Oct. 18, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With four foreign-born players, there is no denying that the Knights have an international look this season. Despite the diversity, head coach Kirk Speraw's squad is still dominated by Floridians.
Seven Knights hail from the Sunshine State, including senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.). The nation's 10th-leading returning scorer, Taylor was named to the All-Conference USA Preseason Team last week. He averaged 20.8 points as a junior in 2007-08.
A total of nine UCF players attended high school in Florida. Sophomore forward Jean Michel Yotio (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) spent three years at Montverde Academy, which is located north of Orlando. Freshman guard Isaac Sosa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) went to Grandview Prep in Boca Raton.
Taylor is one of four Knights from the central Florida area. Junior guard Drew Speraw (Oviedo, Fla.), sophomore guard Taylor Young (Orlando, Fla.) and redshirt freshman guard Chris Baez (Kissimmee, Fla.) are all attending college close to home.
Junior forward Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla.) and sophomore forward A.J. Tyler (Palm Harbor, Fla.) are the other Floridians on the roster.
UCF's season opener is set for Nov. 16 against North Carolina A&T at the new UCF Arena. Speraw's Knights are scheduled to play 16 contests at the state-of-the-art facility, including a Dec. 6 matchup with cross-state foe USF and a C-USA game with national power Memphis on Jan. 10.
Season tickets are currently on sale. To order your season tickets today, and to learn more about the new Fastbreak Club and other premium seating opportunities, 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.
Notes: After officially opening the 2008-09 campaign Friday evening, the Knights practiced twice on Saturday... During Conference USA Media Day on Thursday in Memphis, Taylor was asked by Bob McClellan of Rivals.com about his leadership role on a team that features seven true freshmen. "With that many freshmen, I don't have a choice," Taylor said. "I have to lead." Last season, Mike O'Donnell served as UCF's captain as a senior.