June 4, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - ESPN Regional Television, Inc. announced on Monday that the UCF men's basketball team will meet Villanova in first round action at the Old Spice Classic at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex on Thanksgiving. The Knights and Wildcats will play at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 and the contest will be televised live nationally on ESPN2.
UCF will play three games at the eight-team tournament at the Milk House. On Nov. 23, head coach Kirk Speraw's squad will face George Mason or Kansas State.
The Knights went 22-9 overall in 2006-07 and finished second in Conference USA. Speraw earned the league's coach of the year honor. Villanova recorded a 22-11 mark last year and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season.
"Villanova will be one of the top-25 squads in the country and the game will be a great challenge for our team," said Speraw. "This tournament has some strong teams and we are looking forward to the event. We will have the opportunity to showcase our program to the country and that is very exciting."
UCF and Villanova have never met on the hardwood. The contest will also serve as the Knights' first regular-season appearance on ESPN2.
Penn State will face South Carolina and NC State will play Rider in the other first-round contests at the event, which will conclude on Nov. 25. All 12 games at the tournament will air live nationally on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The Old Spice Classic made its debut in 2006 and Arkansas defeated West Virginia in the title game.
The Knights will return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including All-C-USA candidates in senior guard Mike O'Donnell (Largo, Fla./Largo) and junior guard/forward Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares).
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.