Oct. 27, 2009
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Former UCF star Jermaine Taylor and the Houston Rockets will begin the 2009-10 National Basketball Association regular season tonight. Houston is scheduled to face host Portland.
Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. Eastern. After facing the Blazers, Houston will play at Golden State Wednesday.
An All-America selection in 2008-09, Taylor was taken by Washington with the 32nd overall pick in the NBA Draft in June and was immediately traded to the Rockets. He signed a multi-year deal with Houston over the summer.
He appeared in seven of eight preseason games and averaged 4.7 points in 12.9 minutes.
The 2008-09 Conference USA Player of the Year, Taylor averaged 26.2 points per game as a senior, good for third in the nation. The shooting guard averaged a league-record 29.1 points in conference play. When he was selected by the Wizards, he became the second NBA Draft pick in program history.
UCF's 2009-10 team will open the regular season on Nov. 13, hosting Massachusetts at the UCF Arena. Season tickets, which begin at only $79, are currently available by calling (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting UCFAthletics.com.
On Nov. 1, fans can select their season-ticket location in person by attending UCF Pregame Madness. The free event, which begins at 5 p.m. at the UCF Arena, will include a short inter-squad men's scrimmage and an autograph session with the men's and women's teams.
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: Single-game tickets are scheduled to go on sale this Friday through Ticketmaster... The Knights did not practice Monday, and instead spent time in the weight room.