Feb. 12, 2012
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
NEW ORLEANS, La. (UCFAthletics.com) - He rarely shows emotion on the court and yet his passion for the game is so obvious. Isaiah Sykes came to UCF as a raw, but talented, product from Detroit and appeared to be someone who could develop into a good college player. But that early observation may have been wrong about him. In his second season, Sykes just might be one of the best to play at UCF when it's all said and done.
In my 17 years calling UCF games, I am not sure I have seen a player advance his game from his freshman year to sophomore season like Isaiah. And as UCF battles for a conference championship, Sykes' play has been so critical every game out.
His 27-point and 10-rebound performance at Southern Miss was all of what is so special about Sykes. He pulled down five offensive rebounds, most being outnumbered by opposing team defenders, and scored on four of those plays. He swiped three steals which led to two scores and he hit his first eight shots and finished 11-of-14 from the field and his 11 field goals included everything from coast-to-coast dazzling layups to a key 3-pointer late in UCF's rally attempt.
Defensively, Sykes is UCF's stopper. In the course of the game against Southern Miss, he was asked to pick up not one, but three different players depending who needed to be defended at that moment in the game.
Sykes has become almost impossible to defend as well. While his outside shot is still developing, very few players in college basketball can get to the basket like Sykes. His sweeping moves from outside to the lane are rare and he often needs little baseline space to finish.
Better at the free throw line from the start of the season to now, Sykes did something simple to improve. He practiced and practiced and practiced. Hundreds of free throws became thousands and Sykes is no longer a liability at the charity stripe.
He is third on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game and he is pulling down almost seven rebounds a contest. But the stat sheet does not tell how good and important Sykes is for Donnie Jones' team. If UCF is to finish in the top four of Conference USA and secure a bye in the first round of the league's tournament as well as play in a postseason tournament, Sykes's role may be as big, if not bigger, than anyone else on the team.
Jermaine Taylor is the best player I have seen during my time at UCF. Taylor, who averaged 26.2 points per game his senior season, has played in the NBA and his ability to score was simply a thing of beauty. Sykes may never average what Taylor did his last year at UCF, but there are things that Sykes does now that not even Taylor did. And if Sykes' game continues to grow, he could follow Taylor's path to play the game at the highest level.
Knights notes: This week's odd question on the airplane: "Are you guys a basketball team?" One word sarcastic answer: "Soccer."...Despite the loss to Southern Miss, UCF still has a shot to stay around the NCAA list of bubble teams. At 18-7 overall and 7-4 in the league, the Knights RPI is in the upper 60s. With five league games left and the conference tournament, UCF can finish strong and have a resume worthy of discussion for an at-large bid...I like a lot of pillows in my hotel bed. But there's nothing more depressing than when you need to pile four of those pillows to make one because the pillows just flatten out...I was not hungry when basketball operations guru Mike O'Donnell brought a pizza to my room after the game Saturday night. But the smell was intoxicating so I had a slice. Ok, I had more than one slice, but the cheese was simply amazing...Big baseball opener this Friday in the all new looking UCF Baseball Complex and its new seats. Admission is free for the game with Long Island. But Terry Rooney's showdown of music from the 80s on my radio show might be the biggest item on Rooney's Friday schedule. Rooney and I have each claimed a win in this series that rivals Ali-Frazier or the Yankees-Red Sox. The final showdown should be a classic...Ok, I had four slices of pizza...Count me among those who like the BIG EAST addition of Memphis to the league. The Tigers' basketball team has been a top-20 program for over a decade and should continue to be a solid team and football should improve because of the high school talent in the area. If Memphis can upgrade facilities, its football team can be a plus for the BIG EAST...There has been much speculation about what the new BIG EAST television package will be worth per school. The reality is no one knows the exact figure. But the league was right to tell everyone who wanted to know that all 17 members of the conference have a tv market ranking in the top 50 and 13 of the 17 are in the top 30, including UCF. Do you know how many other conferences can claim that? None...Final thought: The next time Mike O'Donnell brings you a pizza take two slices and give him back the rest of the pie.
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.