Aug. 13, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Since former UCF star Jermaine Taylor was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the NBA Draft in June, head coach Kirk Speraw has said repeatedly that the shooting guard will be successful in the pros due to his work ethic. Speraw believes that Taylor's ability to learn and improve will help him at the next level.
Taylor inked a multi-year contract with Houston last week, officially becoming an NBA player. His former UCF teammates think that he will do just fine with the Rockets.
"He has all the tools - the athleticism, the speed, the strength. He has all of it," sophomore guard A.J. Rompza (Chicago, Ill.) said. "I have been up at Hoops the Gym in Chicago when 30 or 40 NBA players were there. I have watched them. I think he has all of the tools to be great."
Having Taylor in the NBA should help the Knights on the recruiting front. His professional career should also pay dividends for some of his former teammates. According to redshirt freshman forward Dave Diakite (Washington, D.C.), current squad members learned a great deal watching Taylor prepare for the draft this spring.
"I learned how to be humble," Diakite said. "I learned how to work hard and that nothing is going to come easy. You need to work in order to be great. He proved that if you work hard, everything pays off."
Season tickets for the 2009-10 campaign are currently on sale. New season ticket orders are currently being accepted by the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting UCFAthletics.com. The Knights will open the slate on Nov. 13, hosting UMass at the UCF Arena.
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: Former UCF standout Gary Johnson will have a new professional team this upcoming year as he has joined BV Chemnitz in Germany. This past year, Johnson averaged 20.0 points for Hertener Loewen, another German squad. The point guard played for the Knights from 2003-05 and was a member of two NCAA Tournament squads.