June 18, 2010
="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported"> Get social with the Knights on Facebook
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO (UCFAthletics.com) - At some point on Dec. 1, as UCF and the University of Florida basketball teams are facing off in the Florida Citrus Sports Shootout, Donnie Jones is bound to peer down the sideline at Billy Donovan and have flashbacks.
The two spent 13 years together with Donovan as the head coach and Jones the assistant coach at Marshall and Florida. Facing each other now as head coaches for the first time - Jones at UCF and Donovan at Florida - is sure to inspire reflections to the past together.
``It will be a surreal feeling, it really will,'' Jones admitted on Thursday at the news conference to announce the game. ``It will be like practice all of those years ago when I would look down when (Donovan) was coaching the blue team and I'd coach the white team. It's different now because this is for real. And in some ways it will be a humbling experience for me facing a coach like Billy, but I think it will be fun.''
The game between the Knights and the Gators will be the first collegiate game played at Amway Center, the sparkling, new $380 million facility being constructed in downtown Orlando. Construction on the 875,000-square-foot facility is said to be on time and it is scheduled to open in October.
``People will remember when we were pushing for the community venues and especially the new Events Center, we promised we'd bring national type of events,'' Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. ``We had the opportunity last month to announce that we'd have the 2012 (NBA) All-Star Game. And I can't think of a better way now to establish the first collegiate event than having a basketball game between the Florida Gators and the UCF Knights, my two favorite college teams.''
The genesis for game between UCF and UF has been in the works for months, but it became a no-brainer once Jones became UCF's head coach in late March. Jones spent 11 seasons in Florida as an assistant coach under Donovan, and came to UCF after leading Marshall to a 24-10 record last season.
Donovan pushed hard for Jones to get the job at UCF, and now he's looking forward to facing off against one of his closest friends in coaching.
``You have to put the relationship part of it aside, but people know the way I feel about Donnie,'' Donovan said. ``I've been in this situation facing Coach (Rick) Pitino at Kentucky, John (Pelphrey) and Anthony (Grant) at Arkansas and Alabama. It's not a fun thing, but hopefully it will help our program and help Donnie's program as well.''
UCF, 15-17 a year ago when it had one of the nation's youngest rosters, returns all five starters and received a major influx of talent from Jones' first recruiting class for the Knights. Donovan said Jones' people skills and his ability to recruit some of the nation's best athletes will help UCF improve immensely and ultimately became a major force in the state of Florida.
``UCF is an interesting situation because it has so much potential. Donnie can come in right now and have an impact because he's such a good recruiter and he knows the state of Florida so well,'' Donovan said. ``He has a network of contacts that know him and want to help him be successful. Donnie will be able to do well in this area.
``I may do a better job of selling Donnie's program than he will,'' Donovan continued. ``He's such a great guy and any parent would want their son to play for a guy like Donnie. He's one of my closest friends. We do talk a lot. It'll be hard playing a game like that, but when you are on the losing end of a game like that it's a little easier because you know the time and effort the other coach put into it, too.''
Jones said that it's important for UCF to not only play, but beat schools within the Sunshine State because of his intent to recruit Florida's best athletes to Orlando. UCF will face the University of Miami and the Gators next season.
Florida also returns its starting five from a team that went 21-13 last year and lost a double-overtime thriller in the second round of the NCAA tournament to BYU.
``It's really important to play these teams in the state,'' Jones said. ``We're trying to build our identity here in the state and nationally as well. Anytime you get a chance to bring a national program into your city it's an incredible opportunity for our program and our fans.''
Jones said it will be one of the highlights of his career to match wits against Donovan on Dec. 1. The two talk regularly, bouncing basketball ideas and fatherly advice off one another. Jones said he owes much of his rapid rise in coaching to Donovan, and hopes the two can face off on the court each season.
``He's my mentor. I worked with him for 13 years, so as a friend and a coach, he's my guy,'' Jones said. ``I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Billy.''
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.