Aug. 20, 2007
Non-conference schedule in PDF Format
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF men's basketball head coach Kirk Speraw announced his team's 2007-08 non-conference schedule on Monday and the Knights will face programs that participated in the postseason last year on at least four occasions. The Knights open the regular season against Nevada in the inaugural game at the new UCF Arena on Nov. 11.
UCF will play eight non-league games at the 10,000-seat facility. In addition to Nevada, Connecticut and Ole Miss are also slated to play the Knights in the new venue.
After going 29-5 in 2006-07, Nevada finished the season ranked 10th nationally. The Wolf Pack made their fourth-straight trip the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round. The Knights will face Nevada twice this year as they travel to Reno for a return game on Dec. 16.
"Without a doubt, this is the toughest non-conference schedule in school history," said Speraw. "Some of the best programs in the country will be visiting Orlando and our fans will have the opportunity to see some excellent college basketball in one of the best arenas around."
A year ago, UCF posted a 22-9 mark and finished second in only its second campaign in Conference USA. Following the regular season, Speraw was named the league's coach of the year.
The Knights host Ole Miss on Dec. 8. In 2006-07, the Rebels went 21-13, claimed the Southeastern Conference Western Division and participated in the postseason National Invitation Tournament.
Connecticut, winner of the 2004 national championship, will face UCF in Orlando on Dec. 28. The Huskies won 17 contests last year and will be meeting the Knights for the second time, after the teams played in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Speraw's team will not have to travel far to compete in one of the nation's top tournaments in November. UCF opens the Old Spice Classic at Disney's Wide World of Sports on Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) in a nationally-televised contest on ESPN2 against Villanova. An NCAA Tournament squad last year, the Wildcats recorded a 22-11 mark.
The Knights will play three games at the event and will face George Mason or Kansas State on Nov. 23. NC State, Penn State, Rider and South Carolina are also participating in the tournament.
On Dec. 1, UCF will travel to Tampa to face USF for the first time since the 2002 season. The programs will be meeting for the 22nd time on the hardwood.
UCF will also host Norfolk State (Dec. 16), Presbyterian (Nov. 28) and Louisiana-Lafayette (Dec. 11). The two-day UCF Holiday Classic begins on Dec. 30 and the Knights will play the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the first round for the second-consecutive year. Long Island and Texas-Pan Am will meet in the other contest.
UCF will play its final non-conference game on Jan. 5 at Sam Houston State.
The Knights' C-USA slate will be announced in the coming weeks. Times for all games will also be announced in the future. Speraw expects his squad to play a pair of exhibition games in Orlando and those contests will be announced at a later date.
UCF will return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's team. Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 campaign, the Knights have won 106 games, a mark that ranks 31st nationally and second among all programs in the state of Florida.
Season tickets for the Knights' first season at the new UCF Arena are currently available and can be purchased by calling 407-UCF-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. Also check out www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics.
Non-Conference Schedule Notes
? The Knights will face at least four teams for the first time in 2007-08: Nevada, Ole Miss, Presbyterian and Villanova.
? UCF could play as many as five squads that competed in the 2007 postseason. A pair of NIT teams, Kansas State and NC State, are possible opponents at the Old Spice Classic.
? UCF will meet three BIG EAST squads (Connecticut, USF and Villanova). The last time that the team played a BIG EAST program during the regular season was versus Miami in 2002-03.
? When Ole Miss visits Orlando, it will mark the first time that a Southeastern Conference opponent will play at UCF since 1997 (Auburn).
? Texas-Pan Am will be competing in the UCF Holiday Classic for the second-straight year. The Broncs are coached by former UCF assistant coach Tom Schuberth.
? The Nov. 11 season opener is the earliest in school history. The Knights' previous earliest opening date came during the 1998-99 campaign when they made their season debut versus Rollins on Nov. 13.