Oct. 14, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - For UCF's coaching staff, the fun begins Friday. After months of planning, scheduling and recruiting, the 2008-09 season will finally begin with the Knights' first practice of the year.
UCF is slated to have a two-hour evening session Friday at the UCF Basketball Practice Facility.
The session will mark the first official collegiate practice for the team's seven true freshmen. Despite having a team dominated by youth, head coach Kirk Speraw's squad features one of nation's top players in senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares). A Conference USA Player of the Year candidate, Taylor averaged 20.8 points per game last season. Center Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland) is the squad's other senior.
For assistant coach Craig Brown, Friday marks a fresh start for the Knights. Brown is enthused about the team's potential and is also ready for the obstacles the coaching staff will face with the young group.
"I'm super excited," he said. "Being on the court is what I really enjoy. I like to go out there and teach. Obviously, this is going to be a major year for teaching. I think in the beginning, it is going to be challenging. But as coaches, we love to teach so it is very exciting as well."
UCF is slated to begin the regular season on Nov. 16, hosting North Carolina A&T.
Both Speraw and Taylor will be busy leading up to practice. The pair is scheduled to attend C-USA's media day on Thursday in Memphis, Tenn.
The Knights will play 16 regular-season games at the new UCF Arena this season. The schedule includes eight Conference USA contests, highlighted by a visit from national power Memphis on Jan. 10. Season tickets are currently on sale. To order your season tickets today, or to find out more about premium seating options, 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.