Oct. 30, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Calvin Lingelbach was a tough act to follow. The program's first great point guard, Lingelbach dished out 244 career assists at UCF, with All-America shooting guard Bo Clark serving as the usual target.
When Lingelbach graduated in 1977, head coach Torchy Clark had a void to fill in the backcourt. Enter Cleveland Jackson, who came to Orlando after two years in junior college.
The 5-foot-8, 155-pound Jackson fit right in with the Knights and helped lead UCF to the finest campaign in school history. With Jackson running the offense, the team went 26-4 in 1977-78 and advanced to the Division II Final Four.
Jackson averaged 18.3 points and 3.9 assists during the campaign. In a 79-57 victory at USF, he recorded one of the best individual offensive performances in UCF history. The Memphis, Tenn., native connected on 13-of-14 field goal attempts and totaled 30 points against the Bulls. The win was one of 24-straight for the Knights.
Following the regular season, Jackson earned All-Sunshine State Conference First Team recognition.
Jackson was a tenacious defender. He totaled 142 steals during his career, good for eighth all-time at UCF.
Season tickets for UCF's 2008-09 campaign are currently available. Head coach Kirk Speraw's Knights are slated to open the year on Nov. 16, hosting North Carolina A&T. The squad will play 16 games at the UCF Arena, including a C-USA contest with national runner-up Memphis. For more information about season tickets and the new Fastbreak Club, 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 marks 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.