Nov. 27, 2008
CANCUN, Mexico (UCFAthletics.com) - For members of the UCF men's basketball team, Thanksgiving usually means time with family members, turkey dinner and enjoying football games on television. With the Knights in Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, the holiday was anything but traditional for the squad.
UCF arrived at the Moon Palace Resort Thursday afternoon. After taking players like senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) and freshman guard A.J. Rompza (Chicago, Ill.) took time to tour the resort, its beach and pools, the Knights reconvened for Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of turkey, stuffing and apple pie, members of the travel party enjoyed a Mexican buffet that included tortilla soup, skirt steak, tamales and tacos.
UCF will begin play at the Cancun Challenge on Saturday, facing South Dakota State at 6 p.m. Eastern.
After meeting host Ole Miss Wednesday evening, the Knights bused an hour and a half to spend the night in Memphis, Tenn. A 5:30 a.m. wake-up call greeted the travel party Thursday morning. The squad flew from Memphis to Houston, Texas, before heading to Mexico.
After a long trek through customs at the airport in Cancun, the team bused 10 minutes to the resort.
Head coach Kirk Speraw's squad had a film session and practice following dinner. Plans for Friday include a study hall and another practice. There will be some down time for the Knights, so the group will be able to enjoy all the resort has to offer.
UCF's two games in Cancun will conclude a stretch of five-consecutive contests for the Knights away from Orlando. The team's next home tilt at the UCF Arena is set for Dec. 6 against cross-state foe USF. Season tickets, which begin at just $99, are still available. To order your season tickets today, and to learn more about the Fastbreak Club and other 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: Members of Morehead State team traveled on the Knights' flight from Houston to Cancun. The two squads will meet on the hardwood on Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern to conclude the tournament for both teams. The contest will be televised live nationally on CBS College sports and in the Orlando area on the Bright House Sports Network... Several members of the UCF team caught the end of the Boston College-TCU women's game before dinner. Triple Crown Sports, the group running the event that the Knights are competing in, is also hosting a women's tournament at the resort. Other women's teams at the tournament include Eastern Michigan, Illinois and Maryland... Both of UCF's contests in Mexico will be aired on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and 740 AM in Orlando. Free audio will also be available at UCFAthletics.com... The practice court is located inside a large vacant ballroom at the resort.