Feb. 23, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Wednesday, the UCF men's basketball team will look for a victory against one of Conference USA's top squad when UAB visits the UCF Arena for a 7 p.m. contest. The Knights, who have won two-straight games in Orlando, will be seeking their 10th home win of the campaign.
The first 1,000 fans to enter the arena will receive a complimentary UCF tote bag.
UCF is 13-13 overall and 5-7 in league play. The Blazers (21-5, 9-3) are third in the C-USA standings. Earlier in the season, UAB spent time in the top-25 nationally.
The Knights fell at Southern Miss Saturday, ending the squad's two-game winning streak. In C-USA action, freshman guard Marcus Jordan (Chicago, Ill.) is the team's top scorer at 10.8 points per game. Jordan averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.
UAB ranks second in C-USA in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 61.8 points an outing. The Blazers' Elijah Millsap is fifth in the conference in points per game (16.1) and also leads the league in rebounds at 9.4 boards an outing.
The contest will serve as Orlando Magic Knight at the UCF Arena. Several Magic prizes, including an autographed team basketball and tickets to Orlando's home game against Washington in April, will be given away. Former Magic center Bo Outlaw is slated to attend the game and sign autographs in the arena lobby. Magic ticket representatives will also be on hand Wednesday.
Tickets for the game start at just $5. The UCF Arena box office will be open before the contest. UCF students are admitted free with a school ID.
Club seat tickets, which offer access to the exclusive Black and Gold Lounge, are available for only $35 at the box office or by calling (407) UCF-1000. On Wednesday, the lounge will feature a beach theme. Key West-themed food and drink specials will be available, and at halftime, club seat ticket holders will be eligible to win a $50 gift card to Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk.
The UCF-ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando, will broadcast the matchup with the Blazers. Marc Daniels will handle the play-by-play duties, and will be joined by former UCF guard Mike O'Donnell.
Video and live statistics will be available at UCFAthletics.com.
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.
UCF-UAB Series Information
? UAB has a 4-0 edge in the all-time series, including a 2-0 mark versus the Knights in Orlando
? The two games at UCF were both decided by seven points
? The teams met a year ago in Birmingham and the Blazers rallied for a 60-52 win behind 19 points from Robert Vaden
? The Knights led by 10 points with 10:35 to play in the contest, but scored just seven points the rest of the way, and the Blazers closed the game with a 17-0 run
? Jermaine Taylor led UCF with 18 points and was the lone Knight to finish with double-figures in scoring
Up Next for the Knights
? After meeting the Blazers, UCF will head to West Virginia to face Marshall Saturday
? On Jan. 13, the visiting Thundering Herd held on for an 81-75 victory over the Knights at the UCF Arena
Last Time Out
? On Saturday, host Southern Miss rallied for a 68-58 win over the Knights in Hattiesburg
? UCF led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but the Golden Eagles used a 19-2 run to grab the lead
Changing Faces
? In each of the Knights' last six contests, a different player has paced the squad in scoring
? Keith Clanton began the stretch with 17 points versus Tulsa on Jan. 30, and was followed by Taylor Young (16 at East Carolina), A.J. Tyler (18 at Memphis), A.J. Rompza (17 vs. Tulane), Marcus Jordan (18 vs. Houston) and Isaac Sosa (14 at Southern Miss)
Fair and Balanced
? The Knights feature the most-balanced offense in Conference USA, as five UCF players are averaging over 7.0 points per contest
? Last year, Jermaine Taylor averaged 26.2 points and led the Knights in scoring in 29 of the team's 31 games
? The All-America selection finished the campaign third nationally in scoring and was one of only three UCF players (Isaac Sosa, A.J. Tyler) to pace the squad in points
? With Taylor playing in the NBA with Houston, UCF is relying on more of a team effort offensively
? In 2009-10, seven Knights have led the team in points - Tyler (6), Sosa (6), Keith Clanton (5), Marcus Jordan (4), A.J. Rompza (3), Taylor Young (2) and David Diakite
? Seven different Knights have registered at least 15 points in a game this year
? No player has led the team in scoring in more than two-consecutive games
Different Strokes
? UCF and Tulane are the only Conference USA squads who have different overall and league scoring leaders
? On the year, A.J. Tyler is UCF's top scorer at 10.3 points per game
? Tyler is also averaging 10.3 points in C-USA contests, but Marcus Jordan is the squad's top scorer in conference action at 10.8 points per outing
Crowded House
? Last season, UCF played 16 contests at home and 70,244 fans attended the games
? Through only 13 games this year, 71,899 spectators have already watched the Knights play
? UCF is averaging 5,531 fans, up from 4,390 in 2008-09
? The school single-season attendance record is 78,253, established in 16 games during the inaugural 2007-08 campaign at the UCF Arena
Sharing the Rock
? In Conference USA contests, the Knights are averaging 14.2 assists, good for second in the league
? Marshall is first with 14.8 assists per contest
Diaper Dandy
? Keith Clanton has scored 239 points this year, which ranks seventh on the UCF Division I freshman single-season list
? Joey Graham scored 262 points in 2000-01 and is sixth on the register
On Board
? Keith Clanton currently leads the Knights on the glass, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game
? His 165 boards place him second on the UCF freshman single-season Division I rebounds list, trailing Ken Leeks (268, 1990-91)
? Clanton has totaled double-digit rebounds four times
League Leader
? In Conference USA play, Marcus Jordan is averaging a team-high 10.8 points
? Along with Rice's Tamir Jackson and Tulane's Kendall Timmons, he is one of just three C-USA freshmen who pace their team in points in league play
? Jordan averaged 5.4 points in non-league action, and has upped many of his statistics in conference games
Major Minutes
? Marcus Jordan has seen his playing time increase as the season has progressed, and is now averaging 24.5 minutes per contest
? In the team's last eight contests, he averaged 32.0 minutes
Sure Shot
? UCF's leading scorer on the season at 10.3 points, A.J. Tyler has shot the ball with great confidence in league play
? In Conference USA games only, he is fourth in the league in field-goal percentage (51.4)
? Tyler shot 43.8 percent from the floor in non-conference play
? Tyler has started all 26 contests and has paced the Knights in points six times
? In 2008-09, his first year competing with the Knights after transferring from Clemson, Tyler made nine starts and averaged 7.1 points
Three-Peat
? In all five of UCF's games in February, Isaac Sosa has hit at least three 3-pointers
? During the month, the sophomore has connected on 16-of-36 (44.4 percent) of his tries from deep, and has averaged a team-high 12.2 points
? He struggled with his shooting touch in January, as he shot just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from 3-point range and averaged 5.5 points during the month
? Sosa, who is averaging 10.1 points, has made 56-of-134 3-point tries in 2009-10, and his 3-point field-goal percentage (41.8) ranks second in Conference USA
? The sophomore has made 113-of-260 (43.5 percent) of his 3-point attempts as a Knight
Get it Started
? Since entering the UCF starting lineup on Jan. 30 versus Tulsa, Taylor Young has averaged 7.3 points and 3.0 assists
? The junior averaged 5.8 points as a reserve this season