Jan. 1, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Long before Jermaine Taylor was providing fans with highlight worthy plays, Ruben Cotton was one of the most impressive athletes to play for the Knights. A Sanford native, Cotton, who competed for the Knights from 1979-81, could drive, shoot and dunk.
In two campaigns at UCF, he averaged 14.2 points. Most impressively, the forward, who was listed at 6-foot-1, averaged 9.6 rebounds for his career. Despite playing just two years in Orlando, Cotton ranks eighth all-time at UCF with 545 career boards.
His quickness and leaping ability made him a stingy defender and an effective rebounder.
In his first year with the Knights, Cotton averaged 15.3 points and 11.0 boards. His 320 rebounds in 1979-80 rank second on the school's single-season register.
The following year, Cotton averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds and was selected to the All-Sunshine State Second Team. Although his numbers were more impressive in 1979-80, he only received all-conference honorable mention honors as a junior.
Cotton finished his career with 149 steals and currently ranks sixth in school history in the category. He tied a program record with 11 swipes versus Florida Tech as a junior.
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.