ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – Another Knight is off to play professional basketball. Former UCF guard Tank Efianayi will play the 2017-18 season with BIPA Basket Odessa in Odessa, Ukraine. BIPA plays in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague, the top tier league in Ukraine.
"I'm excited," Efianayi said Tuesday at UCF's practice facility. "I've been looking forward to this opportunity all my life. I've been playing basketball since I was six [years old]. To be able to play in my hometown here at UCF and take it even further, at the professional level, I'm excited."
In his senior season at UCF, Efianayi played in 34 of 36 games, starting 23 in 2016-17. The Orlando native was fifth on the team in scoring with 8.2 points per game, shot 73.1 percent from the free throw line and knocked down 28 three-pointers.
"We were able to be so successful last year," Efianayi reminisced. "I learned so much from Coach [Johnny] Dawkins and our staff. On and off the court, how to be a better person to my teammates and how to get things done in the classroom."
Efianayi was an integral piece to the Knights' success this past season, helping to lead UCF to a fourth place finish in the American Athletic Conference, a trip to The American Semifinals, a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, and a spot in the NIT Final Four.
The former Daytona State and University High School guard scored in double figures 16 times as a Knight and had a career game at UMass during his senior campaign. Efianayi scored 24 points on 7-of-11 from the floor in the big road win for UCF.
Efianayi joins fellow Knight Matt Williams to move on to the professional ranks from last year's squad. Williams signed with the Miami Heat last month after playing in the NBA Summer League.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign are on sale now. Fans looking to purchase new tickets can call (407) 823-1000 or click here: www.ucfknights.com/jointhefamily to secure them today.
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