Nov. 19, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With the opening of the new UCF Arena and a nationally-competitive schedule, the UCF men's basketball program is already having an eventful season. On Monday, head coach Kirk Speraw looked to the future, announcing that forward P.J. Gaynor, center Jakub Kusmieruk and guard A.J. Rompza have all signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Knights for the 2008-09 campaign.
Gaynor, listed at 6-foot-8, attends Mandarin High School in Jacksonville. A native of Poland, the 7-foot-4 Kusmieruk is enrolled at the John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md. One of the top point guards in Illinois, the 5-foot-10 Rompza stars at Whitney Young High School in Chicago.
As a junior in 2006-07, Gaynor was named to the Florida Class 6A All-State Second Team after averaging 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. A first-team all-area and All-Gateway Conference selection, he helped Mandarin to a 20-10 record last year.
"P.J. is a skilled player who will be a great addition to our program," said Speraw, the 2006-07 Conference USA Coach of the Year. "He can play with his back the basket and can also step out and knock down shots. P.J. is a great young man and we are looking forward to him joining our basketball family."
"He is very versatile. P.J. can handle the ball exceptionally well and his shot is continually improving," said Mandarin head coach Terry McCarter. "He is capable of playing all five positions on the court, which he has done for us. His work ethic is second to none and he is very coachable."
When he arrives on campus, Kusmieruk will be the tallest player in UCF history. Kusmieruk moved to the United States prior to his sophomore year. He began playing basketball just before coming to the United States. According to the recruiting web site Scout.com, he is ranked among the top-50 center prospects in the country.
Last season, Kusmieruk helped John Carroll to a 28-8 mark. The Patriots are currently ranked 21st nationally in the ESPN High Elite 25 preseason poll. "Not often do you get to a coach a player with Jakub's size and skill set. His willingness to learn and get better as a basketball player is equally impressive," said Speraw. "The combination of his size and work ethic will make him a great player."
In each of the last two summers, Kusmieruk has spent time at the Pro Training Center at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. While in Florida, he received individual instruction from training center executive director David Thorpe and worked on his agility and cardio.
"He has great upside," said John Carroll head coach Tony Martin. "He runs the floor extremely well and has great hands. Each and every day, he gets to the gym early and does all the things that will make him a great player."
"He has a great passion for the game," said Thorpe of Kusmieruk. "He has great hands and is a strong rebounder who can finish around the basket. He is not afraid of contact and works extremely hard to get better."
Playing for one of the top high school squads in the nation, Rompza averaged a team-high 19 points and 7.4 assists last year. He was a Chicago All-Public League Honorable Mention pick as both a sophomore and junior. Rompza, who helped Whitney Young to a 21-10 mark in 2006-07, was recently listed as one of the top-25 seniors in the city by the Chicago Tribune.
"Coming from Chicago, A.J. has shined playing against some of the top competition in the country," said Speraw. "He is a great passer who can also find numerous ways to score. A.J. has all of the qualities that we look for in a point guard - leadership, smarts and toughness."
His Whitney Young squad is ranked 23rd nationally in the ESPN High Elite 25 preseason poll.
"A.J. is the heart and soul of our basketball program," said Whitney Young head coach Tyrone Slaughter. "He is solely responsible for the resurrection of our program. Off the court, he is an even better person than he is a basketball player."
The Knights went 22-9 last season and finished second in only their second campaign in C-USA. Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season, UCF has won 108 contests, which ranks in the top-35 nationally during that span.
The program is in its first year playing inside the new UCF Arena on campus. The 10,000-seat facility features several top amenities, including luxury suites and a state-of-the-art scoreboard with four video screens.
UCF (2-0) claimed its inaugural game in the facility on Nov. 11, posting a 63-60 win over national power Nevada. The Knights will begin play at the Old Spice Classic, one of the country's top tournaments, on Thursday against No. 23 Villanova. The 7 p.m. contest from Disney's Wide World of Sports will be televised live nationally on ESPN2.
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 pictures.