Sept. 18, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Gary Johnson spent just two seasons at UCF. The 6-foot-2 guard managed to make the most of his time in Orlando, helping the Knights to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and 49 total victories from 2003-05.
Johnson, who played on two of the best squads in program history, averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds while with the Knights. He garnered several individual honors after transferring to UCF from Schoolcraft Community College in Michigan, but is most remembered for his role in guiding the Knights to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson was never afraid to take a big shot. His confidence was clearly evident in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. In his final collegiate game, he hit seven treys and totaled 29 points to keep the Knights in the game against Connecticut.
In his first campaign in Orlando, Johnson averaged 7.6 points and dished out 127 assists as UCF won 25 contests, including 17 in Atlantic Sun victories.
Following the departures of stars Dexter Lyons and Roberto Morentin, Johnson was more of a focal-point on offense in 2004-05. He averaged 13.6 points and connected on a school single-season record 103 triples.
Johnson scored in double-figures 27 times and earned All-A-Sun Second Team honors. He averaged 16.7 points and 4.0 rebounds at the league championship, earning tournament MVP recognition.
Despite only playing two seasons at UCF, Johnson ranks ninth all-time with 142 3-pointers and is 10th in career steals (125).
UCF opens the 2008-09 campaign on Nov. 16, hosting North Carolina A&T at the new UCF Arena. The Knights are slated to play 16 regular-season contests at the state-of-the-art facility. Season tickets are currently available by visiting UCFAthletics.com. For information about premium seating, contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to 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 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 UCFAthletics.com.