Nov. 26, 2010
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
Complete Release in PDF Format
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Off to an impressive 4-0 start under new head coach Donnie Jones, the UCF men's basketball team will return to the court Saturday, hosting Alabama State at 5 p.m. at the UCF Arena. The Knights, who are averaging 86.2 points per game, feature one of the top offenses in the country.
UCF is shooting 55.1 percent from the floor in 2010-11, good for third in the nation. The Knights, who boast a +32.0 scoring margin, are coming off an 85-58 win at Stetson Tuesday. Junior guard Isaac Sosa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) hit six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points against the Hatters. Sophomore forward Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla.) had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore guard Marcus Jordan (Chicago, Ill.) added 15 points and five assists in the win.
On the year, Clanton is averaging a team-best 17.0 points on 69.0 percent shooting. He also leads the team on the glass, grabbing 8.0 rebounds per game. Jordan, who is averaging 16.5 points, is doing much of his damage at the free-throw line, where he is shooting 84.4 percent.
The Knights are 3-0 at the UCF Arena this season. In its most recent home contest, the team topped cross-state rival USF, 65-59, on Nov. 18.
Alabama State is 1-4, but has played just one home contest this season. The Hornets' victory came against a Kennesaw State team that had just defeated Georgia Tech. Season tickets, which include a free Knightmare t-shirt, are still available by calling (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting Ticketmaster.com. The UCF Arena box office will be open prior to the game on Saturday. UCF students are admitted free to all home games with a valid school ID. The game will air on the UCF Sports Network from IMG College and its flagship station, 740 The Game. Scott Adams will handle the play-by-play and will be joined by former UCF guard Mike O'Donnell.
Live video of the contest will be available on the All-Access section of UCFAthletics.com.
Series Record First Meeting
Last Meeting N/A
? UCF has already faced one SWAC program this season as the host Knights rolled to an 80-39 victory over 2009-10 SWAC regular-season champion Jackson State on Nov. 15
? The Knights are 2-4 all-time against SWAC teams
The Super Start Continues
? UCF has opened the Donnie Jones era in fine fashion
? The Knights are 4-0 after an 85-58 victory over host Stetson Tuesday
? The win was impressive considering the Hatters opened the season with an 89-79 victory at Wake Forest
Fantastic Five
? The Knights are seeking their first 5-0 start to a season since 2006-07
? That season, UCF began the campaign with six-consecutive victories
? UCF went 22-9 that year and finished second in Conference USA after going 11-5 versus league foes
Offensive Excellence
? Through four games to start the year, UCF's offense has been spectacular
? The Knights are averaging 86.2 points on 55.1 percent shooting from the floor
? UCF has scored at least 80 points in three of its four contests
? The squad has been accurate from 3-point range, making 44.3 percent of its attempts
? UCF enters the contest against Alabama State with an incredible +32.0 scoring margin
Last Time Out
? Isaac Sosa hit 6-of-11 attempts from deep and finished with 22 points and Keith Clanton had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Knights blasted host Stetson, 85-58, Tuesday in front of 4,249 fans at the Edmunds Center
? UCF led by seven points at the break, and then outscored the Hatters, 53-33, in the second half
? The Knights shot 52.3 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range
? UCF connected on 25-of-30 (83.3) percent of its free throws during the final stanza
? Marcus Jordan shot 8-of-8 at the line and scored all 15 of his points in the second half
Away Team
? UCF had to travel only 45 miles to face Stetson Tuesday evening, but the Knights still picked up a "road" win
? The win was UCF's first non-conference road victory since the Knights downed host New Mexico, 72-71, on Nov. 22, 2008
? UCF entered the game in DeLand against the Hatters with a four-game non-league road losing streak
The Best Defense
? The Knights' pressing defense is a big reason why UCF is limiting its foes to just 54.2 points per game on 31.7 percent shooting this season
? Only one of UCF's opponents, West Florida (61), has scored more than 60 points this season
? Opponents are making just 28.8 percent of their 3-point tries against the Knights
? UCF is forcing 19.0 turnovers per game in 2010-11
60-Something
? Donnie Jones will be seeking his 60th career head coaching victory when the Knights face Alabama State
? Jones, who is in his fourth campaign overall as a head coach, has a 59-41 career mark
? Prior to UCF, he spent three years at Marshall, where he won 55 contests
November Dominance
? UCF has won 23-straight contests at home during the month of November
? The Knights' last home loss during the month came on Nov. 19, 1999, against Miami
Four Score
? The Knights have totaled 345 points in four games this season
? UCF scored 282 points in its first four contests last year, and did not eclipse the 345-mark until its sixth game
The Block is Hot
? The Knights are blocking shots at a staggering rate this season
? UCF has 30 blocks for a 7.5 blocks per game average
? Tom Herzog leads the squad with nine swats, while A.J. Tyler (8), Dwight McCombs (6) and Keith Clanton (4) are close behind
? UCF's opponents have totaled just four blocks this year
? The Knights averaged just 2.9 blocks in 2009-10
Triple Trouble
? The Knights shot just 33.8 percent from 3-point range last season, but have already shown improvement in 2010-11
? UCF is shooting 44.3 percent from deep this year, and is averaging 8.8 triples made per game
? The team has connected on at least seven treys in each contest in 2010-11
A Better Start
? Averaging 16.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting, Marcus Jordan is off to a fine start this year
? His start in 2010-11 is the opposite of the beginning of his college career a year ago
? Jordan was hampered by injuries in the preseason and after four games as a rookie, was averaging 3.3 points on 33.3 percent shooting in 18.0 minutes per contest
Up Next
? The Knights will participate in the first collegiate basketball game at the new Amway Center in downtown Orlando when UCF faces Florida on Dec. 1
? The contest will reunite UCF head coach Donnie Jones with Florida head coach Billy Donovan
? Jones spent 13 years, including 11 at Florida, working under Donovan