Oct. 20, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With eight freshmen on UCF's roster this season, head coach Kirk Speraw had a feeling that his squad might be one of the nation's youngest teams. Research shows that Speraw was correct.
Only four teams in the country have more freshmen than the Knights. High Point, Presbyterian, The Citadel and Washington State all have nine freshmen. Speraw's team boasts seven true freshmen and one redshirt freshmen.
The Knights are one of five squads nationally with eight freshmen, joining Denver, Duquesne, Oregon and Saint Louis.
UCF's roster includes 11 total underclassmen. That number ranks for fifth in the country. The Citadel's entire squad is made up of underclassmen. High Point has a total of 13 freshmen and sophomores, followed by Duquesne and Presbyterian with 12. The Knights are tied with Denver and Saint Peter's on the list.
The Knights, who open the season on Nov. 16 at the new UCF Arena against North Carolina A&T, had five seniors a year ago. This season's squad has just two seniors - guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) and center Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland).
Season tickets for the 2008-09 campaign are currently available. The Knights are slated to play 16 regular-season contests at the new UCF Arena. To order your season tickets today, or to learn 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.
Notes:Before he headed to the Buffalo Wild Wings in Waterford Lakes for the George O'Leary Call-In Show powered by Advance Auto Parts, UCF's play-by-play voice, Marc Daniels, stopped by to watch the Knights practice on Monday afternoon. The 2008-09 campaign will mark his 14th year calling UCF basketball.
Most Freshmen in the Nation
High Point - 9 (7 true/2 redshirt)
Presbyterian - 9 (7 true/2 redshirt)
Washington State - 9 (7 true/2 redshirt)
The Citadel - 9 (7 true/2 redshirt)
UCF - 8 (7 true/1 redshirt)
Denver - 8 (7 true/1 redshirt)
Duquesne - 8 (8 true)
Oregon - 8 (8 true)
Saint Louis - 8 (8 true)
Air Force - 7 (7 true)
New Mexico - 7 (7 true/1 redshirt)
Iona - 7 (7 true)
Most Underclassmen in the Nation
The Citadel - 18 (9 freshmen/9 sophomores) High Point - 13 (9 freshmen/4 sophomores)
Duquesne - 12 (8 freshmen/4 sophomores)
Presbyterian - 12 (9 freshmen/3 sophomores)
UCF - 11 (8 freshmen/3 sophomores)
Denver - 11 (8 freshmen/3 sophomores)
Saint Peter's - 11 (5 freshmen/6 sophomores)