National Invitation Tournament • First Round • Wednesday, March 14 No. 6 UCF Knights (22-10) at No. 3 Drexel Dragons (27-6) Location: Philadelphia, Pa. • Arena: Daskalakis Athletic Center (2,532) • Tipoff : 7:15 p.m. • TV: ESPN3 Radio: UCF IMG Sports Network (Marc Daniels) • Flagship: 740 AM UCF Head Coach: Donnie Jones (Pikeville, 1988) • Record at UCF: 43-22 (2nd) • Overall Record: 98-63 (5th) UCF-Drexel Series: Drexel, 1-0 UCF Media Relations Contact: Doug Richards • Offi ce Phone: (407) 823-2142 • Cell Phone: (407) 405-5823 E-mail: [email protected] • Web: UCFAthletics.com • Twitter: UCF_MBasketball PROJECTED UCF STARTERS 2011-12 SCHEDULE/RESULTS 3 A.J. Rompza • PG • Paced C-USA in both steals (2.5) and assist-turnover November (4-2) 5-9 • 170 • Sr. • Chicago, Ill. ratio (3.1) in league games 12 (Sat.) Saint Thomas W, 74-61 Whitney Young • In 16 conference games, recorded 69 assists with 14 (Mon.) at No. 24 Florida State (ESPN3) L, 73-50 only 22 turnovers 18 (Fri.) High Point W, 84-72 Battle 4 Atlantis (Paradise Island, Bahamas) PPG RPG APG MPG • Averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals in two games at C-USA Championship 24 (Thu.) Coll. of Charleston (Versus) W, 74-63 7.2 2.7 4.5 31.2 25 (Fri.) No. 4 UConn (Versus) W, 68-63 • Has made 95 career starts at point guard 26 (Sat.) Harvard (Versus) L, 59-49 5 Marcus Jordan • SG • Ranks 11th in C-USA in scoring at 13.9 points per December (6-1) 6-3 • 205 • Jr. • Chicago, Ill. game 3 (Sat.) Hartford W, 67-48 Whitney Young • Averaged 10.5 points and hit four 3-pointers in two 10 (Sat.) Bethune-Cookman (BHSN) W, 53-51 contests at C-USA Championship 13 (Tues.) North Carolina A&T W, 77-65 PPG RPG APG MPG • Has scored in double fi gures in 24 of 30 games 17 (Sat.) Old Dominion W, 61-53 13.9 2.7 2.4 36.0 played this season 21 (Wed.) at Louisiana-Lafayette L, 61-60 • Ranks 15th in school history with 1,175 career points UCF Holiday Classic (Orlando, Fla.) 29 (Thurs.) Stetson W, 80-70 30 (Fri.) Rhode Island W, 65-54 32 Isaiah Sykes • SF • Averaged 13.7 points and 7.1 boards in C-USA play 6-5 • 210 • So. • Detroit, Mich. • In two games at C-USA Championship, averaged January (6-3) Denby 10.5 points and 6.5 boards 4 (Wed.) Tulane* (BHSN) W, 60-53 • Totaled team-high 11 points vs. Memphis Friday 7 (Sat.) at East Carolina* W, 81-63 PPG RPG APG MPG • Has 22 double-digit scoring performances after 11 (Wed.) Houston* (BHSN) W, 74-63 12.5 6.6 2.2 30.8 totaling only two as a freshman 14 (Sat.) at Marshall* L, 65-64 • Averaging 2.9 off ensive rebounds per game 18 (Wed.) Memphis* (CBS Sports Network) W, 68-67 21 (Sat.) at UAB* (Fox Sports Net) W, 48-41 • Selected to the All-C-USA First Team 25 (Wed.) at Tulsa* (CBS Sports Network) L, 66-61 Keith Clanton • PF 28 (Sat.) Southern Miss* (BHSN/CSS) L, 78-65 33 • Named to the C-USA All-Defensive Team 6-9 • 245 • Jr. • Orlando, Fla. 30 (Mon.) Palm Beach Atlantic W, 84-69 Orlando Christian Prep • Has led Knights in points 16 times this year and has 27 double-digit scoring performances February (4-3) PPG RPG BPG MPG • Averaged 2.0 blocks in league play to lead the 4 (Sat.) at SMU* W, 59-52 14.6 8.1 1.8 33.2 conference 8 (Wed.) Marshall* (BHSN) W, 67-60 • Ranks 11th in UCF history with 1,248 career points 11 (Sat.) at Southern Miss* L, 78-74 18 (Sat.) East Carolina* (BHSN/CSS) W, 64-55 Josh Crittle • C • Has made 24 starts at center this season 22 (Wed.) at Rice* (CSS/BHSN) L, 83-74 24 • In fi rst year competing for Knights after transferring 25 (Sat.) UTEP* (CBS Sports Network) W, 63-45 6-9 • 260 • RJr. • Bellwood, Ill. 28 (Tues.) at Memphis* (CSS/BHSN) L, 84-55 Oregon from Oregon • Averaged 8.5 points in two games at C-USA March (2-1) Championship PPG RPG BPG MPG 3 (Sat.) UAB* W, 71-63 4.7 3.0 0.3 17.6 • Shot 53.3 percent vs. Memphis and UAB Conference USA Championship (Memphis Tenn.) • Scored nine points on 4-of-9 shooting at Memphis 8 (Thu.) UAB (CBS Sports Network) W, 64-54 9 (Fri.) Memphis CBS Sports Network) L, 83-52 NUMBERS TO NOTE NIT First Round 14 (Wed.) at Drexel (ESPN3) 7:15 p.m. All times are Eastern and subject to change. 1 6 * - Denotes Conference USA game UCF is making its fi rst apperance in the NIT. The Six of UCF’s 10 losses this year came to NCAA program is in its 28th campaign at the Division I level. Tournament teams: Florida State, Harvard, Memphis (twice) and Southern Miss (twice). UCF, Not Central Florida Please refer to the University of Central Florida as UCF when shortening the Ɵ tle. DeriviƟ ves such as C. Florida, Cent. Florida and C. Fla. should not be used. 90 3 Also, please note that UCF’s teams are no longer Keith Clanton will make his 90th-consecutive start UCF owns three victories over top-50 RPI squads being referred to as the Golden Knights. Instead, they when the Knights face Drexel. this year: No. 15 Memphis, No. 32 UConn and No. 44 are simply called the Knights. Marshall. UCF QUICK FACTS SERIES INFORMATION UCF Information • Drexel has a 1-0 edge in the all-time series as the Dragons beat the host Knights, 83-72, on Dec. 22, 1989 Location Orlando, Fla. • The game was played inside the Education Gym on the UCF campus Founded 1963 • UCF will be playing in Pennsylvania for the fi rst time when it meets Drexel Enrollment 58,587 • The Knights faced Colonial Athletic Association member Old Dominion earlier this year and registered a 61-53 victory over the Monarchs on Dec. 17 in Orlando Nickname Knights • Drexel defeated Old Dominion twice in 2011-12, once during the regular season and then in the CAA Colors Black and Gold Championship semifi nals Conference Conference USA • UCF can expect more trips to Philadelphia as the program will join the BIG EAST in 2013-14 and will play President Dr. John C. Hitt both Villanova and Temple regularly Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury Ticket Offi ce Phone (407) 823-1000 UCF GAME NOTES UCF Arena Capacity 10,000 Making History Year Opened 2007 • UCF is making its fi rst appearance in the National Invitation Tournament Press Row Phone (407) 823-2477 • UCF has now received back-to-back at-large invitations to the postseason as the squad participated in the College Basketball Invitational last season Coaching Staff • The Knights went 2-1 in the CBI, advancing to the semifi nals after defeating St. Bonaventure and Rhode Head Coach Donnie Jones Island at home Alma Mater Pikeville (Ky.), 1988 • The Knights have appeared in the NCAA Tournament on four occasions (1994, 1996, 2004, 2005) after Career Record 98-63 (Fifth year) earning the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid to the Big Dance UCF Record 43-22 (Second year) • UCF has never won an NCAA Tournament contest Associate Head Coach Shawn Finney Alma Mater Fairmont State, 1985 Another First Assistant Coach Darren Tillis • UCF’s NIT selection is the latest of many fi rsts that the Knights have enjoyed this season: Alma Mater Paul Quinn College, 1996 - In November, UCF defeated a top-10 ranked squad - No. 4 UConn - for the fi rst time Assistant Coach Tim Thomas - In Conference USA play, UCF registered its fi rst victories over Memphis (0-10 entering the year) and UAB Alma Mater Wheeling Jesuit, 1993 (0-7) Director of Operations Mike O’Donnell - Last week, the Knights made their inaugural appearance in the C-USA Championship semifi nals after Alma Mater UCF, 2008 joining the conference in 2005 Director of Program Development Brendan Suhr Alma Mater Montclair State, 1973 22 is the Charm Athletic Trainer Andy Reber • UCF’s 22 victories are the fourth-most for the Knights since the program moved to the Division I level in Basketball History 1984 First Year of Basketball 1969-70 • The Knights have already recorded their second-consecutive 20-victory campaign under Donnie Jones First Year at Division I Level 1984-85 • UCF went 21-12 a year ago and registered 19 of the victories during the regular season (two wins came First Year in Conference USA 2005-06 during the postseason College Basketball Invitational) All-Time Record 691-522 • The current 20-win season is only the seventh for the program since the school moved to the Division I level in 1984 NCAA Appearances/Last Four/2005 UCF WHEN... Showing Improvement • Here is a look at UCF’s improvement in two years under head coach Donnie Jones, who took over the helm At Home 16-1 of the program prior to the 2010-11 campaign: On the Road 3-8 Neutral Site 3-1 Category 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Leading at Halftime 17-2 Overall Record 17-14 15-17 21-12 22-10 Trailing at Halftime 5-8 C-USA Record/Finish 7-9/6th 6-10/9th 6-10/9th 10-6/3rd Tied at Halftime 0-0 Scoring Fewer than 50 Points 1-1 Updating the Résumé Scoring 50-59 Points 2-3 • Here is a look at UCF’s impressive résumé, which helped the Knights earn an at-large invitation to the NIT: Scoring 60-69 Points 10-4 - According to CBSSports.com, UCF’s RPI is listed at No.