Jan. 31, 2010
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Saturday evening against Tulsa, freshman forward Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla.) showed off the complete offensive game that made him the most heralded recruit in UCF history. Clanton hit jumpers, posted up and took the ball to the basket.
Going against a 7-footer in Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year pick Jerome Jordan, Clanton totaled a game-high 17 points, and also added six rebounds in 33 minutes. The former Orlando Christian Prep star has led the Knights in scoring in three-straight games and is now averaging 11.6 points against league foes.
Clanton shot 7-of-16 versus the Golden Hurricane. He is shooting 49.1 percent on the season.
His play lately, especially against Tulsa, has impressed head coach Kirk Speraw.
"Keith has been taking open looks, and being more aggressive as well," Speraw said. "He held his own against a potential lottery pick in Jerome Jordan. What was most impressive was that he built upon the game at Tulsa. Keith didn't have his best game there, but learned from it and played very well."
Clanton and the Knights will return to action Tuesday at East Carolina. The contest will begin at 7 p.m. and will air on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando.
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: After recording four steals versus Tulsa, sophomore guard A.J. Rompza is now fifth nationally with 2.9 steals per game... The contest with Tulsa was played before 6,632 fans at the UCF Arena, which was the sixth-largest crowd in program history.