposits for the upcoming campaign. Fans can guarantee their seats by calling (407) 823-1000.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports.