Dec. 18, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - He wasn't flashy or a great athlete. The point guard never earned all-conference honors. He never even led his team in scoring. Mike O'Donnell was simply one of the most reliable players in UCF history.
The Largo, Fla., native might have started his collegiate career out of state, but he ended his time in Orlando as a fan favorite. From 2005-08, the 6-foot O'Donnell gave his all for head coach Kirk Speraw's Knights. In just three years, he shot, passed and defended his way into the UCF record book.
O'Donnell arrived at UCF in 2004 after one campaign at NC State. He made his debut on the floor in 2005-06 and went on to start 89-consecutive contests at point guard. An accurate shooter, he totaled 195 triples at UCF, good for second in program history. His 75 treys as a senior ranked eighth on UCF's single-season list. On seven occasions during his career, he drained at least six 3-pointers in a game, including seven against Rollins in 2006-07. That season, he shot 43.0 percent from deep as the Knights won 22 contests and finished second in Conference USA.
In 2007-08, he averaged a career-best 11.9 points. For his career, he averaged 10.2 points per game.
O'Donnell did more than just score while at UCF. He finished his career ranked fifth all-time at the school with 319 assists. A pesky defender, he totaled 140 steals, which ranks eighth in program history.
O'Donnell always seemed to be on the court, averaging 31.9 minutes for his career. As a senior, he averaged 34.3 minutes, one of the top marks in C-USA. He logged over 40 minutes several times during the campaign and spent 44 minutes in the floor in the Knights' triple-overtime win against Tulsa. In the victory over the Golden Hurricane, he recorded 18 points.
Currently, O'Donnell works for the Golden Knights Club as a graduate assistant. He also serves as a color analyst on UCF radio broadcasts. He will be in Jacksonville on Saturday when the Knights take on Florida at 6:30 p.m.
A UCF Basketball Outback Steakhouse Four-Pack is currently available for only $50 by calling the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000. The four-pack offers the best seat available at the UCF Arena for the Knights' Jan. 10 contest with national power Memphis. The package also includes tickets to UCF's Conference USA games with SMU (Jan. 28), Houston (Feb. 4) and East Carolina (March 7).
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.