SEASON PREVIEW NOTEBOOK
On the Move • A er eight years in Conference USA, UCF is on the move to the American Athle c Conference • In the American, the Knights will compete in one of the premier leagues in the na on • Four league teams competed in the NCAA Tournament a year ago and five squads finished the campaign with top-50 RPIs: na onal champion Louisville (3), Memphis (12), Temple (42), UConn (49) and Cincinna (50) • The American will serve as the UCF men’s basketball program’s fi h league since moving to the Division I level in 1984
player in the na on to average 16+ points, 7+ rebounds, 4+ assists and 2+ steals • Sykes was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, the NABC All-District 11 First Team and the C-USA All-Defensive Team • He declared for the NBA Dra following the 2012-13 campaign, but withdrew his name from considera on in April • In June, Sykes competed alongside some of the top wings in the country at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy in Washington, D.C.
Senior Leader
• Tristan Spurlock had a breakout season as a junior in 2012-13 • A er averaging 7.2 points and 4.4 boards in his first campaign with the Knights in 2011-12 a er transferring from Virginia, the forward was one of the squad’s top Incredible Schedule • In its first year in The American, UCF will face the toughest schedule in program players a year ago • He scored in double figures on 18 occasions and averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 history • The Knights will play 12 games against 2013 NCAA Tournament squads and 15 of rebounds • Spurlock connected on 39 3-pointers and shot a team-best 76.2 percent from the UCF’s foes won at least 20 games last year • The Knights will host and face on two occasions two of the last three na onal free-throw line; and raised his numbers in Conference USA play, when he averaged 12.9 points and 6.5 boards champions (Louisville, UConn) • UCF will host and face programs that have won eight na onal tles and the A Newell Attitude Knights’ 2013-14 foes have made a combined 30 trips to the Final Four • Calvin Newell used the 2012-13 campaign to adjust to his new surroundings • A transfer from Oklahoma, the Philadelphia na ve sat out the Knights’ first six Conference Call • The Knights are familiar with many of their new conference partners, including contests of the year and averaged 11.1 points, 2.6 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.4 minutes per ou ng a er making his UCF debut Houston, Memphis and SMU, who were UCF’s league mates in Conference USA • A scoring guard, Newell averaged 13.0 points in five games as a sophomore at • UCF and cross-state rival USF played twice a year ago and have met 27 mes Oklahoma in 2011, and played point guard for the first me on the collegiate level last year at UCF On the Air • He has the ability to be a threat offensively for the Knights, and should be more • The move to The American will provide the Knights will plenty of television comfortable in his second campaign at UCF exposure • All 18 of the team’s conference games will be na onally televised • From 2005-13, a total of 17 of UCF’s league contests were aired on na onal Going Deep • Following his freshman season in 2011-12, Kasey Wilson developed into a threat television from deep and the result was a great campaign from 3-point range last year • The forward, who started 17 games and averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 boards, Going for History • UCF enters The American having recorded three-consecu ve 20-win campaigns made 50.0 percent of his 3-pointers, connec ng on 42-of-84 triples • Wilson did not showcase his abili es from deep as a freshman when he shot under Donnie Jones • Since joining the Division I level in 1984, the Knights have never posted four- 8-of-24 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range and averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 boards in 7.4 minutes an ou ng straight 20-win seasons
Contract Talk
A New Big Man on Campus
• A er Keith Clanton anchored the power forward spot for the Knights for the last four years, there will be a new big man on the UCF campus • Eugene McCrory, who earned tournament MVP honors in leading the College of Central Florida to the 2012-13 NJCAA Division I na onal tle, has joined the Knights and is expected to earn significant minutes up front Guess Who’s Back • The 6-foot-8 McCrory averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds and received JUCO • UCF returns three senior starters who all averaged double digits in scoring in All-America Second Team honors 2012-13: Isaiah Sykes (16.0), Tristan Spurlock (11.4) and Calvin Newell (11.1) • He ranked second na onally, connec ng on 69.6 percent of his shots from the • Overall, the Knights return four starters and eight le erwinners field • UCF brings back 77.8 percent of its scoring from a year ago • The Knights will have to replace Keith Clanton, who averaged 14.8 points, 8.5 Second Year is the Charm rebounds and 2.0 blocks as a senior last season • The power forward concluded his me at UCF as the program’s all- me leader in • Four sophomores who saw considerable ac on a year ago are back for the Knights • Daiquan Walker, who started 18 games in the backcourt, leads the group a er rebounds, blocks, games played and starts averaging 4.0 points in 20.9 minutes as a rookie • Ma Williams connected on 37 3-pointers last year and should make a jump a er Mr. Well-Rounded averaging 5.0 points • A er considering leaving UCF for the professional ranks in the spring, Isaiah Sykes • A pair of big men - Staphon Blair and Dylan Karell - should also see more me enters his senior campaign as one of the most well-rounded players in the country this season • Last year, the 6-foot-6 Sykes averaged 16.0 points, 7.5 boards, 4.5 assists and 2.3 • Blair averaged 1.9 points in 7.2 minutes per game and Karell averaged 0.9 points steals in 35.4 minutes an ou ng in 4.4 minutes per contest last year • The Detroit na ve led the country with two triple-doubles and was the only • In June, Donnie Jones and UCF agreed to a contract extension through 2018 • The extension added three years to Jones’ exis ng contract • In three years in Orlando, he has led the Knights to three 20-win seasons
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