July 11, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Just months after finishing its season with a Conference USA Tournament Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the Knights have a very different look headed into the summer.
As the summer B session got under way a few weeks ago on the UCF campus, the women's basketball team will start to work out and prepare for the upcoming 2011-12 season while also beginning their class schedule.
Gone are five seniors from last year's squad which helped lead the Knights to their second C-USA title in three seasons. Filling those holes on the roster will be the four talented freshmen of Blair Bryeasha (Chicago, Ill.), Stephanie Taylor (Indian Trail, N.C.), Meghan Keough (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) and Andrea Hines (New Castle, Del.).
Meghan Keough will join her sister Kayli Keough (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) on the Knights' roster this season after Kayli sat out last season after transferring to UCF from Florida State.
With NCAA regulations not allowing coaches to work with their players over the summer, head coach Joi Williams will rely on the veteran leadership from players like Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.), Ashia Kelly (Longview, Texas) and Racine Davis (Tamarac, Fla.) to make sure that the team continues to work out on their own.
"It is important that these freshmen coming in are mentally tough," Patrick said. "They now have classes, weights, training sessions and team-run practices. It's a whole new world of scheduling and time management for them.
"The offseason is when we get together to start bonding for the next season. It's an important time to be here to get into the right mindset and focusing on school and playing basketball again," Patrick added.
The Knights will work out together, including intrasquad games, for the remainder of the summer months and up until official practices start in the fall.