ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Wednesday, head coach Kirk Speraw announced two additions to an already impressive recruiting class for the UCF men's basketball program as Nik Garcia and Marcus Jordan signed National Letters of Intent with the Knights. The recruits from Chicago, who are ranked among the top seniors in the nation, will join the program prior to the 2009-10 campaign.
Garcia, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound wing player, attends Evanston Township High School. A 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard, Jordan is enrolled at Whitney Young High School in Chicago. Garcia and Jordan were teammates on the AAU level with the Illinois Rising Stars. Jordan played at Whitney Young alongside current UCF freshman guard A.J. Rompza.
"The future is exceptionally bright for our program," Speraw said. "We are continuing to improve our talent base here at UCF as a result of the commitment from our administration in regards to facilities and the hard work of our coaching staff on the recruiting trail. Nik and Marcus are great additions to our program."
Rated as one of the top-150 seniors and the 34th-best shooting guard in the country by Rivals.com, Garcia averaged 22.0 points this past year at Evanston for head coach Bobby Locke. Before moving to Evanston, he attended Niles West High School in Skokie.
"Nik is one of the best shooters in the country," Speraw said. "He has the ability to knock down tough shots. I think that he will excel in our motion offense."
As a senior, Jordan averaged 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists for Whitney Young. He led the Dolphins to the Illinois Class 4A state title, earning tournament MVP honors. Jordan totaled 19 points and five rebounds in the championship game win over Waukegan. Scout.com lists him as the 27th-best shooting guard in the country.
"Marcus is a young man with great character. He has a great knowledge of the game and is a fierce competitor. His diverse skill set will help our team in a variety of areas," Speraw said.
Garcia and Jordan join forward Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep) and guard R.J. Scott (Slidell, La./Salmen) as part of the Knights' impressive recruiting class. Both Clanton and Scott are rated among the top-150 seniors in the country by HoopScoop and led their respective high schools to state championships.
"This is a well-rounded recruiting class with a great deal of talent," Speraw said. "We are recruiting winners. Anytime that you can bring players into your program who have already experienced team success, it is a positive."
All four recruits will join a UCF program that has enjoyed great success since joining Conference USA in 2005. Speraw's Knights have finished in the top-half of the regular-season standings in the 12-team league each year. This past season, UCF was led by C-USA Player of the Year Jermaine Taylor. The senior shooting guard ranked third nationally in scoring at 26.2 points per game.
The program boasts some of the top facilities in the country. The 10,000-seat UCF Arena opened in 2007 and the Knights' practice facility, which includes a court, weight room, locker room and team lounge, opened in 2008.
Season ticket deposits for the 2009-10 UCF campaign are currently being accepted. Contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com for ticket information.
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