July 10, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Following Brad Traina's senior campaign, Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel called the local product the "hardest working player in school history." Traina was not the best athlete at UCF during his time in Orlando, but hard work helped the 6-foot-5 swingman enjoy an impressive career with the Knights.
Traina played under head coach Kirk Speraw from 1995-99, and finished his career with 1,218 points, good for 11th in program history. Before attending UCF, Traina starred at Seminole High School in Sanford for his father, Bob.
During his time at UCF, Traina was rarely the Knights' go-to-guy on offense. Sharpshooter Harry Kennedy handled the scoring throughout Traina's first two campaigns in Orlando. As a junior, Traina gave way to Mark Jones, who averaged over 20 points per game.
Despite the offensive firepower around him, Traina still found a way to put the ball in the basket. He averaged 15.4 points as a junior and increased his average to 16.7 points in 1998-99. That season, he earned a spot on the All-Atlantic Sun First Team.
Traina concluded his career with 156 3-pointers, good for seventh in program history. He missed five contests as a senior due to injury, but still finished the year with 55 triples.
Season tickets for the 2008-09 Knights' campaign at the new UCF Arena are slated to go on sale later 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 will be recognized each Thursday at www.ucfathletics.com.
Top Players in UCF History
Calvin Lingelbach - June 5 Ray Abellard - June 12 D'Quarius Stewart - June 19 Victor Saxton - June 26 Roland Ebron - July 3