Dec. 2, 2009
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - When UCF faces host Notre Dame Sunday, the contest will give the team's three Chicago natives a chance to play close to home. For UCF's coaching staff, the game will give the program some exposure in an area that they believe is filled with talented prep players.
Associate head coach Mike Jaskulski has been recruiting Chicago area standouts since his days at Loras College in Iowa in the 1980s. During his time at Loras, Jaskulski says that about 75-percent of his team was from the Greater Chicago area. When he moved on to Maine as an assistant coach in 1988, Jaskulski continued to recruit kids from Illinois, highlighting the fact that there were direct flights from Chicago to Bangor.
Why the interest in players from Chicago? Jaskulski thinks the reason is obvious.
"I definitely think that there is a toughness and a swagger there. It isn't illustrated any better than what you see in A.J. Rompza," he said.
The point guard has had an immediate impact since arriving at UCF. In 2008-09, Rompza was a Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection after averaging 5.2 assists.
Jaskulski and head coach Kirk Speraw were unaware of Rompza, who played at Whitney Young High School, until his junior year. Jaskulski feels that his myriad of contacts in Chicago, many of whom date back to his days at Loras, helped the Knights discover a hidden gem.
"Somebody that I knew in Chicago said that we needed to take a close look at him," Jaskulski said. "I called a bunch of people, and kept hearing the same thing from everybody. They said you've got to take him because of his toughness and leadership. People felt he was being under-recruited. We got lucky." Freshman guards Nik Garcia (Chicago, Ill.) and Marcus Jordan (Highland Park, Ill.) are the other Chicago area players on the UCF roster.
The Knights are off to a 6-1 start this season. Notre Dame (7-1) is receiving votes in both national polls. Sunday's game will start at Noon and will air on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando. Marc Daniels will have the call from the Joyce Center.
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: No Knight is averaging more than 30 minutes per contest. Rompza leads the team in minutes at 29.9... Notre Dame has won 43-consecutive non-conference games at home... UCF and the Fighting Irish will be meeting for the first time.