Aug. 14, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Can one season define a career? For Josh Bodden, the answer is yes. Bodden played for the Knights from 2000-04, but solidified his spot in UCF history with an impressive senior campaign.
The 6-foot-9 post player averaged 10.9 points, 5.6 boards and blocked a team-high 40 shots for head coach Kirk Speraw's 2003-04 squad, which many consider to be the top team in UCF's Division I history. The Knights went 25-6 that season, claimed the Atlantic Sun Championship title and faced Pittsburgh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. UCF posted a 14-game winning streak during the campaign.
Playing alongside stars Dexter Lyons and Roberto Morentin, Bodden started all 31 of the team's games that year. The Dunedin native shot 52.1 percent from the floor and scored in double-figures 16 times.
Bodden was a big reason that UCF claimed the A-Sun Championship title. He averaged 15.3 in three contests at the event and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. In the opening round against Jacksonville, he totaled 20 points. He followed that performance with 19 points against Belmont and grabbed a team-high 12 boards in the championship game win over Troy.
Bodden finished his career 10th all-time at UCF with 509 rebounds. His 88 career blocks are good for fourth on the school's all-time list. He appeared in 120 contests with the Knights and is fourth on UCF's all-time games played register.
Season tickets for the Knights' 2008-09 campaign are slated to go on sale later this summer. In its inaugural season at the new UCF Arena, the squad won 12 home contests last year. The state-of-the-art facility gives the Knights one of the top venues in the nation.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. 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 Brad Traina - July 10 D. Noel - July 17 Pat Crocklin - July 24 Ken Leeks - July 31 Dean Rossin - Aug. 7