Feb. 4, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - With senior center Stanley Billings (Orlando, Fla./Oak Ridge) out of the lineup, a pair of Knights have combined to give UCF quality minutes in the post. Billings has missed the last three games and during that time, junior Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland) and freshman Jean Michel Yotio (Abidjan, Ivory Coast/Montverde Academy) have manned the center spot for UCF.
In the last three games, the pair combined to averaged 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. Additionally, the duo is shooting a combined 57.6 percent from the floor.
Against Houston on Saturday, Zondervan had a complete game. In addition to eight points, he led the Knights with seven rebounds and also dished out a game-high six assists. The six assists were good for a career high.
On Jan. 30 versus UAB, Yotio excelled in 14 minutes off of the bench. He totaled eight points, three boards and a pair of steals.
UCF head coach Kirk Speraw has been pleased with the output from Zondervan and Yotio.
"Losing Stanley is certainly tough for our ballclub," he said. "He was really playing well and is a major part of our team. Kenrick and Jean Michel have done a good job in his absence. We need them to take care of their roles and be in the right places in order for us to be successful."
With Billings out of the lineup, sophomore Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview) has started at power forward and Zondervan has moved over to center.
UCF concludes a three-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting Marshall. Tip-off at the new UCF Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
The squad has four home contests remaining in 2007-08. As a result, the UCF Athletics Association is offering a special ticket package. The C-USA Pack provides tickets to the four remaining home games for $60.
For more information about tickets, call 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 pictures.
Notes: In the last six games, the Knights averaged 84.3 points... Senior guard Mike O'Donnell (Largo, Fla./Largo) paces Conference USA in steals per game (1.9)... After facing Marshall, UCF will play three of its next four games on the road. The stretch starts with a contest at No. 1 Memphis on Saturday.