As a freshman in 2011-12, Kasey Wilson attempted 24 3-pointers, making eight triples while averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 boards. A year later, the forward was one of the best long-distance shooters in the country.

This past season, Wilson shot 50.0 percent from deep, connecting on 42-of-84 shots. His 3-point percentage was good for fifth nationally according to ESPN.com. His shooting numbers, as well as his other statistics (9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in just under 25 minutes an outing), show the strides that Wilson made as a sophomore.

In 2012-13, Wilson benefited offensively from Keith Clanton, who attracted frequent double and triple teams in the post. The power forward often kicked the ball out to his teammate, who knocked down open shots. Clanton will not be around this upcoming season to setup Wilson, but do not expect Wilson's production to go down.

Some of Wilson's best games last season came at the end of the year when he re-entered the starting lineup and did more than just drain triples. Against No. 17 Memphis at home, he scored 11 points and added six boards. In the win at UAB, Wilson drained four treys and finished with 15 points and nine boards.

This summer he is working to make sure performances like that are the norm. Last offseason, Wilson worked on his shooting. The results were impressive. Now he is working to develop a well-rounded game, focusing on strength training, rebounding, ball-handling and defense. If he succeeds in improving those areas, Wilson will prove as junior that he is more than just an accurate shooter from deep.

The 2012-13 campaign was filled with expected adjustments for Calvin Newell. A transfer from Oklahoma, Newell became eligible seven contests into the season after not playing a competitive game for a full year. He used the latter part of UCF's non-league schedule to adjust to his new teammates and get acclimated to playing competitively again.

The 6-foot-1 Philadelphia native played both point and shooting guard and made 24 starts on the year. He averaged 11.1 points during the season and in Conference USA contests, upped his scoring average to 12.9 points per game, good for 18th in the league.

At times a year ago, he exhibited his prolific scoring ability. His 24-point outing vs. Rice and 17-point performance at Old Dominion showed that Newell is a special offensive talent. Now that Newell has adjusted to UCF, those types of outings could become more common during his senior campaign in 2013-14.

Dylan Karell saw limited minutes as a freshman, but the UCF coaching staff has high hopes for the big man from Miami. As a result, the offseason is pivotal for Karell and the Knights, who enter 2013-14 without the services of Keith Clanton, perhaps the best post player in program history.

Karell certainly will not be expected to replace Clanton, who averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 boards as a senior in 2012-13. Still, the sophomore should be in line for more minutes this upcoming season. As a rookie, Karell averaged 0.9 points and 0.8 boards in 4.4 minutes an outing. He appeared in 20 contests and made all eight of his shots from the floor.

In games, Karell rarely had the opportunity to show off the sneaky athleticism and on-point passing that he often displayed during practices. With the opportunity for more minutes this year and the potential for growth during the offseason, expect Karell to make some positive contributions and show off more than just a unique hairstyle.

Tweets about "#ucfkwob" 

The first-ever Knights Without Borders international service-learning trip is wrapping up Saturday. Courtney Griffith and Mario Samson submitted blogs from the past two days. Griffith wrote about working with the Aldeas Infantiles SOS group in Panama City, while Samson details a private tour of some areas of the Panama Canal.

May 10 Student-Athlete Blog - Mario Samson (Men's Tennis)

Sorry for writing my blog the very last night before we go back to OrIando. It's been hard to gather any energy to do it during the week, because every day has been full of activities and emotions. I was completely exhausted by the end of the day.

This whole week has been an amazing experience and quite a roller coaster of emotions. I had a lot of expectations for this trip and although some things may have changed, they definitely changed for the better. I met some incredible people from UTP (Technical University of Panama), the Aldeas home and of course the children, all of whom have had a huge impact on me. I was able to exchange information with some of the university students and we will be able to remain in contact with them, which is great. I know that we've made a huge impact on them as well and I knew this when they came to our hostel after dinner tonight to give us gifts showing their appreciation. 

Friday was more of a learning experience and it was great to see the Panama Canal. I was able to meet with my uncle who actually works in the expansion project of the Canal and he gave a private tour to Allie (Jest) and me. Since my major is Civil Engineering, I consider myself very privileged to see the construction of something that will have a huge impact in the world. My uncle explained to us a little bit of the overall concept the project and how it will work.

It is now time to pack, since we leave Saturday morning and then I get back on my grind on Monday. I am excited to come back and share all the stories with my family and friends. This has been the first time a trip like this was done by student-athletes from UCF, so I just want to thank everyone who made this experience possible especially Jessica Reo, Kimya Massey, the rest of our staff and my fellow-student-athletes who were a crucial part of this incredible journey that has just begun.

May 9 Student-Athlete Blog - Courtney Griffith (Women's Tennis)

After waking up early every other day we finally got to sleep in! Woohoo! Our quick ride to the Aldeas Home in Panama City was yet again an interesting one as we bumped and swerved and nearly got hit by 15 cars. It's always fun though! The entire scene was completely different than what we experienced in Clon. They had a gated community filled with 16 homes for about 65 children. Each casa had one Tia who took care of the children. 

We first had a presentation teaching us the rules of the facility. We were not able to go into their houses at all or take any pictures of them to protect their identities. This was really hard because they were all so adorable. 

We finally got to meet the children and divided into groups. I had a really good time with the older children playing futbol and everyone else was playing games or walking around with the children. One main thing that I instantly noticed was how different the children were compared to those in Colon. They were very rambunctious. Some of the younger boys were climbing trees 75 feet in the air. Others were tackling us and running around everywhere. It was very entertaining for sure. 

We eventually settle down a little after lunch when we did arts and crafts. They loved it! I loved seeing all of their smiling faces as they drew pictures for us and their Tias. They were also asking for all of our autographs which made us feel like celebrities.

Three more student-athletes filed video blogs as they were wrapping up painting at the Aldeas Infantiles SOS location in Colon, Panama Wednesday. The Knights Without Borders group also got a salsa lesson while in Panama, but we'll have more on that later in the blog.

As for the video blogs, men's soccer player Kyle Cox, women's soccer player Lianne Maldonado and softball player Allie Jest each recorded their thoughts about their last dayat the SOS facility in Colon. From there, Knights Without Borders moved into Panama City to continue work with another SOS group and also do some sight-seeing and more learning about the history and culture of Panama.

As mentioned earlier in the blog, the UCF group is working with a student group from the Technological University of Panama (UTP) on the project. The UTP students did a salsa dancing lesson with the Knights on Thursday. Below is a cell-phone video of some of that salsa dancing. While the video quality isn't great, it does show that some of our Knights Without Borders have got some dance skills.

On Wednesday, the UCF student-athletes and administrators taking part in Knights Without Borders in Panama concluded their work painting the houses as the SOS Aldeas Infantiles facilities in Colon.

Day 3 Photo Gallery

Blog - May 8, 2013 - Gevenia Carter (Women's Basketball)
Hey everyone! This experience has been awesome thus far! I truly believe, regardless of me as a person coming to Panama, I have definitely changed. Who knew three days could do so much for one person? Not me. To start the day off in the Palace (OG Palace as Sebastian would say) we had an awesome breakfast created by our host who are Colombians. Their hospitality is so genuine and I truly admire how they've been so welcoming to us. First I must say that the coffee is definitely to die for! There seriously is absolutely no way there is any coffee better!

We then went into Colon and did a total of five houses today. We know that today would be a very hectic and busy day. After today we wouldn't be able to go back there and finish the houses. We worked so hard today and succeeded in finishing painting all the houses. It was tremendously amazing to see the glow on the faces of the kids and their aunts at the SOS Orphanage. Seeing them glow really touched me in a way nothing ever has. I gained friends with the students at a local university and it feels great to know I may have a friend in someplace so far away. It's an amazing feeling to know I'm networking and making friends out of my own comfort zone.

Leaving the SOS Orphanage we had an ending program. The kids and aunts created a program to thank us for our gratitude and everything we've done for them. It was something truly unforgettable! I feel blessed to be able to get a great opportunity to experience this. Thank you Lord for this chance.

This day was eventful. Ending the day we went to a local small mall that has several different places to eat. The shopping center was perfect for us to just sit back and relax after a long day of hard work. Now we are working and preparing for tomorrow's events.

Hasta Lugeo!

Ne Carter

Blog - May 8, 2013 - Jenna Doerfler (Women's Tennis)
My thoughts on the day: WE DID IT!! We worked hard and grinded it out in the heat to finish painting all 6 of the children's houses today! It was hard work but we worked together as one team and we completed it all and it looks absolutely beautiful for then.

To see how the houses looked before, and to see the difference we made to them in only three days was incredible. Yes, it was hard work and long hours of the day doing it, but knowing that we were making such a wonderful difference for these amazing kids and the Moms and Aunts of the homes, made the work that much more worth it. When I saw the kids running around outside or coming up to me asking to help me paint, I can't explain the feeling of joy and fulfillment I felt in what I was doing for them.

Each child is so special, regardless of their health issues, and each child is filled with happiness. That is another thing over the course of these three days I have already seen and loved... the fact that these children and adults have close to nothing; are living without air conditioning, without hot water and a lot of things that we take for granted, and are yet some of the happiest people I have ever met. They are filled with joy, they treat each other with respect, and they all have such a love for life. It has really made me appreciate even more what I have in my life and all I want to do is be there for these amazing kids and make an impact on their lives. I know that our team did that these past few days and painting and working in their houses was the least we can do.

After we finished painting the houses, the kids has a special thank you ceremony for us filled with choreographed dancing, singing, the reading of poems, and so many personal thanks. The performances made and practiced by the kids were amazing! They had fully choreographed several songs for us and had memorized poems to read us. As just one way to show our thanks to them, we put together beautiful care packages for the Moms of each house to share with the children and also use on a daily basis of tasks.

We spent so much time after this hugging and talking with the kids before we left. No one wanted to say goodbye. It was definitely an emotional time, as this was the last time we were going to see this particular group during our time here. We built ever lasting relationships and made such great memories through our experiences here the past few days. I will never forget the feeling of warm hugs from the children and never forget the beautiful smiles they all had every time I looked their way. I think it's a great reminder for all of us... Love one another and always find a reason to be happy and smile. I know I will.

Jenna Doerfler

The student-athletes and administrators taking part in Knights Without Borders in Panama this week are painting all the houses at the SOS Aldeas Infantiles facilities in Colon, Panama. The group was originally planning on clearing a location for a recreational court and building it for SOS. But complications with the building materials forced a change of plans. On Tuesday, Knights Without Borders painted two houses and they have four more to go on Wednesday. 

Below you can check out video blogs from Kaye-Alese Green, Victor Gray and Sebastian Evers.

In today's student-athlete blog , Allie Jest details Day 3 in Panama.

Blog - May 7, 2013 - Allie Jest (Softball)

We were able to sleep in! What a great start to our day. I was up early enough to watch the sunrise over Panama City.  The skyline is so pretty here and we have a great view from our hostel.

When we arrived to the hostel, Kimya and Mario had to go pick up the paint. We completed two houses today (Tuesday) which leaves us four to finish tomorrow (Wednesday). The kids seem to love us being here. If you ever want to break a language barrier, just show a child how to work a camera. The kids follow behind us, ask us questions and they all seem to want our wristbands.

A couple of the UTP (Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá) students we are working with thought I was famous. They thought I was on a TV show. If you know me, you know how I feel about being in front of even a couple people. The thought of being on a TV show is terrifying. 

For the rest of the week the kids are out of school because it hasn't rained in three days. The power at their school is hydroelectric and the lack of rain means no power. What happened to the rainy season that just started? I guess weathermen are wrong everywhere ... not just in Florida. We have an early start tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Four houses completely painted in just 8 hours! We got this!

Go Knights!

The student-athletes taking part in Knights Without Borders have been taping video blogs, talking about their experiences in Panama. We're also documenting virtually all of the trip via video and will have some videos recapping the events taking place in Panama throughout the week. 

After working out a few technical bugs, we can now share these videos here. Below you can check out a video recap of the first day in Colon and listen to Staphon Blair, Jenna Doerfler, Courtney Griffith and Hojin Kang, who are featured in our first set of video blogs.