Oct. 27, 2010
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
Click here to order your season tickets for the 2010-11 campaign
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - A.J. Tyler is ready for the regular season to begin. The senior forward is pleased with how hard his team worked during the offseason, and is excited about the effort that the Knights are giving each day in practice.
Now he is ready to see how the hard work pays off when UCF opens the campaign on Nov. 12 against visiting West Florida.
"I feel really good about this season," Tyler said. "We did a lot of hard work over the summer. We really prepared ourselves to have the best season that we can possibly have. So we are looking forward to starting that next phase, starting the season and seeing how we do."
Since official practices began in mid-October, the Knights have been adapting to new head coach Donnie Jones' up-tempo style of play. Team members are still getting acclimated to Jones' fastbreak offense and pressing defense, but Tyler says he is happy with the team's approach at practice each day.
"The big thing is that everyone is buying in. They are buying into the system. They are buying into the coaching staff. That leads to a positive attitude. That is real important this year. We've got to stick together. That is the only way we will be able to succeed."
One of two returning seniors on the squad, Tyler has tried to make sure that UCF's large batch of newcomers have felt at home in Orlando. The chemistry lesson started over the summer, as nearly the entire team was on campus for classes and pickup games.
Tyler believes that the team's closeness will only help once the season starts. "When you bring in new guys, you don't always know how well they are going to mesh. I think since we were here all summer that really put us together and gave us an opportunity to learn about each other off the court. That just makes us better players on the court," he said.
Tyler and the Knights are slated to play 17 regular season games at the UCF Arena this year. Season tickets, which start at just $96 and include a free Knightmare t-shirt, are currently available by calling (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting UCFAthletics.com.