June 19, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - During D'Quarius Stewart's freshman year at UCF in 1996-97, the team's top scorer was guard Harry Kennedy. A 3-point specialist, Kennedy averaged 17.5 points.
As a result of Kennedy's offensive ability, head coach Kirk Speraw had Stewart come off the bench as the backup shooting guard. The following season, Mark Jones played ahead of Stewart and averaged 20.8 points as a senior.
With Jones gone, Stewart finally cracked the starting lineup as a junior in 1998-99. The Lansing, Mich., native excelled, averaging 13.9 points as he started all 28 of UCF's contests. The following season, Stewart posted 16.1 points per game and garnered All-Atlantic Sun Second Team honors.
Because of his strong junior and senior campaigns, Stewart ranks sixth all-time at UCF with 1,387 points. The 6-foot-2 Stewart averaged 12.2 points for his career. He is also fourth all-time with 175 3-point field goals.
As a senior, he scored in double-figures on 27 occasions and led the Knights in points 16 times. Stewart earned A-Sun All-Tournament honors after averaging 16.0 points in three games at the league championship.
Season tickets for the 2008-09 campaign are slated to go on sale in July.
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 visit www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
The 2008-09 campaign will mark the UCF men's basketball program's 40th season. To commemorate the anniversary, UCF is unveiling the top-40 players in school history. Members of the UCF athletics communications office worked with UCF basketball historian Bill Beekman to select the best players who finished their collegiate careers as Knights. One player from the list, which is not ranked in any order, will be recognized each Thursday at www.ucfathletics.com.
Top Players in UCF History
Calvin Lingelbach - June 5 Ray Abellard - June 12