January 2013 Archives
When the Knights play at Marshall Saturday, the game will be televised throughout the southeast on CSS and in central Florida on Bright House Sports Network. Coverage begins at 2 p.m.
Mike Morgan will handle the play-by-play on the broadcast and Shane Power will provide color commentary. UCF has won four-straight games and enters the contest with Marshall 15-5 overall and 5-1 in Conference USA.
In Orlando, fans can listen to the contest on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game. Marc Daniels will have the call from Huntington, W.Va., and pregame coverage begins at 2:30 p.m.
The Knights have won three-straight games and will be back in action Wednesday at Tulane.
Devlin Fieldhouse (3,600) - New Orleans, La. - 8 p.m. Eastern
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
UCF head baseball coach Terry Rooney has done many things for his program in his fifth year on the job. Not only has he created a winning environment with back-to-back regional appearances, but also welcomes back former Knights who are preparing for their professional seasons.
Early in the spring, if you stop by the UCF baseball complex you will see many familiar faces who helped put UCF on the map. One of those former Knights that works out on campus is current Baltimore Orioles minor leaguer Tim Bascom.
Sporting the Black & Gold from 2004-06, Bascom turned in some dominating performances on the mound. In 2005, the Dunedin native started 16 games and racked up a 10-2 record, including three complete games, 113 strikeouts and a 3.10 ERA. The stellar sophomore campaign saw him land on the All-Atlantic Sun First Team.
In UCF's inaugural C-USA season of 2006, Bascom was the Preseason Conference USA Pitcher of the Year. He backed it up on the bump with a 2.47 ERA in 14 starts, including 90 strikeouts in 80 innings of work. The strong season made him the Knights' first player in program history to earn C-USA First Team honors.
Following his career at UCF, the Orioles selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft and he has spent the last six seasons moving through the organization. The majority of Bascom's work has come at AA Bowie where he has a career 3.80 ERA in 395.1 innings pitched, but last year and in 2010 he has earned the promotion to AAA Norfolk.
Make sure to watch the former Knight in the video below talk about his time at UCF and life in the minor leagues.
Former UCF softball player Ashley Van Ryn spent thousands of hours throughout her life practicing and playing the game she loved from childhood. However, it was a mere two hours of watching television this summer that ultimately changed her life as an athlete.
"I had a tremendous time during my four years with UCF softball, but there really are not many professional outlets for softball athletes like myself," said Van Ryn, who shined as a starting outfielder for the Knights from 2005-08. "My time at UCF was pivotal to my growth as a person and an athlete. As I stopped playing softball and transitioned into a working professional role, I managed to keep myself in good shape as far as strength and conditioning goes. But I didn't have too many possibilities for team sports outside of rec league type stuff."
Like countless other Americans, Van Ryn discovered team handball by watching the 2012 London Olympics. She thought it looked really interesting and fun but was shocked and disappointed to learn that Team USA hadn't qualified for the event.
A quick Google search later, she uncovered the Georgia Handball Club based out of her hometown of Atlanta, Ga., and shortly thereafter, she attended her first practice in August 2012.
"I fell in love with the sport almost immediately," Van Ryn explained. "The sport is a blast to play, and the people I have met in the handball community make the experience even more fun. All of the players and coaches involved in handball on both the club and national level have been so welcoming and helpful in my progress in the sport. The more I play, the more I love it."
Handball is perhaps best described as an eclectic mix of basketball, hockey and lacrosse. Each team plays with six athletes per side plus goalies. Players can move the ball via dribbling and passing similar to basketball. You can take three steps without dribbling and can only hold the ball for three seconds without giving it up. Substitutions and penalties are similar to hockey as teams can swap players in and out on the fly and infractions are enforced with a one player advantage much like a hockey power play.
The game plays at a very fast pace with scores routinely in the 20s sometimes into the 30s. Defenders are allowed to use physical contact to stop attackers from approaching the goal, but only when the defensive player is completely in front of the offensive player. Particularly egregious penalties can result in penalty shots similar to hockey.
"I really had no idea about the rules, strategy or anything, but my home club (Georgia Handball Club) partnered up with the Chicago Inter Handball Club to form a co-team and they invited me to join their team," Van Ryn said. "They taught me all the ins and outs out the game. Because I was an outfielder for so many years, the overhand throw for handball was a natural transition for me."
Less than two months after her first practice, Van Ryn and her club team placed first in a pair of handball tournaments in October. The more experience she gained in both club matches and practices caught the attention of the USA Team Handball National Committee.
Van Ryn was invited to an exclusive Women's National Team Training and Selection Camp in early January at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Team USA training camp was intense as prospective athletes were put through a series of rigorous drills that tested various aspects of their athletic ability, such as their strength, speed, agility, stamina and hand-eye coordination. The ones that made the cut athletically were then dropped into live scrimmages against other prospective team members as well as current Team USA roster players.
On Jan. 17, Van Ryn got the incredible news. She earned a spot on Team USA and would be travelling with the team to Mexico City, Mexico, in April for the Pan American Championships qualifying tournament in April.
"I feel so incredibly blessed and excited for the opportunity to represent Team USA," Van Ryn finished. "This is an athletic dream come true, and I believe that through hard work, dedication, and the support of the community, we can establish the USA as a fierce competitor on the international team handball stage. While I know the road to success won't be easy, I am honored to take part in the journey and optimistic about the future for team handball in America."
2013 Team USA Senior Women Handball Team
Borg, Anja
Borg, Caroline
Darling, Kathy
Dunn, Lisa
Ebuwei, Tomuke
Ernst, Toni
Fasold, Sophie
Gascon, Sarah
Hardison, Tabitha
Hesser, Stephanie
Lewis, Latrice
Morrison Elise
Self, Stacy
Stilwell, Gabriela
Van Ryn, Ashley
Whitley, Sarah
Alternates:
Elder, Marilyn
Hoddersen, Lynn
Strohl, Sarah
Thorkelsdottir, Morgan
Michelle Chatman, the assistant head coach of the women's volleyball team at UCF, was recently named an assistant coach for the Florida Wave.
Team Florida Wave is a women's professional volleyball team that was launched in 2012 by the Florida Region of USA Volleyball. According to their website, Team Florida Wave is a part of the new Premier Volleyball League, a league sanctioned by USA Volleyball. USA Volleyball consists of 40 different regions, so in the future they hope to have as many as 40 professional volleyball teams.
Chatman is in her fifth season with the UCF volleyball staff and her duties include being the program's recruiting coordinator as well as the middle blockers coach. Because of her hard work on the recruiting trail, UCF's 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes were named two of the top 100 recruiting classes in the nation each season by PrepVolleyball.com. Also, under her watch, UCF's front line has improved immensely, which was proven when DeLaina Sarden earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors. Before coming to UCF, Chatman acted as an assistant coach at Georgetown University for two years and a student assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Florida.
Chatman is no stranger to USA Volleyball. She served as one of the three assistant coaches for the 2011 USA Volleyball Women's National A2 program.
Chatman will coach former UCF standout Tanya Jarvis, who earned a spot on the roster last season.
Team Florida Wave's first game is the Tri-Match tournament in Gainesville on March 2 against UCF and FSU.
This week's Inside UCF Basketball with Donnie Jones includes a feature story on sophomore Kasey Wilson, who has developed into one of the premier 3-point shooters in the country. The show will debut Monday on Bright House Sports Network at 10:30 p.m.
During the show, junior Tristan Spurlock will offer a tour of the UCF Arena and the Knights' other facilities and associate head coach Shawn Finney will be profiled.
The Knights have won three-straight games, including wins over Rice and SMU last week. This week's show will have highlights from the home victories.
The show also airs Tuesday at 11 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network and statewide each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on Sun Sports.
To watch past features, visit the Inside UCF Basketball with Donnie Jones YouTube page.
To learn more about the show, follow @IUCFB on Twitter.
The Knights men's basketball team continues its hot play winning five of its last six games and has a 4-1 record in Conference USA. UCF will hit the road and head to New Orleans for a Wednesday night matchup against the Tulane Green Wave. The team will then head north to Huntington, West Virginia to face the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Isaiah Sykes has been scoring from everywhere on the court recently. In the last three games, the Detroit, Michigan native scored at least 20 or more points. He also had a 21 point and 10 rebound performance against the SMU Mustangs, which was his third double-double of the regular season.
The women's track and field team will compete in one of its most competitive indoor meets of the season at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The Knights are coming off another successful meet at the Hokie Invitational where distance runner Anne-Marie Blaney set another freshman record. Blaney ran a record 17:07.74 for first place in the 5,000 meters.
UCFAthletics.com will have complete coverage video coverage from this week's Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com for more coverage of the Knights.
The UCF men's basketball team has gotten off to a strong start in Conference USA play and head coach Donnie Jones will talk about his squad's success Monday evening during his radio show. The Donnie Jones Show is set for Monday from 7-8 p.m. at the Buffalo Wild Wings on University and fans are invited to attend in person and interact with Jones and host Marc Daniels.
The weekly show airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando.
UCF improved to 4-1 in league competition with a 74-65 win over SMU Saturday.
The Knights have a pair of road games this week - at Tulane Wednesday and at Marshall Saturday.
The UCF men's basketball team has gotten off to a strong start in Conference USA play and head coach Donnie Jones will talk about his squad's success Monday evening during his radio show. The Donnie Jones Show is set for Monday from 7-8 p.m. at the Buffalo Wild Wings on University and fans are invited to attend in person and interact with Jones and host Marc Daniels.
The weekly show airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando.
UCF improved to 4-1 in league competition with a 74-65 win over SMU Saturday.
The Knights have a pair of road games this week - at Tulane Wednesday and at Marshall Saturday.
UCF is off to a strong start in Conference USA play and the Knights are back in action at home against SMU Saturday.
UCF Arena (10,000) - Orlando, Fla. - 4 p.m.
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
Offense
- Rice was physically undersized and it showed. 16 second chance points for the Knights compared to Rice's total of 3.
- Clanton faced constant double teams and had a very rare off night (still had 10 rebounds and 5 assists) which led the way for Newell to step up. Newell had 24 points that included 5 three-pointers. Best stat line of the night for Newell you ask? Only one turnover. #CalvinandHobbsfor3
- Even better than Spurlock's 14 points were his 12 rebounds. I really like the way Spurlock is becoming more of a complete player. #PopSpurlockAndDropIt
- Rice is very well coached and did a solid job of mixing up defenses to try and confuse the Knights. Owls would go from zone to man throughout the night. When the Knights utilized their drive and kick action it was nearly unstoppable. Would have liked to see the ball go in the post more.
- Learning game for Walker. Time, score and possession are all parts of the game that he must think about. He will get better with each game #notafreshmananymore
- Sykes with another simple 24-point performance. Oh, and he was 9-of-10 from the free throw line. One more time... he was 9-of-10! #beast #theyarefree
Defense
- Half-court defense was not consistent but it was effective. Knights were too big, too strong and too fast for Owls to really get in any kind of rhythm.
- Newell has chance to one of the greatest on ball defenders UCF has seen in a long time. If he wants; only if he wants it.
- UCF outrebounded the Owls 38-21 #hoothoot #badjoke #whysoserious
- Remember that time when Rice player Keith Washington tried to take a wide open layup with 5 minutes left in the second half and then was viciously blocked by Isaiah Sykes? That was funny. #SykesYouOut
- 2 huge steals for Calvin in the second half. A definite momentum shift when the UCF offense seemed to be going cold.
- During conference play every team knows you offensively and scouts accordingly. The Owls doubled Clanton every time in the post and tried to cut off drives by Sykes and Newell. Therefore, you win games with your defense. It wasn't pretty but most conference wins never are. It's still a win!
Intangibles
- Conference games are gritty, they are physical and they are won with defense. Every win matters in conference play and this was a big one!
- Spurlock really has been great in all of UCF's conference games.
- All-American trainer Andy Reber was wearing a tan/brown suit with an accented brown shirt and tie...very sharp. Don't know if anyone truly wins best dressed last night. Sports Info Director of the Year Doug Richards sported a preppy cardigan look. Everyone's favorite Allstate agent Scott Rose was spotted wearing a scarf. I'll say that again, he was wearing a scarf #tougherthanme #jpclarkwouldbeproud
- The stormtrooper was in the student section again. I really want to walk up to him, wave my hand in front of him, and say "these aren't the droids you're looking for." #starwars #jedimindtrick
- Who is @UCFGauntlet?
- 4,556 was attendance total. Where you at Knight fans? Some great basketball is being played in your backyard!!!
- P.S. I heard Beyonce lip sync the Star Spangled Banner... I bet the UCF band would never do that.
The Knights will play a home game for the first time since Jan. 9 when they host Rice.
UCF Arena (10,000) - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
The men's basketball team is getting ready for another contest against a team from Texas after an exciting overtime win against the Houston Cougars this past weekend.
Isaiah Sykes scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while both Keith Clanton and Calvin Newell combined to score 34 of the team's 79 points. The win marked UCF's second victory in Conference USA play and puts them in a tie for fourth place in C-USA.
This Wednesday, the men's basketball team will face the Rice Owls. On Saturday, the Knights will go up against the SMU Mustangs and new head coach Larry Brown. The longtime head coach has spent the majority of his coaching career in the NBA, but the last college team he coached was the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988. He led them to the NCAA Championship that season.
In track and field, the Knights will compete in the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia. UCF has been off to a hot start and was very impressive last week at the Gator Invitational and the Auburn Invitational.
At the Auburn Invitational, freshman distance runner Anne-Marie Blaney broke the school record in the 3000 meters for the second week in a row with a time of 9:44.58. Sophomore Octavious Freeman ran a nation's best 7.19 seconds in the 60 meter dash.
For more news on the Knights continue to check UCFAthletics.com.
Inside UCF Basketball with Donnie Jones, which airs each Monday at 10:30 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network, includes highlights this week from the Knights' thrilling overtime win at Houston. On Saturday, UCF improved to 12-5 overall and 2-1 in Conference USA games with a 79-75 victory over the Cougars.
The Knights, who were led by Isaiah Sykes (22 points, 9 rebounds), Keith Clanton (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Calvin Newell (15 points), nearly won at the end of regulation on a Tristan Spurlock buzzer beater. After Spurlock's deep 3-pointer was declared too late by the officials, UCF outscored Houston 7-3 in overtime.
This week's show details how UCF's four walk-ons contribute to the team's success. Bobby Horodsyki, Robert King III, Isaac Lang and Tyler Coons will be featured during the program.
The episode also includes stories on assistant coach Darren Tillis, the UCF Victory Club and the program's focus on academic success.
The show also airs Tuesday at 11 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network and statewide each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on Sun Sports.
The Donnie Jones Radio Show is slated for Monday at Buffalo Wild Wings on University and the head coach will talk about UCF's thrilling overtime win at Houston during the program. The hour-long show begins at 7 p.m. and fans are invited to listen in person and interact with Jones and host Marc Daniels.
The show airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando.
On Saturday, UCF recovered from an early double-digit deficit to post a 79-75 win over the Cougars. Isaiah Sykes scored 22 points and Keith Clanton added 19 points in the win.
The Knights have a pair of home games this week, starting with a 7 p.m. Wednesday contest vs. Rice. UCF also hosts SMU Saturday at 4 p.m.
UCF will hit the court for the first time in a week when it faces host Houston Saturday afternoon.
Hofheinz Pavilion - Houston, Texas -6 p.m. EDT
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .
After he was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids Thursday, UCF forward Deshorn Brown has received plenty of media attention:
MLSSoccer.com Video: Brown talks about starting professional career
ColoradoRapids.com Video: Brown talks about heading to Colorado
ColoradoRapids.com Video: Rapids head coach Omar Pareja on Brown
Denver Post: Rapids get three in MLS Draft, including Jamiaca striker Deshorn Brown
UCF head volleyball coach Todd Dagenais was featured in this month's edition of AVCA Coaching Volleyball Magazine. Dagenais, who will soon kick of his sixth season at the head of the Knights volleyball program, discussed in detail the libero position and how it can affect a team's offense as much as its defense.
The evaluation of a successful libero does not simply come down to the number of digs but to a player's ability to take up space on the court and be, what Dagenais believes to be most important, a perfect passer. Dagenais, setting the bar quite high, has his liberos shoot for a perfect pass percentage greater than 65%.
The article discussed the varied measures of determining libero quality, from the 5-point system to the perfect pass percentage statistic, both of which aim to gauge a libero's success when passing to their primary receiver, the setter. However, UCF's lead man finds the intangible factors to be of valued importance. Whether a player is energetic or confident, being able to bring a positive attitude to the court carries much weight when coach Dagenais evaluates his players' performance.
For UCF, it is all about top quality. Dagenais takes into account not just a raw dig, such as a crowd-pleasing pancake, but the essential quality digs. These digs are unique for the fact that they give the setter a chance to truly create kills, an opportunity to terminate play.
From a libero's skill in serve-receive to a player's intangibles, including leadership and play-range on the court, Dagenais argues that a libero's impact in creating opportunity is what bears meaning when defining a truly great libero. The measures are in place to evaluate success, yet Dagenais finds the methodology to what coaches view as important tools when labeling a libero great to be flawed.
For the full article, click here: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/dd3383fd#/dd3383fd/10
UCF head baseball coach Terry Rooney has done many things for his program in his fifth year on the job. Not only has he created a winning environment with back-to-back regional appearances, but also welcomes back former Knights who are preparing for their professional seasons.
Early in the spring, if you stop by the UCF baseball complex you will see many familiar faces who helped put UCF on the map. One of those former Knights that works out on campus is current New York Yankees minor leaguer Shane Brown.
A mainstay in the lineup at UCF from 2007-10, Brown closed out his four-year career starting 175 games and totaling a .363 batting average, 25 homers, 148 RBI while slugging .565 with a .464 OPB. His stellar senior campaign saw him hit .428, fourth-best in program history, while earning All-America honors and a spot on the All-C-USA First Team.
Since being drafted in the 23rd round by the Yankees following his senior year, Brown has served as the ultimate utility man in all of his stops. After spending 2011 in low-A and A ball, the Winter Park native began 2012 in high-A Tampa before being bumped up to AA Trenton. While playing for the Thunder, Brown saw time at first and third base, all three outfield positions and even pitched in a 16-inning game where he got the win on the mound after knocking in the game-sealing run. Check out those videos HERE and HERE.
Make sure to watch the former Knight in the video below talk about his time at UCF and life in the minor leagues.
The next UCF Victory Club luncheon is set for Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the Fairwinds Alumni Center on campus. During the luncheon, which begins at Noon, head coach Donnie Jones will offer insight into his program and answer questions from supporters.
The UCF Victory Club is an organization created to support the men's basketball program. The club hosts exclusive functions throughout the year and provides numerous opportunities for members to network and become part of the program.
To RSVP for the Jan. 22 luncheon, please contact director of operations Craig Brown at cbrown@athletics.ucf.edu by Friday, Jan. 17. Lunch is $12 per person for Victory Club members and their guests, $8 for half court and center court members, $5 for UCF students and free for two for supreme court.
Luncheons are also scheduled for Feb. 5 and Feb. 19.
A tough overtime loss for the UCF men's basketball team overshadowed career games for Keith Clanton and Tristan Spurlock, the Knights will look to bounce back this weekend when they hit the road again and travel to Houston to take on the Cougars Saturday night.
Clanton scored 36 points and Spurlock added a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds in UCF's 88-85 overtime loss against ECU. The Knights will face the Pirates one more time this season when ECU travels to Orlando on February 9th.
The women's basketball team will be back home this upcoming weekend after a tough 69-54 loss against the SMU Mustangs. UCF will host the Southern Golden Eagles Sunday afternoon in the UCF Arena.
The women's track and field is coming off a very successful Kentucky invitational where the team finished with eight marks that rank among the NCAA's top 10 and a new freshman record in the 3,000 meters by Anne-Marie Blaney.
The Knights will travel to Gainesville to compete in the Gator Invitational and to Birmingham, Alabama to take part in the Auburn Invitational.
Also, keep a close eye Thursday night on the MLS Draft. UCF men's soccer standout Deshorn Brown is expected to be a Top 10 selection. Find out more about Brown and the rest of the UCF athletic squads in the video above.
This week's edition of Inside UCF Basketball with Donnie Jones, which debuts Monday at 10:30 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network, includes a feature on junior forward Tristan Spurlock.
The show also airs Tuesday at 11 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network and statewide each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on Sun Sports.
Spurlock is coming off a career-high 23 points Saturday at East Carolina. The Virginia native added 11 boards vs. the Pirates to record his second career double-double. He is averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 boards in 2012-13.
This week's show includes highlights from the game at East Carolina and UCF's Conference USA-opening win over UAB. The program also has features on director of operations Craig Brown and in-game host John Evans.
The Donnie Jones Radio Show returns Monday to Buffalo Wild Wings on University Boulevard. UCF fans are invited to attend the show, which begins at 7 p.m. and airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game, in person.
Jones and host Marc Daniels will talk about the Knights' start to Conference USA play.
UCF's next contest is Saturday at Houston. The squad will not play again at home until Jan. 23 when it hosts Rice.
After opening C-USA play with a big win over UAB, the Knights are in Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina Saturday.
Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum - Greenville, N.C. - 7 p.m.
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.
UCF head baseball coach Terry Rooney has done many things for his program in his fifth year on the job. Not only has he created a winning environment with back-to-back regional appearances, but also welcomes back former Knights who are preparing for their professional seasons.
Early in the spring, if you stop by the UCF baseball complex you will see many familiar faces who helped put UCF on the map. One of those former Knights that works out on campus is current Oakland A's minor leaguer Beau Taylor.
Starring at UCF from 2009-11, Taylor made an immediate impact behind the plate as a catcher for the Knights. For his career, the Rockledge native hit .337, belted 16 home runs, drove in 105 RBI and slugged .503 with a .398 OBP. The two-time Johnny Bench Award Watch List catcher wasn't just known for his bat, but his stellar defense as well. In his time at UCF, Taylor threw out 58 runners in his career, including 26 his rookie season, which led Conference USA and gave him a spot on the Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team.
Since being drafted in the fifth round by the A's following his junior year, Taylor has made an immediate impact in Oakland's organization. After spending the 2011 summer in A-ball, he started 2012 in high-A Stockton where he hit .328 before being bumped up to AA Midland on July 12. Splitting duties between catching and as a designated hitter, Taylor still showed off his defensive prowess with 17 runners caught stealing last year.
Recently, Taylor received the news that he had been invited to big-league spring training at in Phoenix, Ariz., as a non-roster invitee. Make sure to watch the former Knight in the video below talk about his time at UCF and life in the minor leagues.
With the second-largest enrollment of any university in the United States, UCF is becoming well-known in the U.S. and beyond. That representation can be seen on the playing field, as 40 International Student-Athletes from 22 different countries compete for the Knights. That's nearly 10 percent of all Knight student-athletes.
All of these student-athletes have experienced success both on and off the field, all while making the transition to a new country and culture.
Of those 40 student-athletes, tennis player and Alicante, Spain native Jorge Blasco is the only one in graduate school. He is currently working on his degree in Civil Engineering and arrived on campus back in the fall of 2011. Blasco admits he was nervous to go to school in another country, but says the staff in the UCF athletic department helped him make a smooth transition.
"It was tough for me because I didn't know anyone, but in the first two or three weeks I met a lot of people," Blasco said.
While Blasco was adjusting to life in the U.S., many of his teammates had either already made the transition or were going through that transition at the same time.
"That helped a lot," Blasco said. "The tennis team has about 80 percent international students. They're all either from Europe or South America, so we all had the same difficulties. But we all helped each other."
Senior and Berlin, Germany native Bianca Joswiak has spent the past four years as a member of the women's soccer team. This year, she will graduate with a degree in Business Marketing. This past fall, she helped guide the Knights to their first Conference USA Tournament Championship.
When Joswiak was in her home country, she spent several years taking English classes to prepare her for an opportunity here.
"For me, it's a great experience to live in another country for a couple years," Joswiak said. "You have to do things on your own and figure stuff out on your own without your parents and close friends from home. The academic advisors here help you make sure you do your work on time and help you adjust to the full schedule with all of the practices and you still find room for your homework and other assignments."
UCF staff members are always prepared to help the students with their transition to another country. The school makes sure all of the incoming student-athletes are prepared and stays in touch with them as much as possible before they move to the United States.
"Our contact with the international students starts way before they even arrive in the U.S.," Rocky Blesso from the UCF International Services Center said. "We have an admissions team dedicated to international admissions and these individuals reach out anywhere from six to 10 months in advance. We try to give them a better feel of what to expect at UCF before they arrive and also some of the requirements we have at UCF."
All of the international student-athletes are flourishing at UCF. The 40 students have combined for a 3.29 GPA, on top of setting aside time for their sports and giving back to the community.
"I'm always extremely impressed and in awe of how focused our international student-athletes are upon their arrival," Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services Kimya Massey said. "They truly know what they want regarding their academics and always find a way to get it done at a high level. They continually find a way to be successful with their incredible work ethic and ability to adapt in everything they do. They are great role models for all students and we are much more diverse and grateful for their presence here with us."
Offense
- Knights started out in crisp fashion with Newell scoring 6 quick points.
- To the untrained eye UAB seemed to keep Sykes in check and he still had 9 points, 6 assists and 8 rebounds.
- Knights used some great drive and kick action in the half court. It's easy to see how efficient they can be when the drive and kick mentality becomes consistent. It was great to see that at the start of conference play.
- You can see the confidence and patience growing for Newell and Walker in the half court and it's only going to get better.
- UAB applies impressive and consistent half court defensive pressure. The best way to negate ball pressure like that it to attack the basket going north and south. The Knights did just that.
- 14-16 from the FT line
- Loved the way Spurlock attacked the basket last night.
- Another double-double for Clanton. 12 points, 13 rebounds and let's throw in 5 blocks for kicks and giggles.
- A few too many turnovers for my taste, but half of those came on hustle plays. #icanlivewiththat
Defense
- It was a scrappy game all night. I love those kinds of games. I wish I would have charted both team's loose ball recoveries. That's the kind of game you expect for a conference opener #goodoldfashioneddogfight
- Newell and Walker are really starting to create havoc with their on-ball defensive effort.
- Held UAB to 26% field goal percentage. 0-23 from three point line. I don't think I have ever seen that before. #lockitup #noyoulockitup
- Was worried about Jordan Swing's ability to score. He is arguably one of the best shooters in C-USA. He finished with 4 points.
- Knights had 35 deflections! Can't applaud the effort on the defensive end enough. #cookiejar
- UAB runs the exact same type of offense as North Carolina... exactly the same. Knights had to defend multiple small on big cross screens, down screens and back screens for alley-oops. Great job by players on the scouting report end.
Intangibles
- Very physical play by both teams. This was a "grit" type of win!
- Matty Williams has a crazy quick release. Oh yeah, and it goes in!
- The Knightmare section was crazy good! Students out in full force and it was awesome! Total attendance count was 6,185.
- This new "Knightfall" marketing scheme it pretty cool... marketing interns drop parachuted items from the rafters. Reminds me of those green army parachute toys I had when I was a wee lad.
- All-American trainer Andy Reber was very sharp dressed in a grey and light blue argyle sweater with matching light blue tie. #bigtime. But I'm a geek, so best dressed goes to the student wearing a Star Wars stromtrooper costume. #maytheforcebewithyou #thesearentthedroidsyourelookingfor
- Newsflash! Marc Daniels and I want to be in the rap-off! But only if it's Vanilla Ice songs.
- Big road game this weekend at East Carolina. True character of a player comes out on the road. Go Knights!
The Knights will open their final campaign in Conference USA against visiting UAB.
UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.
UCF head baseball coach Terry Rooney has done many things for his program in his fifth year on the job. Not only has he created a winning environment with back-to-back regional appearances, but also welcomes back former Knights who are preparing for their professional seasons.
Every fall, and early in the spring, if you stop by the UCF baseball complex you will see many familiar faces who helped put UCF on the map. One of those former Knights that works out on campus is 2004 All-American right-handed pitcher, Matt Fox.
In 2004, Fox put together one of the best seasons by a UCF pitcher in school history with 14 wins, a 1.85 ERA, 111.2 innings-pitched, 125 strikeouts and three shutouts. The Columbus, Ohio, native earned All-America honors and Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year before becoming UCF's fourth first-round draft pick when the Minnesota Twins took him 35th overall after his third year in Orlando.
Fox worked his way up through the Twins organization and made his MLB debut on Sept. 3, 2010. He would later make three appearances for the Boston Red Sox in the same season. After spending 2011 in AAA Pawtucket, and accumulating a 10-4 record, Fox spent 2012 in the Seattle Mariners organization.
Currently a free agent, Fox is keeping up with his customary winter workout in at UCF. Make sure to watch the video below to hear what the "Knights of Honor" member has to say about the program.
Connecticut Mirage
"We have watched and recruited Lena since we first saw her in 2010. She's a tremendous pitcher that will be a great asset to our pitching corps. Plus she comes from a great family of athletes as her brother George was Major League Baseball first round pick in 2011."
The season premiere of Inside UCF Basketball with Donnie Jones is Monday at 10:30 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network. The weekly show gives viewers an inside glimpse into the UCF men's basketball program.
The show also airs Tuesday at 11 p.m. on Bright House Sports Network and statewide each Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on Sun Sports.
With the Knights slated to open their final campaign in Conference USA this week, the first episode will offer highlights from the team's non-conference schedule, including victories at USF and Old Dominion and home triumphs over Belmont and most recently Florida A&M. UCF's season has been filled with highlight-reel worthy plays from players like Keith Clanton, Isaiah Sykes, Tristan Spurlock and Kasey Wilson.
UCF hosts UAB Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the UCF Arena. The C-USA Ticket Package offers tickets to all eight home league games starting at the discounted price of just $64. To order, call (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
By: Marc Daniels
UCF begins its Conference USA schedule on Wednesday when the Knights take on UAB. The Knights head into league play with a 10-4 record. UCF has had consistent play from senior Keith Clanton and junior Isaiah Sykes.
Donnie Jones has moved Sykes back to point guard because he believes Sykes can create more offensive and help Calvin Newell by allowing him to move off the ball and roam more freely. Newell has shown flashes of being a very good defensive stopper.
After Wednesday's conference opener against UAB, UCF travels to East Carolina and then off to Houston before coming back to the UCF Arena.
As bowl season concludes, get ready for the 2013 football season. Signing Day is not that far away. Details of how you be part of signing day and hear from Coach O'Leary and learn about the new Knights will be coming soon.
Follow me on twitter via @ucf_marcdaniels for updates and more.
Offense
- Lights out shooting by the Knights last night. 14 trey balls and shot almost 60% from the field.
- Best stat line of the night = 27 assists and only 11 turnovers.
- Sykes and Walker shared point guard duties. Each player brings something different to the table. Makes it very hard to adjust defensively for teams.
- Walker got the start last night. Played very consistent. 6 assists and only 1 turnover in 28 minutes of play. You will win a lot of ball games if your point guard does that every night.
- Sykes was a beast... oh and he was hitting jump shots #manchild
- Best thing about Spurlock's performance wasn't his 15 points, it was the 5 assists he had. Love the unselfishness of this team. #helpmehelpyou
- FAMU switched between man and zone all night. Guards did a great job of recognizing the changes and adjusting the offense.
- 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists for Clanton. #easyliving
- It's always troublesome for a defense when Sykes and Walker have stat lines like last night and then throw in 11 points and 4 assists from Newell. I'll give him a pass since he banked in a three.
Defense
- 29 deflections on the night.
- Outrebounded FAMU 35-22.
- Knights played mostly man-2-man. Had great on ball activity. Ball pressure negates so much action for the offense.
- Great/valuable minutes from Karell and Blair. Those two will be a force in the future.
- Newell has a chance to be one of the better on ball defenders in C-USA.
- Consistent effort on the defensive end was the main key last night.
Intangibles
- For about a 3-and-half minute stretch in the first half Coach Jones had 3 freshmen and 2 sophomores on the floor at the same time. The future looks bright.
- Really needed that free oil change from Carl Black #fiscalcliff #99problems
- A donor sitting next to me in the first half said Karell has great volume... in his hair. #panteneprov (I'm more of a Irish Spring type guy)
- All American trainer Andy Reber was sporting a dark grey suit that reminded me of a Wall Street trader. Best dressed goes to legendary UCF fanatic Todd Bowers for sporting a zip up argyle jacket that made him look like a stunt double for OneDirection. #suntrust
- I really wanted in on that Biggie Smalls rap-off today. I can't wait for the day that UCF Marketing does a "Miley Cyrus off"... I would own that #partyintheusa
- Wednesday night starts Conference USA play versus UAB. Conference play always seems like another level of intensity. Students will be back and the UCF Arena will be crazy loud. Better get your ticket early! #knightmare
UCF opens Conference USA play later this week and head coach Donnie Jones will talk about his program's final campaign in the league during his radio show Monday evening. The Donnie Jones Radio Show is set for each Monday from 7-8 p.m. at the Buffalo Wild Wings on University Boulevard and airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game.
UCF fans are invited to attend the show in person and interact with Jones and host Marc Daniels.
The Knights open league play on Wednesday, hosting UAB. The contest is the first of 16 C-USA games for the Knights, who are in their final season in the conference before moving to the BIG EAST next fall.
UCF enters league play 10-4 after crushing Florida A&M, 99-69, Saturday. The Knights will play eight conference contests at the UCF Arena. The C-USA Ticket Package offers tickets to all eight home league games starting at the discounted price of just $64. To order, call (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
UCF opens Conference USA play later this week and head coach Donnie Jones will talk about his program's final campaign in the league during his radio show Monday evening. The Donnie Jones Radio Show is set for each Monday from 7-8 p.m. at the Buffalo Wild Wings on University Boulevard and airs on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game.
UCF fans are invited to attend the show in person and interact with Jones and host Marc Daniels.
The Knights open league play on Wednesday, hosting UAB. The contest is the first of 16 C-USA games for the Knights, who are in their final season in the conference before moving to the BIG EAST next fall.
UCF enters league play 10-4 after crushing Florida A&M, 99-69, Saturday. The Knights will play eight conference contests at the UCF Arena. The C-USA Ticket Package offers tickets to all eight home league games starting at the discounted price of just $64. To order, call (407) UCF-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
Before opening Conference USA play next week, the Knights host Florida A&M Saturday.
UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 4 p.m.
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.
Calvin Newell's breakout offensive performance is coming soon, but in the meantime, the junior transfer is clearly committed to excelling on the defensive end. Last night during the second half of UCF's contest with USF, Newell guarded talented point guard Anthony Collins from end to end.
Collins, a preseason All-BIG EAST pick, struggled to get the ball with Newell hounding him. Newell's defensive pressure allowed the Knights to use a 19-6 run to get back into the game late in the second half. Thanks to a timely 3-pointer from Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and a late spurt of their own, the Bulls posted a 65-56 win, but the play of Newell was encouraging for UCF head coach Donnie Jones.
"I thought he played with great toughness. I thought he played with great energy. That disrupted what they were trying to do. That was a big part of that spurt when we kept them from scoring. It all starts with the guy who is guarding the ball. It raises the level for the guys on the rest of the team," Jones said.
Newell is a talented scorer who is still adjusting to his new role with the team. After sitting out the last year following his transfer from Oklahoma, the Philadelphia native has started the last seven games at point guard. Newell is still getting comfortable with his new teammates offensively, but showed against USF that he is happy to play outstanding defense.
Offense
- It was a cold shooting night for both teams. It seemed as if each basket was willed in.
- The Knights did make adjustments when needed and turned a cold shooting night into 34 points in the paint as opposed to USF's 26.
- I thought Calvin Newell had a solid point guard's game. We are all waiting for his breakout offensive performance (and believe me it's coming), but in the meantime 8 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals will do just fine.
- Keith Clanton had another monster double double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. In a selfish way I wanted more than that, but that's still one heck of a game.
- USF played some 2-3 zone throughout the game. It was effective for a while due to cold outside shooting (sometimes you just have those kinds of nights), but when the Knights adjusted and penetrated the zone, USF quickly retreated out of it.
- 17 points, 5 assists and only 1 turnover for Isaiah Sykes. More on him in the "Intangibles" section.
Defense
- For the most part the Knights played very well defensively. The second half was much better than the first though.
- The Knights played extremely hard in the second half but sent USF to the charity stripe 8 times.
- The pressure defense of Newell and Sykes in the second half was insane! During the Knights comeback, Newell single handedly took USF's point guard and leader Anthony Collins out of the game for 4 minutes. There were multiple possessions where Collins was unable to even touch the basketball and initiate their offense. I've always said when you are not making shots, the best way to keep yourself in the game is to change the tempo of play with your defense... and Newell did just that.
- USF hit a couple really tough jumpers late in the second half.
Intangibles
- Great crowd, great atmosphere! Announced attendance was 4,904, but felt like more. This rivalry will be something special. #waronI4
- Best 3 minutes Dylan Karell has played all season. It won't show up in the stat sheet but I was very impressed. #fearthefro
- I Truly cannot say enough about Sykes' grit and hatred of losing. I am not a big proponent of singling one guy out for carrying a team, but there was a stretch in the second half that made me a believer in Sykes' ability to play at the next level. Great players make great plays when needed most.
- Kasey Wilson had a tough night shooting, but that did not affect his effort, as he brought a ton of energy last night.
- All-American trainer Andy Reber did his best Roy Williams impression with a dark blue slim fit suit and a light blue tie. Great look. But the best dressed goes to Knightro with a ridiculously amazing black and gold Matador outfit #ole!!! #iwantthat
- The Knights lost to rival USF 56-65. What do you do? Sit and pout? Nope! Watch film, fix your mistakes and get ready to take severe revenge upon Florida A&M on Saturday. I will be there Knight Nation will you? I hope so, there is a lot of season left to be played.
UCF will look to complete an in-season series sweep when it hosts cross-state rival USF Wednesday.
UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 8 p.m.
Watch on @CBSSportsNet
Listen on WYGM @740thegame
Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.
One comment former Rhode Island center Matt Greenhalgh is still trying to get used to hearing is "you saved my life." That's what UCF graduate and longtime Knights season ticket holder Kenneth Nuckols tells Greenhalgh every time he sees him.
Back in December 2010, Nuckols was diagnosed with leukemia and his best chance of survival was to find a bone marrow donor. Nuckols and his doctor looked at a list of bone marrow donors and Greenhalgh's name came up as a match. Nuckols had no clue at the time that Greenhalgh was an athlete in his favorite sport, nor did Greenhalgh know how big a college football fan Nuckols was.
"I had no idea. They told me it was an anonymous donation," Greenhalgh said. "All they could do was give me his age and his illness and I said 'alright sign me up.'"
The former URI football player recently graduated and was one of the many Rhode Island football players who were registered as a bone marrow donor. The entire team decided that was something they wanted to do after head coach Joe Trainer presented the idea to the team. Every year since 2009, the team and Trainer have run a bone marrow drive, in association with "Be the Match", to try and get students to become donors.
By rules of the donor list, both Nuckols and Greenhalgh had to wait one year after the donation was made to meet each other. Both met this past summer over the phone and hit it off right away talking about college football.
"That was probably the coolest part of the whole thing is finding out that the guy who saved my life by giving me his bone marrow was a college football player himself," Nuckols said. "That gives us more of a connection with the sport."
"Once Ken called me it was unreal," Greenhalgh said. "I saw a number I don't usually see on my cell phone and I picked it up and it was Ken and we talked for about a half hour and just kept our relationship from there."
When Nuckols found out UCF was going to stay in Florida for its bowl game, he decided he would spend the money he set aside for travel expenses on a plane ticket for Matt to fly down to Orlando for the game.
"The thought occurred to me that since Matt was graduating maybe he would be able to come down," Nuckols said. "Instead of me spending the money to travel, I chose to bring him down for the game. It's just my way of saying 'thank you.'"
The two spent hours talking about college football during their couple days at the bowl game and Greenahlgh said he enjoyed learning everything Nuckols taught him about the Knights. Greenhalgh said he wants to continue to stay involved with the National Bone Marrow Foundation and wants to use his position as a former college football player to get people to donate.
In early December, Greenhalgh's brother donated his bone marrow and a total of four people from the drives he helped run have already donated.
To find out more, see the video above.
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