Dave Diakite 51 P.J. Gaynor 51 Jakub Kusmieruk 51 A.J. Rompza 52 Isaac Sosa 52 Amara Thompson 52 Will Weathers 52

Transcription

1 This is UCF Basketball 1-31 A Winning Tradition 1 The New UCF Arena 2-4 Game Night Excitement 5 UCF Basketball Practice Facility 6-7 A Staff with Experience 8-9 Preparing for Success 10 Individual Development 11 Playing in the Postseason 12 A Proud History 13 Media Spotlight 14 See the World 15 Excellence off the Court 16 Knights in the Pros 17 Conference USA Top-Notch Opponents 20 University of Central Florida UCF Campus Life 23 Towers at Knights Plaza 24 Strength and Conditioning/Sports Medicine 25 UCF President Dr. John C. Hitt 26 UCF Director of Athletics Keith R. Tribble 27 Athletics Facilities Orlando 30 Orlando Sporting Options 31 Dave Diakite 51 P.J. Gaynor 51 Jakub Kusmieruk 51 A.J. Rompza 52 Isaac Sosa 52 Amara Thompson 52 Will Weathers 52 Coaching Staff Kirk Speraw Mike Jaskulski 58 Craig Brown 59 Steve DeMeo 60 Micah Byars 61 Support Staff Review Season Review Notebook 64 Statistics Box Scores Mike Battle 73 Stanley Billings 73 Chip Cartwright 73 Dave Noel 74 Mike O Donnell 74 TABLE OF CONTENTS UCF Basketball Records Scoring 94 Field Goals 95 Rebounds 96 3-Point Field Goals 97 Free Throws 98 Assists 99 Steals 99 Blocks 99 Games Played 99 Team Division I Single-Game Records Team Single-Season Records 102 Miscellaneous Records 103 Annual Statistics 104 In-Season Tournaments 105 Conference/NCAA Tournament Records 106 New UCF Arena Records 107 Year-by-Year Results Series Records Media Information Quick Facts 123 UCF Athletics Communications Schedule 124 Credits Executive Editor/Design and Layout: Doug Richards Editors: Joe Hornstein, Brian Ormiston, Leigh Torbin Cover Design: Johnny Addison, Jr. Contributors: Nate Blythe, Andrew Gavin, Ira Green, Caitlyn Hillyard, Sarah Tarasewicz, Robbie Whitlin Photography: Todd Drexler (UCFphotos.com) Additional Photographs Provided By: UCF University Marketing, Romeo Guzman, Brandon Helwig, Mike Campbell, Paul Chapman, David Coyle, Keith Nordstrom, Bill Richardson, Jimmy Skiles, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Global Spectrum, Conference USA, Atlantic Sun, Flagler College, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Daytona International Speedway, Disney s Wide World of Sports On the Covers Front: Senior guard Jermaine Taylor. Back: Senior forward/center Kenrick Zondervan. 32 Table of Contents Outlook Season Preview Roster Knights Jermaine Taylor Kenrick Zondervan Tony Davis Drew Speraw Jean Michel Yotio Taylor Young A.J. Tyler 50 Chris Baez 50 UCF Basketball History Yearly Records 76 Program History Coaching History 79 All-Time Letterwinners 80 All-Time Jersey Numbers Honors UCF Athletics Hall of Fame 85 1,000-Point Club 86 NCAA Tournament Teams NCAA D-II Semifinalists 89 UCF Arena History 90 Conference History 91 Knights in the Pros 92 Life After Basketball 92

2 OUTLOOK

3 PREVIEW 34 After averaging 20.8 points per game last season, Jermaine Taylor is a candidate for the Conference USA Player of the Year Award. There is no denying that the UCF men s basketball team will have a new look in Gone are five seniors from last season s squad, including Dave Noel and Mike O Donnell two of the best guards in program history. One of the best defenders to play for the Knights, Noel averaged 13.3 points per game as a senior, shooting 45.5 percent from deep. O Donnell, the team s starting point guard for three seasons, made big shot after big shot during his time with the Knights. Although Kirk Speraw will certainly miss Noel and O Donnell, UCF s veteran head coach is excited about his squad. The Knights return one of the nation s top offensive players in Jermaine Taylor and welcome a bevy of talented freshmen who are ready to contribute. Speraw hopes that Taylor, one of two seniors on the squad, can help guide the younger Knights as the program aims to continue its success in Conference USA. Since joining C-USA in 2005, UCF has finished in the top five in the league standings in each of its campaigns in the conference. Last season, the Knights finished fourth in the 12-team league, earning a first-round bye at the conference championship. Off the court, Speraw says that he has heard nothing but positive reviews about the team s homecourt, the new UCF Arena. The state-of-the-art 10,000-seat facility opened prior to last season. Several attendance records were established during the campaign as the Knights won 12 contests at home. The arena has really helped elevate and raise awareness about our program, Speraw said. Our fans did a great job coming out last season supporting our team. The arena is a wonderful venue for the fans to watch a game and thanks to the support, we have a great homecourt advantage. Point Guard Replacing O Donnell will not be an easy task. In three years with the Knights, the Largo, Fla., native started 89 contests. He finished his career among the school s alltime leaders in several statistical categories, including 3-point field goals (195-2nd), assists (319-5th) and steals (140-8th). A.J. Rompza is one of three freshmen who could see time at point guard this season. As a senior at Whitney Young High School in Chicago last year, he earned all-state second-team honors after averaging 18.0 points and 7.0 assists. Rompza impressed Speraw over the summer with his leadership skills. He has all of the qualities that we expect out of our point guard leadership, poise, smarts and toughness. A.J. plays with such passion and energy. He is a great passer who can score as well. Will Weathers, who attended Lewisville High School in Texas, is another rookie point guard on UCF s roster. As a senior, he averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 assists. Weathers is known as a strong defender. Will plays hard and is so competitive on the court. He will get after it on the defensive end, which is so important within our program, Speraw said. Another freshman, Isaac Sosa, is a scoring guard who might also spend time running the UCF offense this year. Shooting Guard There are several candidates to replace Noel as the team s starting shooting guard, including sophomore Taylor Young, who is in his third year in the program. Young can play either guard spot. Last season, he appeared in 24 contests, averaging just over an assist in 6.0 minutes per game. Young impressed UCF s coaching staff with his hard work and willingness to learn, which he displayed in practice each day. Taylor works tremendously hard. He has worked very hard to not only make himself better, but to help his teammates improve, Speraw said. He takes good care of the ball and plays with a lot of confidence. A local product from Kissimmee, Chris Baez missed his entire true freshman campaign a year ago due to injury. An accurate shooter, Baez worked hard during the season and over the summer on his rehabilitation. We hope that Chris is healthy enough to get out there on the court and contribute. We expected Chris to be our top shooting guard off the bench last season, and obviously that did not occur. He is working very hard to get back out there with his teammates, and hopefully he can help our ball club, Speraw said. Baez has not seen any game action since , when he attended Lee Academy in Maine. As a senior at Gateway High School the previous year, he averaged 25.2 points and was a Florida Class 6A All-State Second Team selection. Although just a true freshman, Sosa brings a great deal of experience to the team. A native of Puerto Rico, he spent this past summer competing for his homeland. In July, he averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 boards at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Argentina. Sosa also played against some of the best young players in the world at the Nike Global Challenge in August. As a senior, he received Florida Class 1A All-State First Team honors at Grandview Prep in Boca Raton, where he averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds. Isaac has great basketball instincts, Speraw said. He can really shoot the ball and plays with great confidence. The international experience that he gained this past summer should really help him as he adapts to the college game. Drew Speraw is one of the few veterans in the backcourt. An intelligent player, he appeared in nine contests last season, averaging 1.7 points. The junior redshirted during the campaign and will be asked to provide leadership for the Knights. Freshman Amara Thompson will provide depth for UCF at shooting guard. He spent last year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Thompson helped Tucker High School to the Georgia Class AAAA state title in Drew knows the ins and outs of our program. He will be able to help get the younger guys acclimated to the college game, Speraw said. Amara is a great young man who loves the game of basketball. He played at a high level at IMG Academy last year and is a great addition to the program. Small Forward Taylor quickly became the Knights go-to-guy last season. He ranked fourth in C-USA and 23rd nationally in scoring at 20.8 points per game. Taylor averaged 21.4 points in league play and was selected to the All-C-USA Second Team. He paced the team in scoring in 24 of 31 games and totaled a UCF Division I single-season record 646 points. Taylor scored over 30 points on four occasions, highlighted by a 34-point performance at home against Marshall. A candidate for the C-USA Player of the Year award, he enters the campaign 13th all-time at UCF with 1,167 points. Taylor has improved his shooting each year in Orlando and worked hard over the summer to improve his ball-handling and defense. Jermaine is one of the best offensive players in the country. He has shown great improvement on the mental aspects of the game since arriving here, Speraw said. Jermaine has the potential to be a great defensive player as well and that is something that he has worked hard on improving. This season, we also expect him to provide leadership as a senior. Freshman Dave Diakite can play both wing positions and could even see time at power forward. A great athlete, Diakite averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior at National Christian Academy in Maryland. He is a superior athlete who faced great competition in the Washington, D.C., area, Speraw said. Once he gets familiar with our program and adapts to the college game, he has the potential to make a contribution as a freshman. Power Forward With 6-foot-11 center Stanley Billings in the UCF lineup a year ago, Kenrick Zondervan started the majority of the squad s games at power forward. With Billings now graduated, Zondervan will step over to center. Junior Tony Davis, who made nine starts a year ago, should get the nod at power forward. The 6-foot-7 Davis concluded last season as the team s leader on the boards (5.9 per game). He averaged 6.4 points per game and also paced the Knights with 36 blocks. Speraw hopes that Davis can develop into a consistent post presence for the team. Tony is athletic and has long arms. We really need him to step up and elevate his game, he said. He has the ability to help us out offensively if he can remain consistent from game to game and practice to practice. After sitting out last season as a transfer, A.J. Tyler will see plenty of time on the floor at both forward positions. Tyler appeared in 30 games as a freshman at Clemson in , averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. The

4 PREVIEW 6-foot-9 Tyler saw time in 11 Atlantic Coast Conference contests. Tyler was a Florida Class 5A All-State First Team selection in after averaging 21.4 points and 12.0 rebounds for Palm Harbor University High School. He is a skilled offensive player who shoots and passes well for a big man. A.J. is very talented offensively. He can shoot from deep and distribute the ball as well, Speraw said. He spent time learning our system last year and should be able to contribute this season. Freshman P.J. Gaynor can also play both forward spots. The Jacksonville native averaged 15.9 points and 9.0 rebounds at Mandarin High School last year, earning all-state second-team recognition. Like Tyler, Gaynor can face up in addition to playing with his back to the basket. He is a skilled player, Speraw said. P.J. can knock down shots and work in the post. He will provide some solid depth for us up front. Center One of two returning starters for the Knights, Zondervan has shown great improvement each year at UCF. The senior averaged 4.0 points and 4.3 boards last season. As a freshman in , the Hoofddorp, Holland, native averaged just 0.3 points and 0.3 rebounds. Three years later, Zondervan will be looked upon for leadership this season. Kenrick has been with us for three years. He knows what it takes to be successful, Speraw said. He gives it his all on the court and has kept on improving. We still expect him to show improvement both offensively and defensively. Jean Michel Yotio appeared in 29 contests as a backup post player last season. The sophomore has been hobbled by injuries since arriving at UCF, but gives the Knights a physical presence down low. He averaged 2.1 points in 8.8 minutes per game in Yotio had one of his best performances as a rookie at No. 1 Memphis, registering six points and four boards in just nine minutes of action. Jean Michel has been slowed by the injuries. We hope that he can remain healthy because he brings a lot to our team when he is on the floor, Speraw said. There is a new big man on campus this year as 7-foot- 4 center Jakub Kusmieruk joined the Knights over the summer. A native of Poland, he attended The John Carroll School in Maryland for three years. He began playing basketball just before coming to the United States and is the tallest player in UCF history. Kuba (Kusmieruk) has great potential. He needs time to adapt to the college game and get stronger, Speraw said. He is still learning the game and will only get better. The Schedule A year after facing the toughest non-league schedule in program history, UCF will again face a challenging non-conference slate. The Knights will meet teams that played in the postseason last season on four occasions. After opening the slate at home against North Carolina A&T in Orlando, the Knights will start a difficult stretch. UCF is set to face host Valparaiso on Nov. 18. The Crusaders claimed 22 wins in and participated in the inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational. Valparaiso posted a win at Washington to open the postseason tournament. The Crusaders will complete the home-and-home series with a contest against the Knights on Dec. 22 in Orlando. Homer Drew is one of the most respected coaches in the country. His teams are so well coached and always play hard. Facing Valpo twice will be a tremendous challenge for our club, Speraw said. After meeting the Crusaders in Indiana, the Knights will travel west to face New Mexico on Nov. 22. The contest is part of the Cancun Challenge. The Lobos won 24 games last season and participated in the postseason National Invitation Tournament. Playing New Mexico at the Pit will be a great test for our team, Speraw said. It is one of the toughest places to play in the country and we will have to show a great deal of poise and patience. Next up for the Knights will be a contest at Ole Miss (Nov. 26). The Rebels won 24 games last season and advanced to the NIT semifinals. We open the season with games against very difficult opponents. We have a young team that will face some tests immediately, Speraw said. Ole Miss will be one of the top-25 teams in the country and it will be a huge test to play them on the road. For the Cancun Challenge, the Knights will travel to Mexico at the end of November to face Morehead State and South Dakota State. The tournament will mark the third time since 2004 that the Knights will compete outside of the continental United States. Two seasons ago, the squad played at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. In 2004, the Knights participated in the BP Top of the World Classic in Alaska. The team will play its second contest of the year at the new UCF Arena on Dec. 6, hosting cross-state foe USF. The two programs met last season, but the Bulls have not played in Orlando since Fourteen days later, UCF will head north to Jacksonville to meet Florida. In , Florida also advanced to the NIT semifinals as the Gators won 24 contests. Florida is just one year removed from claiming its second-straight national title. Facing Florida in Jacksonville will not be an easy task, Speraw said. They had a great young team last season and nearly everyone returns. After their home contest with Valparaiso, the Knights will host the UCF Holiday Classic from Dec , welcoming Campbell, Chicago State and Penn to campus. The Knights will open their annual event against Penn. UCF will conclude its non-conference slate in early January at home with games against Sam Houston State and Holy Cross. In total, the Knights schedule features 10 contests against teams that won at least 20 games last season and six of those opponensts claimed 24 or more victories. UCF will have 12 games against squads that participated in the postseason a year ago. The Knights C-USA slate is tough from the start. UCF opens league play on Jan. 10, hosting 2008 national runner-up Memphis. After meeting the Tigers, who won 38 games a year ago and came up just short against Kansas in the national title game, UCF will travel to UAB (Jan. 13). The Blazers participated in the NIT last season. We have a very tough start to the Conference USA schedule, Speraw said. Memphis and UAB will both be among the top-25 teams in the country. According to Speraw, C-USA has improved from top to bottom. He expects there to be no easy games for the Knights. It seems like every team in the conference has gotten better. Every game is going to be challenge, and that is what being in such a competitive conference is all about. In addition to Memphis, UCF will also host Southern Miss, Marshall, SMU, Houston, Tulsa, Rice and East Carolina. On the road, the Knights will meet Rice, Tulane, East Carolina, UTEP, Houston, Marshall and Tulsa. Houston, Tulsa and UTEP all participated in the inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational last March. Tulsa won the event s championship. The league championship will again be held in Memphis and begins on March 11 at the FedEx Forum, home to the National Basketball Association s Memphis Grizzlies. Since UCF joined C-USA in 2005, the league championship has been held at the facility. The Knights - Front Row (left to right): Manager James Laughlin, manager Max Rosenberg, manager Bryan Lockley, video coordinator Todd Lewiston. Middle Row (left to right): P.J. Gaynor, Dave Diakite, Amara Thompson, Taylor Young, A.J. Rompza, Will Weathers, Isaac Sosa, Drew Speraw, Chris Baez, Jermaine Taylor. Back Row (left to right): Student trainer Carlos Gual, trainer Andy Reber, head coach Kirk Speraw, assistant coach Craig Brown, A.J. Tyler, Jean Michel Yotio, Jakub Kusmieruk, Kenrick Zondervan, Tony Davis, associate head coach Mike Jaskulski, assistant coach Steve DeMeo, director of operations Micah Byars, equipment manager John Whitford. CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE 35

5 ROSTER INFORMATION Numerical Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/High School (Previous School) 1 Jermaine Taylor G/F Sr. Tavares, Fla./Tavares 2 Tony Davis F Jr. Sarasota, Fla./Riverview 3 A.J. Rompza G Fr. Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young 5 Will Weathers G Fr. New Orleans, La./Lewisville - Texas 10 Drew Speraw G Jr. Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo 11 Isaac Sosa G Fr. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Grandview Prep - Fla. 12 Taylor Young G So. Orlando, Fla./The First Academy 13 Kenrick Zondervan F/C Sr. Hoofddorp, Holland/Kaj Munk College 15 Dave Diakite G/F Fr. Washington, D.C./National Christian Academy 20 Chris Baez G Fr.* Kissimmee, Fla./Gateway (Lee Academy - Maine) 21 P.J. Gaynor F Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin 22 Amara Thompson G Fr. Tucker, Ga./Tucker (IMG Academy - Fla.) 25 A.J. Tyler F So.* Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University (Clemson) 33 Jakub Kusmieruk C Fr. Sokolow Podlaski, Poland/The John Carroll School - Md. 34 Jean Michel Yotio F/C So. Abidjan, Ivory Coast/Montverde Academy - Fla. * - sat out the season as a redshirt Alphabetical Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/High School (Previous School) 20 Chris Baez G Fr.* Kissimmee, Fla./Gateway (Lee Academy - Maine) 2 Tony Davis F Jr. Sarasota, Fla./Riverview 15 Dave Diakite G/F Fr. Washington, D.C./National Christian Academy 21 P.J. Gaynor F Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin 33 Jakub Kusmieruk C Fr. Sokolow Podlaski, Poland/The John Carroll School - Md. 3 A.J. Rompza G Fr. Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young 11 Isaac Sosa G Fr. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Grandview Prep - Fla. 10 Drew Speraw G Jr. Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo 1 Jermaine Taylor G/F Sr. Tavares, Fla./Tavares 22 Amara Thompson G Fr. Tucker, Ga./Tucker (IMG Academy - Fla.) 25 A.J. Tyler F So.* Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University (Clemson) 5 Will Weathers G Fr. New Orleans, La./Lewisville - Texas 34 Jean Michel Yotio F/C So. Abidjan, Ivory Coast/Montverde Academy - Fla. 12 Taylor Young G So. Orlando, Fla./The First Academy 13 Kenrick Zondervan F/C Sr. Hoofddorp, Holland/Kaj Munk College * - sat out the season as a redshirt Coaching and Support Staff Head Coach: Kirk Speraw (Iowa, 1980), 16th season at UCF Associate Head Coach: Mike Jaskulski (St. Norbert, 1976) Assistant Coach: Craig Brown (Florida, 1995) Assistant Coach: Steve DeMeo (Buffalo, 1987) Director of Basketball Operations: Micah Byars (West Florida, 2006) Athletic Trainer: Andy Reber (West Virginia, 2001) Equipment Manager: John Whitford (Manchester, 1995) Strength and Conditioning Coach: B.J. Faulk (Illinois State, 1995) Video Coordinator: Todd Lewiston Pronunciation Guide Chris Baez: BUY-ez Steve DeMeo: Dee-Mayo Dave Diakite: DYE-A-kite Mike Jaskulski: Jazz-cull-ski Jakub Kusmieruk: Jacob Cooz-mere-rick Drew and Kirk Speraw: SPEAR-awe Amara Thompson: A-MARR-a Jean Michel Yotio: John Mishell Yo-tee-oh Knights by Class Seniors (2) Jermaine Taylor Kenrick Zondervan Juniors (2) Tony Davis Drew Speraw* Sophomores (3) A.J. Tyler* Taylor Young* Jean Michel Yotio Freshmen (8) Chris Baez* Dave Diakite P.J. Gaynor Jakub Kusmieruk A.J. Rompza Isaac Sosa Amara Thompson Will Weathers * - denotes redshirt Knights by State/Country Florida (7) Chris Baez Tony Davis P.J. Gaynor Drew Speraw Jermaine Taylor A.J. Tyler Taylor Young Georgia (1) Amara Thompson Illinois (1) A.J. Rompza Texas (1) Will Weathers Washington, D.C. (1) Dave Diakite Holland (1) Kenrick Zondervan Ivory Coast (1) Jean Michel Yotio Poland (1) Jakub Kusmieruk Puerto Rico (1) Isaac Sosa Knights by Position Guards (9) Chris Baez (SG) Dave Diakite (SG/SF) A.J. Rompza (PG) Isaac Sosa (PG/SG) Drew Speraw (SG) Jermaine Taylor (SG/SF) Amara Thompson (SG) Will Weathers (PG) Taylor Young (PG/SG) Forwards (3) Tony Davis (PF) P.J. Gaynor (SF/PF) A.J. Tyler (SF/PF) 36 Centers (3) Jakub Kusmieruk Jean Michel Yotio (PF) Kenrick Zondervan (PF) As a redshirt freshman in , Taylor Young played in 24 contests for the Knights. Jean Michel Yotio is one of 11 underclassmen on UCF s roster this season.

6 KNIGHTS

7 KNIGHTS JERMAINE TAYLOR C-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE Senior Guard/Forward Tavares, Fla./Tavares 38 1 Kirk Speraw on Taylor: Jermaine made a tremendous jump from his sophomore to his junior year. He developed into one of the best players in Conference USA. This year we are looking for Jermaine to improve on the defensive end and to provide leadership for our team. ABOUT TAYLOR A Conference USA Player of the Year candidate... after averaging 20.8 points per game a year ago, is the 10th-leading returning scorer in the nation... had one of the top offensive campaigns in UCF history in should continue to move up the school s career scoring charts this year... enters the campaign ranked 13th all-time at UCF with 1,167 points... will again be the team s go-to-guy on offense... has improved his shooting each year at UCF... worked over the summer to improve his ball-handling and defense... the best athlete on the UCF team... a strong rebounder for his size (JUNIOR) An All-Conference USA Second Team selection made 29 starts and appeared in all 31 games led UCF in scoring at 20.8 points per game ranked fourth in C-USA and 23rd nationally in points per game totaled 646 points, which ranked fifth on the school s singleseason register the 646 points were the most scored by a UCF player at the Division I level paced the Knights in scoring in 23 of the team s 31 games and registered 20-point performances on 20 occasions averaged 21.4 points in C-USA play connected on 79 3-pointers, good for seventh on the school s single-season list shot 36.7 percent from deep, which ranked 15th in C-USA and 94th nationally connected on 2.6 treys per contest, the fourth-best mark in the league logged 1,037 minutes, which ranked third on the school s single-season register averaged 4.7 rebounds, good for second on the team shot 79.5 percent at the free-throw line, good for ninth in the conference against C-USA foes, shot 82.4 percent at the line in the last five minutes of games, made 89.7 percent of his free-throw tries hit six triples and totaled a game-high 25 points in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals against Southern Miss totaled a team-high 20 points in the home win over Rice scored a game-high 19 points in the victory over Tulane in the home victory over East Carolina, led all players with 23 points totaled a game-high 22 points at Rice registered 34 points in the home win over Marshall made 14-of-23 field goals against the Thundering Herd in the victory, became the 14th 1,000- point scorer in school history scored 31 points at home against Houston at SMU, hit five 3-pointers and finished with 26 points in the win over UTEP, led all players with 24 points went 9-of-12 from the field against the Miners recorded a game-high 32 points in the win at East Carolina shot 11-of-16 overall and 8-of-8 at the free-throw line against the Pirates named the C-USA Player of the Week on Jan. 14 after averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in a pair of victories in 49 minutes in the triple-overtime win over Tulsa at home, led all players with 28 points scored seven points in the third overtime hit four 3-pointers during the game, grabbed a team-high nine boards and recorded four steals at Southern Miss, scored 13 points and led all players with eight rebounds totaled 22 points at Sam Houston State earned C-USA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 31 after averaging 25.2 points in a pair of games selected as the UCF Holiday Classic MVP totaled 20 points in the victory over Long Island in the UCF Holiday Classic title game in only 18 minutes, scored a game-high 21 points in the win over NJIT to open the event against Connecticut, scored a game-high 30 points led all players with 27 points at Nevada paced all players with 19 points versus Ole Miss totaled 20 points at USF scored 22 points versus Presbyterian averaged 17.3 points at the Old Spice Classic versus No. 18 Kansas State, scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds in UCF s win over Penn State to conclude the event, scored 23 points scored 20 points against Norfolk State (SOPHOMORE) Ranked second on the team and 16th in Conference USA, averaging 12.7 points appeared in all 31 games as a reserve averaged 25.2 minutes per contest recorded double-figures in points on 19 occasions had six 20-point games and led UCF in scoring 12 times ranked fourth in C-USA, shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range hit 63 3-pointers shot 47.4 percent overall averaged 3.2 rebounds... scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed five boards at home against Houston... registered 17 points at home against Marshall... recorded 17 points at East Carolina... totaled 11 points against Tulsa... led the team in points (15) and rebounds (7) in the win at UTEP... totaled 12 points at Houston... led the team with 18 points against SMU... scored 26 points at South Dakota State... recorded 22 points and four rebounds at Colorado... totaled 17 points in the UCF Holiday Classic title game against Texas-Pan Am... led UCF with 16 points and five steals in the San Juan Shootout semifinals against Appalachian State... totaled a teamhigh 22 points at Minnesota... against Stetson, scored a game-high 23 points... registered a game-high 26 points in the victory over Rollins... connected on six 3-pointers in the win (FRESHMAN) A Conference USA Commissioner s Academic Honor Roll honoree... appeared in all 29 games... averaged 4.3 points in 11.7 minutes per contest... hit 17 3-pointers... averaged 2.2 boards a game... averaged 5.1 points in league play... against Houston in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals, totaled seven points, five rebounds and three assists... scored nine points against East Carolina in the C-USA Championship first round... had five rebounds, all on the offensive end, and 13 points at Marshall... saw 25 minutes of action at home against Houston and scored 16 points... posted five points and three rebounds at No. 3 Memphis... hit a 3-pointer at No. 19 Kentucky... played 14 minutes against No. 11 Florida... totaled three points, five rebounds and a steal versus the Gators... scored a team-high 15 points in 21 minutes off of the bench in the win over Bethune-Cookman... against Nova Southeastern, scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds... made his UCF debut versus Rollins, scoring two points, posting two rebounds and registering a block in four minutes of action. Prepped at Tavares High School... coached by Jack Clark... as a senior, averaged 25.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game... named to the Florida Class 3A All-State First Team... finished second in the Florida Class 3A Player of the Year voting... Class 3A-District 8 Player of the Year... Leesburg Daily Commercial Boys Basketball Player of the Year... Orlando Sentinel Lake/Sumter Player of the Year... Orlando Sentinel All- Central Florida First-Team selection... named the Orlando Sentinel Athlete of the Year... averaged 28.2 points per game as a junior... as a wide receiver on the Tavares football team, finished his senior season with 481 receiving yards and eight touchdowns... Leesburg Daily Commercial 2004 All-Area Football First Team pick... finished second at the Florida Class 2A Track and Field Championships in both the triple jump and high jump... Leesburg Daily Commercial Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year... owns school high, long and triple jump records. Born in Tavares, Fla... son of Gwendolyn Taylor... majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Cousin of former UCF men s basketball standout Darryl Davis, who played at the school from Davis played under Kirk Speraw for two years and is the Knights fifth all-time leading scorer (1,540)... he joined the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in in high school, Taylor played on the same AAU team as current UCF football star Joe Burnett... cousin Richard Jackson is a wide receiver on the UCF football team.

8 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.395) (.304) (.440) (.474) (.414) (.711) (.461) (.367) (.795) Totals (.456) (.376) (.730) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

9 KENRICK ZONDERVAN Senior Forward/Center Hoofddorp, Holland/Kaj Munk College KNIGHTS Kirk Speraw on Zondervan: Kenrick is such a hard worker and now as a senior, he has the ability to lead by example and make his teammates better. He has shown a great deal of improvement every season and we expect his game to continue to grow. ABOUT ZONDERVAN Along with Jermaine Taylor, one of two seniors on the UCF roster... a hard-working post player who can see time at both power forward and center... has exhibited great improvement during his time at UCF... has improved his strength and conditioning since arriving in the United States... in the last two years, has started 59 contests for the Knights... improved his rebounding and ranked third on the team in the category a year ago (JUNIOR) Made 29 starts and appeared in all 31 contests for the Knights averaged 4.9 points in 22.1 minutes per game recorded 4.3 rebounds an outing grabbed 58 offensive boards totaled 14 steals and nine blocked shots in Conference USA play, shot 48.1 percent from the floor at Tulsa, scored seven points and dished out three assists grabbed a game-high eight rebounds at Houston scored seven points and had five rebounds at home in the victory over East Carolina added a pair of blocks against the Pirates in the win at Rice, recorded seven points totaled four points and two rebounds at No. 1 Memphis at home versus Houston, scored eight points in 30 minutes led all players with six assists against the Cougars and added a team-high seven boards shot 5-of-6 from the field to finish with 10 points against UAB added a pair of blocks against the Blazers totaled two steals and two boards in only three minutes at East Carolina had six rebounds at Southern Miss grabbed eight rebounds at Sam Houston State scored seven points and had six rebounds in the win over Long Island in the UCF Holiday Classic title game grabbed four rebounds, had a steal and totaled one block at Nevada scored 13 points and had five boards against Presbyterian led the Knights with eight boards in the win over Penn State at the Old Spice Classic added eight points versus the Nittany Lions totaled 10 rebounds in the victory over Norfolk State opened the season with 14 points in the home win over Nevada made six field goals in the contest... added five boards and one steal in 29 minutes versus the Wolf Pack (SOPHOMORE) Started 30 of the team s 31 games at center one of seven Knights to appear in all 31 contests... averaged 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds played 17.7 minutes per contest shot 49.5 percent from the floor grabbed 35 rebounds on the offensive end... finished the year with 15 blocked shots... scored five points against Rice in the Conference USA Championship quarterfinals... added three assists and two rebounds versus the Owls... collected five rebounds and a steal at Tulsa... recorded five rebounds and two blocks in the win at home against Southern Miss... grabbed six rebounds in the win at Rice... totaled six points and two assists in the win against Tulsa... had two steals against Memphis... in the win at UTEP, pulled down five rebounds... recorded eight points and a block in the win at home against Rice... scored five points and dished out four assists in the win at home against SMU... had four points and two blocks in the win over Texas-Pan Am at the UCF Holiday Classic... against NJIT, grabbed a game-high eight boards in 30 minutes to open the UCF Holiday Classic... in the San Juan Shootout victory over Tennessee Tech, totaled four points and a game-high three blocks in 13 minutes... scored eight points in the win over Florida Atlantic... recorded eight points and four rebounds in only 13 minutes against Jacksonville... totaled eight points and five boards against Florida Tech... in the victory over Bethune-Cookman, recorded nine points in 17 minutes... scored four points and had three rebounds against Stetson... made his first career start in the season opener versus Rollins and had five points in 28 minutes against the Tars (FRESHMAN) Appeared in 18 contests and averaged 2.5 minutes per outing... played in five Conference USA games... grabbed five rebounds and recorded a pair of blocks... posted a pair of rebounds at home versus East Carolina... played eight minutes and finished with four points and one offensive rebound versus Sam Houston State at the Fiesta Bowl Classic... scored his first collegiate basket against the Bearkats on a tip-in... at No. 11 Florida, posted one blocked shot... had one block in his UCF debut versus Rollins. PRIOR TO UCF Played for the BS Leiden club team in Holland... averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during the season... coached by Ivo Boom... also spent time with the Dutch Junior National Team... attended Kaj Munk College. Born in Heemstede, Holland... son of Theo and Marga Zondervan... majoring in management. Began playing basketball at age six... the first foreign player to come directly to UCF after high school under Kirk Speraw... practiced with the Dutch Senior National Team during the summer of while training with the team, competed against professionals like Francisco Elson of the National Basketball Association s San Antonio Spurs on a daily basis.

10 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.200) 0-1 (.000) 1-2 (.500) (.495) 0-0 (.000) (.476) (.462) 0-0 (.000) (.569) Totals (.465) 0-1 (.000) (.526) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

11 TONY DAVIS Junior Forward Sarasota, Fla./Riverview KNIGHTS 2 Kirk Speraw on Davis: Tony has the ability to be a key contributor for our team this year. He worked during the offseason to get bigger and stronger and we hope the results show on the court. ABOUT DAVIS A versatile junior who can play both forward positions... an instinctive rebounder... uses his length to his advantage... has improved as a shot blocker since arriving on campus... established a school single-game block record a year ago and should move onto UCF s career blocks register early in the season (SOPHOMORE) Appeared in 29 contests, making nine starts averaged 6.4 points led the team and ranked 12th in Conference USA in rebounds per game (5.9) grabbed 55 offensive boards totaled a team-high 36 blocked shots, which was good for 10th in the conference recorded 29 steals at the C-USA Championship, grabbed seven rebounds and added three blocks against Southern Miss at Tulsa, recorded six rebounds grabbed six boards at Rice at No. 1 Memphis, totaled 10 points and a team-high six rebounds added two steals and one block against the Tigers scored 11 points and added three boards and two blocks against Houston at home earned the start against UAB and led UCF with five boards started at SMU and recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off of the bench, scored 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field in the win over UTEP had five rebounds and two blocks against the Miners made his first career start at East Carolina and led all players with eight boards in the home victory against Tulsa, totaled five rebounds and a pair of blocks grabbed six rebounds in the win over Southern Miss totaled a game-high 13 rebounds at Sam Houston State in the title game win at the UCF Holiday Classic, scored 10 points against Long Island posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 15 minutes against NJIT at the UCF Holiday Classic scored seven points against Connecticut led the team with nine boards at Nevada scored nine points and totaled eight rebounds against Louisiana-Lafayette had eight points and six rebounds against Ole Miss established a school record with eight blocks at USF finished with 10 points and 10 boards in 35 minutes against the Bulls against Presbyterian, scored 14 points in UCF s win over Penn State at the Old Spice Classic, totaled five points and six rebounds... scored seven points at the Old Spice Classic versus No. 18 Kansas State grabbed four rebounds against No. 19 Villanova. five on the offensive end... added six points versus the Hatters... made his collegiate debut versus Rollins. Named the Florida Class 6A Player of the Year in finished third in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball award... earned a spot on the Florida Class 6A All-State First Team... Sarasota Herald-Tribune Co-Player of the Year... guided Riverview to the district championship and a 23-6 record... led the Rams in scoring at 20.7 points per game... averaged 12.2 rebounds... had 54 blocked shots... recorded 94 assists and 70 steals... scored 12 points at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Classic... played in the Manatee/Sarasota PAL All-Star game and scored 19 points... at Riverview, was coached by James Ward... as a junior, earned thirdteam all-state Class 6A honors after averaging 19.0 points and 11.0 rebounds... helped Riverview to a 21-7 mark... totaled 65 assists, 60 steals and 45 blocks. Born in Sarasota, Fla... son of Leslie Hunter and Tony Davis... majoring in criminal justice. As a senior in high school, was a member of the Riverview track and field team... competed in the high jump (FRESHMAN) One of seven Knights to appear in all 31 contests averaged 3.8 rebounds, which tied for third on the team grabbed 32 offensive rebounds... in 13.3 minutes of action per game, averaged 2.9 points totaled 23 steals and 15 blocks grabbed six rebounds and had three assists at Tulane... grabbed four rebounds in the win at home against Tulsa... in the win at UTEP, pulled down four rebounds and led the team with two blocks... totaled six points against the Miners after hitting a pair of 3-pointers... sank two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the win at home against Rice... in the win at home over SMU, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and had four points... led UCF with six rebounds at Colorado... added four points against the Buffaloes... against Texas-Pan Am at the UCF Holiday Classic, finished with 10 rebounds, six points and three blocks... scored five points and recorded a team-high seven boards in the San Juan Shootout win over Tennessee Tech... played 18 minutes in the San Juan Shootout semifinals against Appalachian State and finished with four points and a team-high seven rebounds... had nine points, seven boards and three steals against Florida Atlantic... played 24 minutes versus Jacksonville and finished with 14 points... hit two 3-pointers and had seven boards and three assists in the win over the Dolphins... against Florida Tech, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and added three steals and two blocks... recorded seven rebounds and two steals versus Bethune- Cookman... against Stetson, had a game-high nine rebounds, including

12 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.458) (.345) (.520) (.451) 6-34 (.176) (.651) Totals (.453) (.254) (.614) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

13 DREW SPERAW Junior Guard Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo KNIGHTS 10 Kirk Speraw on Speraw: Now that he is in his fourth year in the program, Drew has added responsibilities from a leadership standpoint. He knows the ins and outs of the program and should be able to serve as a mentor to some of our younger players. ABOUT SPERAW A hard-working guard who is in his fourth year in the program after redshirting in has a good knowledge of the game... a local product who has improved his strength and conditioning since arriving on campus in (REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE) Saw time in nine contests, including five in Conference USA play averaged 4.0 minutes and 1.7 points per outing shot 50.0 percent from the floor against league opponents, shot 75.0 percent at the free-throw line logged a minute in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals against Southern Miss in the win over Tulane, played two minutes and made a free throw hit a trey and finished with five points in eight minutes in the home victory over East Carolina logged two minutes at No. 1 Memphis recorded an assist in three minutes in the victory over UTEP in 12 minutes in the win over NJIT at the UCF Holiday Classic, totaled seven points drained a pair of 3- pointers against the Highlanders made his season debut in the win over Presbyterian scored two points, posted an assist and recorded one steal against the Blue Hose (SOPHOMORE) Sat out the season as a redshirt... practiced with the team at home and on the road (FRESHMAN) Earned a spot on the Conference USA Commissioner s Academic Honor Roll... played in 17 games... appeared in seven C-USA contests... totaled a pair of rebounds and two assists during the year... saw time in both of the Knights contests at the C-USA Championship... played three minutes in the home win over Tulane, recording one rebound, one assist and one steal... posted his first collegiate assist at third-ranked Memphis... recorded his first career rebound in the Knights home win over North Florida at the UCF Holiday Classic... saw two minutes of action versus 11th-ranked Florida... made his collegiate debut in the season-opening victory over Rollins. Attended Oviedo High School... two-year letterwinner in basketball... helped the Lions to a 24-5 overall and 10-0 conference mark as a senior as the team advanced to the Florida Class 6A Elite Eight... played on the AAU level for the Seminole Shooters... also was a two-year letterwinner in football at Oviedo... played for coach Greg Register... team captain as a senior... starting quarterback in named to the principal s honor roll in Born in Lakeland, Fla... son of Kirk and Tracy Speraw... majoring in finance. 44 One of four local players on the roster... Chris Baez, Jermaine Taylor and Taylor Young are also from the central Florida region... along with former teammate Josh Peppers, toured China in May 2006 with the Sports Reach Christian Ministry... the pair spent 11 days in China and played eight games against professional and semi-pro squads... their team went 5-3 on the trip.

14 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.000) 0-4 (.000) 0-2 (.000) (.500) 3-6 (.500) 4-6 (.667) Totals (.286) 3-10 (.300) 4-8 (.500) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

15 JEAN MICHEL YOTIO Sophomore Forward/Center Abidjan, Ivory Coast/Montverde Academy - Fla KNIGHTS 34 Kirk Speraw on Yotio: Jean Michel has been hobbled by injuries since he arrived, but he has the ability to be a tremendous presence in the post for us. He is physical and strong and has a great deal of potential. ABOUT YOTIO A strong post player who was slowed by injuries as a freshman in gives the Knights a physical presence up front... a strong rebounder and interior defender (FRESHMAN) Appeared in 29 games, averaging 8.8 minutes per contest saw time in all 16 Conference USA games averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, with 15 coming against league foes totaled 13 steals and seven blocked shots in conference action, shot 48.5 percent overall in league games, averaged 10.6 minutes and 2.6 points at home against Rice, scored two points and recorded one rebound, one assist and one block scored four points and totaled four boards in the victory over Tulane had a pair of blocks in the win in the home win over East Carolina, scored four points in 11 minutes totaled three boards in the victory at Rice against No. 1 Memphis, registered six points and four boards in nine minutes in 19 minutes in the home win over Marshall, scored four points played 10 minutes at home against Houston and grabbed a rebound made four field goals and scored eight points against UAB added three offensive rebounds and two steals versus the Blazers saw 11 minutes of action at SMU totaled five points, three rebounds and one steal grabbed two rebounds in the win at East Carolina in the triple-overtime home win over Tulsa, scored four points added three rebounds and two steals against the Golden Hurricane played four minutes at Sam Houston State in the win over Long Island at the UCF Holiday Classic, registered six points and three steals also had two steals against the Blackbirds in 22 minutes against NJIT to open the UCF Holiday Classic, scored nine points and had five boards posted one rebound, one assist and a steal in the victory over Louisiana-Lafayette had two points in two minutes at USF scored two points and had two steals versus Presbyterian appeared in two games at the Old Spice Classic grabbed one rebound in games at the tournament against No. 18 Kansas State and Penn State made his college debut in the season-opening win over Nevada in four minutes against the Wolf Pack, recorded one assist. Attended Montverde Academy, where he played for head coach Kevin Sutton was a member of the Eagles team that went 30-0 in and finished the year ranked No. 1 nationally by HoopsUSA. com and fourth by USA Today averaged 8.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per contest as a senior following the season, garnered Florida Class 2A All-State Honorable Mention honors played in the 2007 Senior Showcase All-Star event in Orlando and was named to the all-showcase squad after scoring 22 points spent three years at Montverde did not play as a junior due to a medical condition. Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast... son of Dougrou Leffle Madelaine... majoring in interdisciplinary studies. 46 One of several members of Montverde s squad who is playing at the Division I level, including Solomon Alabi at Florida State, Gary Clark at Wake Forest and Joseph Katuka at George Washington... played at Montverde with Luc Richard Mbah a Mute. Mbah a Mute attended UCLA and was selected in the second round of the 2008 National Basketball Association Draft by Milwaukee.

16 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.434) 0-0 (.000) (.600) Totals (.434) 0-0 (.000) (.600) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

17 TAYLOR YOUNG Sophomore Guard Orlando, Fla./The First Academy KNIGHTS 12 Kirk Speraw on Young: Taylor provided a spark for our team last year and showed a great deal of improvement. He works hard in practice each day and works hard to make his teammates better as well. ABOUT YOUNG A guard who is in his third season at UCF after redshirting in a hard worker who earned considerable playing time a year ago... made one start at shooting guard last season... a good defender who has shown great improvement since joining the Knights (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN) Played in 24 games, including 14 in Conference USA action averaged 6.0 minutes per contest dished out 26 assists led the Knights in assists on two occasions recorded a 3.70 assist/turnover ratio... in 12 minutes in the C-USA Championship quarterfinals, scored two points, grabbed two boards and dished out two assists versus Southern Miss. scored three points in the home victory against Rice made his first career start in the win over Tulane against the Green Wave, played 12 minutes and dished out a team-high three assists in four minutes at Marshall, recorded an assist and one rebound spent three minutes on the floor at top-ranked Memphis had a rebound in three minutes at home against Houston recorded three assists and a rebound in six minutes against UAB scored three points and dished out an assist in seven minutes of action in the victory over UTEP had an assist in seven minutes at Sam Houston State led the team with four assists in the UCF Holiday Classic win over NJIT played 20 minutes against the Highlanders and finished with three points in seven minutes at Nevada, scored five points added one assist and one steal against the Wolf Pack had a pair of assists in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette also had two rebounds against the Ragin Cajuns at USF, played six minutes and grabbed two rebounds and recorded two assists totaled two assists and two boards in seven minutes of action in the win over Presbyterian made his collegiate debut in the victory over Norfolk State (FRESHMAN) Sat out the season while redshirting... practiced with the team at home and on the road. Honored as the Florida Class 2A Player of the Year... finished sixth in the Florida Mr. Basketball Award voting... named to the Florida Class 2A All-State First Team... as a senior, averaged 25.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals... led The First Academy to the state semifinals and a 24-7 record... named to the Orlando Sentinel All-Central Florida First Team... owns The First Academy career records for points (1,638) and assists (542)... earned Florida Class 2A All-State Second Team honors as a junior after averaging 16.6 points, 5.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals for the Royals. Born in Fort Myers, Fla... son of Bruce and Julie Young... majoring in finance. Along with Tony Davis, is one of two finalists for the Florida Mr. Basketball Award on the UCF roster... as a junior and senior in high school, played with the Tampa Bay Ballers AAU team. 48

18 CAREER STATISTICS Year G-GS MP-Avg. FG-A (Pct.) 3FG-A (Pct.) FT-A (Pct.) Off-Def-Tot-Avg PF-D A TO B S TP-Avg (.400) 0-5 (.000) 4-7 (.571) Totals (.400) 0-5 (.000) 4-7 (.571) CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

19 25 Kirk Speraw on Tyler: A.J. is a talented forward who had the chance to learn our system last year. He is a skilled offensive player who can not only score, but distribute the ball as well. A.J. TYLER Sophomore Forward Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University (Clemson) KNIGHTS ABOUT TYLER An athletic foward who is now eligible after sitting out the campaign as a transfer... has the ability to play both forward positions... a great shooter who can connect from long range... passes well for a big man (TRANSFER) Sat out the season after transferring from Clemson... practiced with the team at home (FRESHMAN) Appeared in 30 games as a freshman at Clemson averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.0 minutes per contest saw time in 11 Atlantic Coast Conference games appeared in all five of the Tigers contests in the postseason National Invitation Tournament played five minutes against West Virginia in the NIT championship game totaled two boards and an assist against Air Force in the NIT semifinals scored five points and had four rebounds versus East Tennessee State in the NIT first round against Florida State in the opening round of the ACC Championship, scored three points in 11 minutes scored two points and added a steal versus Miami drained a 3-pointer and added a rebound against Maryland versus Western Carolina, scored a season-high eight points went 6-of-7 at the free-throw line in the win over the Catamounts registered five points in seven minutes against Charleston Southern in 10 minutes of action, grabbed a season-best seven boards against Appalachian State made his collegiate debut against Arkansas State and had five rebounds in 11 minutes. A Florida Class 5A All-State First Team selection as a senior in at Palm Harbor University High School averaged 21.4 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game shot 75.3 percent from the free-throw line earned MVP honors in the Pinellas County All-Star game played in the Florida North-South game as a junior, garnered Class 5A All-State Second Team honors averaged 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks shot 78.0 percent from the free-throw line averaged 17.8 points as a sophomore finished his career with a school-record 1,746 points played for coach Michael Walters. Born in Clearwater, Fla... son of Gary and Janet Tyler... majoring in interpersonal/organizational communications. Tyler s brother, Garrett, played basketball at Florida... Garrett won a pair of national championships with the Gators (2006, 2007)... he appeared in nine contests in and 16 games in Kirk Speraw on Baez: Chris worked hard on his rehabilitation over the last year and we hope he can contribute this season. Chris is a great shooter and has a good feel for the game. CHRIS BAEZ Redshirt Freshman Guard Kissimmee, Fla./Gateway (Lee Academy - Maine) ABOUT BAEZ Missed the entire campaign due to an injury... a great shooter who will compete for playing time at shooting guard... an accurate shooter from 3-point range... has good court awareness (FRESHMAN) Sat out the season due to an injury suffered in August. PRIOR TO UCF Spent the season at Lee Academy in Lee, Maine... averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. As a senior at Gateway High School in , earned a spot on the Florida Class 6A All-State Second Team averaged 25.2 points and 6.7 rebounds set a school single-game record with 50 points against Cypress Creek after senior season, was named the Osceola News-Gazette Player of the Year and was an Orlando Sentinel All-Osceola County First Team and All-Central Florida Second Team pick averaged 22.0 points as a junior was selected to the Osceola News-Gazette All-County First Team. Born in the Bronx, N.Y... son of Mary and Hector Baez... majoring in criminal justice. During the summer of 2005, played on the Nike Team Florida AAU squad with current UCF teammates Tony Davis and A.J. Tyler. 50

20 KNIGHTS DAVE DIAKITE Freshman Guard/Forward Washington, D.C./National Christian Academy Averaged 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a senior at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Md following the season, participated in the Under Armour Capital Classic and scored 18 points grabbed a team-high eight boards and added two steals and two blocks in the all-star game also claimed the title in the event s dunk contest in the summer of 2007, earned MVP honors after leading National Christian s summer-league squad to the 17-under select title at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina played for coach Trevor Brown competed on the AAU level with the DC Assault as a sophomore at The Avalon School in Bethesda, Md., earned honorable mention All-Montgomery County honors from The Gazette... played varsity football as a freshman and sophomore... suited up as a wide receiver and linebacker. 15 Kirk Speraw on Diakite: Dave is a superior athlete who has potential to make a great contribution to our program. Kirk Speraw on Gaynor: P.J. always works hard and strives to get better in all facets of his game. Kirk Speraw on Kusmieruk: Kuba obviously has great size and potential. He is still learning the game and will only get better over time. Born in Tacoma Park, Md son of Dee and Mamadi Diakite majoring in management. Played on the AAU level with Michael Beasley, who was selected with the second overall pick by Miami in the 2008 National Basketball Association Draft other AAU teammates included Austin Freeman (Georgetown) and Nolan Smith (Duke). P.J. GAYNOR Freshman Forward Jacksonville, Fla./Mandarin Named to the Florida Class 6A All-State Second Team as a senior at Mandarin High School averaged 15.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 2.5 steals per game shot 60.0 percent from the field and helped Mandarin to a 22-8 overall record against Orange Park in the regional semifinals, scored 25 points earned a spot on the Naples Daily News Gulfshore Shootout All-Tournament Team in the third-place game at the event, totaled 36 points in a win over Bartow played in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South all-star game and scored six points and recorded three blocks played for Team Florida in the Senior Showcase all-star event totaled 13 points and grabbed seven boards in the contest garnered Florida Times-Union All-First Coast First Team honors as a senior and junior. as a junior in , selected to the Florida Class 6A All-State Second Team after averaging 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds helped Mandarin to a record that year played for coach Terry McCarter. Born in Jacksonville, Fla son of Kathy and John Brant, and Paul Gaynor majoring in psychology. One of seven Floridians on the UCF roster as a freshman at Mandarin, played quarterback for the Mustangs football squad. JAKUB KUSMIERUK Freshman Center Sokolaw Podlaski, Poland/The John Carroll School - Md. Spent three years at The John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md. moved to the United States prior to his sophomore year and began playing basketball just before coming to the country played in the Charm City Challenge following senior campaign in 13 minutes, scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor added four rebounds, one block and a steal played for coach Tony Martin... prior to his junior and senior campaigns, spent time at the Pro Training Center at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla... also trained at IMG in the summer of Born in Lublin, Poland son of Marta and Zdzislau Kusmieruk... majoring in business. At 7-foot-4, is the tallest player in program history... is the third 7-foot player to suit up for the Knights, joining Ben Stout (7-foot-1, ) and Eric Bethea (7-foot, ) UCF s freshman class consists of (left to right) Will Weathers, Amara Thompson, Isaac Sosa, Jakub Kusmieruk, A.J. Rompza, Dave Diakite and P.J. Gaynor. 51 CHAMPIONS PLAY HERE

21 Kirk Speraw on Rompza: A.J. plays with excitement and confidence. He is a great leader, which is what you need out of a point guard. Kirk Speraw on Sosa: Isaac knows how to play the game. He is a great shooter and has a great knowledge of the game. A.J. ROMPZA Freshman Guard Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young KNIGHTS As a senior at Whitney Young High School, garnered Associated Press Illinois All-State Class 4A Second Team honors also earned a spot on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State 3A/4A Second Team was selected to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area squad after averaging 18.0 points and 7.0 assists named to the All-Public League First Team led Young to a 25-6 record and a spot in the sectional finals Young finished the year ranked eighth in the final Chicago Sun-Times Super 25 rankings earned MVP honors at the Proviso West Tournament after the season, participated in the Chicago High School Classic and totaled nine assists competed in the 3-point contest at the event prior to the season, was recognized as one of the top-25 seniors in the city by the Chicago Tribune averaged 19.9 points and 7.4 assists as a junior was an All-Public League honorable mention pick in helped lead Young to a mark that season played for coach Tyrone Slaughter. Born in Chicago, Ill son of Albert and Jean Rompza undecided on a major. Attended the same high school that produced current New York Knicks player Quentin Richardson. ISAAC SOSA Freshman Guard Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Grandview Prep - Fla. Received Florida Class 1A All-State First Team honors as a senior at Grandview Prep averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in named the South Florida Sun-Sentinel 3A-2A-1A Player of the Year and the Palm Beach Post Small Schools Player of the Year following senior season also garnered Boca Raton News Player of the Year honors helped lead Grandview Prep to the state final game and a 28-2 record shot 52.0 percent overall and connected on 62 3-pointers scored 21 points against Miami s Choice Learning Academy in the regional championship game scored 29 points against Boca Raton coached by Joe Dawson played on the AAU circuit for the Miami Tropics averaged 14.7 points in 10 games with the Tropics during senior year averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds for Puerto Rico at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship totaled 19 points and six boards against Canada recorded 15 points and hit three triples versus Argentina opened the event with 17 points and five rebounds against the Bahamas participated with Puerto Rico at the 2008 Nike Global Challenge in three games at the tournament, averaged 11.0 points played at the 2007 Centrobasket U17 Tournament helped Puerto Rico go 5-0 and win the event s title averaged 11.8 points opened the event with 14 points against Trinidad & Tobago scored 18 points versus the U.S. Virgin Islands in the gold medal game against Dominican Republic, recorded seven points. Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico son of Carmelo Sosa and Maribel Carrion majoring in industrial engineering. Played on the AAU level with Gaby Belardo, who is currently a freshman guard at USF... after moving from Puerto Rico, attended Concordia Prep in Wisconsin for the first semester of the academic year AMARA THOMPSON Freshman Guard Tucker, Ga./Tucker (IMG Academy - Fla.) PRIOR TO UCF Spent the season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds played for coach Dan Bartow. 22 Kirk Speraw on Thompson: Amara is a great addition to our program. He plays with great passion and energy. Helped Tucker High School to the Georgia Class AAAA state title team went 32-2 during the year averaged 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as a senior played for coach James Hartry. Born in Los Angeles, Calif son of Ebele Thompson... majoring in economics. Played on the high school level with Marshon Brooks, who currently attends Providence teammates at IMG Academy included Kenny Kadji (Florida) and Jared Swopshire (Louisville). WILL WEATHERS Freshman Guard New Orleans, La./Lewisville - Texas Averaged 17.5 points, 7.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals as a senior at Lewisville High School in , helped lead the squad to a 27-8 mark and a No. 13 ranking in the final Texas Class 5A poll scored 25 points against Duncanville in the Class 5A Region I quarterfinals as a junior in , earned a spot on the All-District 6-5A Second Team averaged 12.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 boards and 3.0 assists as the Fighting Farmers posted a 30-4 mark played for coach Henry Thomas. Born in New Orleans, La son of Vanessa and William Weathers, Jr majoring in sociology Kirk Speraw on Weathers: Will brings quickness and defensive competiveness to our backcourt. Moved to Texas due to Hurricane Katrina as a freshman in high school, attended the Holy Cross School in New Orleans.