Feb. 7, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - When UCF faces No. 1 Memphis on Saturday, the contest will give one Knight more than the opportunity to play the nation's top team. Sophomore forward Andre Thornton (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) is looking forward to playing in his hometown.
Thornton did not play a year ago when UCF met Rice in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. This season, he has appeared in 16 games and is averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds.
On Saturday, Thornton expects to have 15-20 supporters in the stands.
"I am looking forward to playing in front of my family and friends," Thornton said. "It will be great to show them how much I have grown as a player."
While attending Mitchell High School, he played against a pair of current Memphis players: guard Andre Allen (Booker T. Washington HS) and forward Pierre Niles (Ridgeway HS). Thornton also played on the same AAU squad with Niles at the beginning of high school.
Despite not playing at the C-USA Championship in 2007, Thornton is no stranger to the FedEx Forum. As a senior in high school, he played in the Memphis All-Star Classic game at the arena.
Memphis natives have fared well for the Knights when returning home in past years. Against Rice last season, Josh Peppers had a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in his final collegiate game.
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST. The contest will be televised live nationally on CSTV.
In Orlando, Marc Daniels will have the call on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and 740 AM.
The Knights' improved to 12-10 overall and 5-3 in league play on Wednesday with a 77-63 home win over Marshall.
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 UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes: When UCF meets the Tigers, it will mark the second time in school history and the first time during a regular season that the Knights have played a top-ranked team. The other meeting with a No. 1 squad came in 1996 when UCF played Massachusetts in the NCAA Tournament. Current Memphis head coach John Calipari was at the helm of the Minutemen at the time... After scoring a career-best 34 points against Marshall, junior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) is averaging 25.9 points in C-USA play, which paces the league. On the year, he is averaging 22.1 points.