UCF Basketball

This past Spring, on Apr. 22 to be exact, University of Central Florida coaching legend Torchy Clark passed away at the age of 80.   

While I didn’t know Torchy well—or even a little bit, for that matter—the news of his death saddened me greatly.  So much so, in fact, that it’s taken me several months to finally put my thoughts of his passing on paper.    

And even though my account of his life won’t be nearly as good as those who knew him intimately, Torchy Clark means enough to me for at least an attempt. 

I was lucky enough to play basketball under Torchy’s son, Bo Clark, who has been the head coach at Flagler College for 23 years.  Since Bo played for his father at the UCF, much of Torchy’s passionate personality and quirky traits could easily be seen in Bo, a man I came to admire greatly. 

My relationship with Bo, which continues today, has allowed me to indirectly understand Torchy as well as any outsider could, I imagine—through listening to stories, observing the Clark family interact with one another, and by reading articles and columns about the fiery coach.

As a college kid, however, I didn’t fully understand the kind of man Torchy was—even though I pretended to. 

He would make it to games occasionally, and he and his wife Claire would always meet us for a pregame meal when we traveled through Orlando, where the couple resided for many years.  

He even came and coached us for one rather intense practice, which I can vividly recall to this day.  It wasn’t physically intense, but I remember my senses being so heightened that I was about to jump out of my skin.  After all, the guy had won a few games in his day, so it was somewhat of an intimidating situation.  

He called out a few of my teammates, challenged us, talked a great deal about how to press, how to properly throw and catch a pass, and to be honest about your own shooting range—things that often get overlooked in today’s coaching.    

But different phases of our lives don’t allow us to see the full picture at times.

To my naïve and young 20-year-old brain, Torchy Clark was this obsessive coach wrapped up in the game of hoops—a wizardly, absent-minded professor of basketball knowledge who could crack some funny jokes.

A member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame, in addition to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Torchy is definitely not short on accolades.  His list of accomplishments can fill pages.

But awards don’t mean much to the Clark family. 

What the Clark family stands for goes well beyond sports.  Torchy Clark loved the game of basketball, and he loved coaching and teaching, but what ultimately drove him was his faith and his family. 

This is a lesson we all need to be reminded of sometimes, and it is what resonates so strongly with me now as a 31-year-old husband of nearly seven years, father of a young son, and English teacher and basketball coach.

My family of three doesn’t exactly match Torchy’s five kids and 17 grandkids, but as any parent will tell you, kids change your life completely—and despite the lack of sleep, the daily frustrations, and all the other idiosyncrasies our children possess, they force us to find patience and love in ways we never knew we could.

Many coaches have attempted to document how to successfully infuse coaching and teaching with principles from parenting. John Wooden is one such man. 

For years, I have admired Coach Wooden from a distance.  His emphasis as a coach was not just on developing players’ skills but on building his players into better people.  To this day, he is a devout Christian, and he loves literature, two ideals he reinforced as a coach.

The concepts Wooden stands for are ones I hold dear to my own life, and so I have tried to live up to many of Wooden’s credos.  

But I’ve never been in the same room with John Wooden, heard his voice without the assistance of a TV, watched him interact with his children and grandchildren.

Enter Torchy Clark. 

Like Wooden, Torchy Clark was also passionate about teaching; in fact, after his coaching career ended, Clark taught classes at UCF's College of Education, and the list of grown adults who list Torchy as influential is endless—and ranges from your next door neighbor all the way to Daunte Culpepper. 

Even though he is no longer with us, Torchy Clark is more alive to me now than John Wooden will ever be.   

Despite the fact that I’ve only known Torchy from a distance, his legacy has been passed down through his family—and eventually it made its way to me.  I can only hope that in addition to my own family’s faith and drive, that at least a speck of Torchy’s life will be passed down to my son as well. 

One of Torchy’s former players, Brad Garvey, may have said it best with just a few words: 

"The torch has gone out, but it will live on forever, that's for sure."

Amen. 

When I arrived on the scene at UCF back in 2006, Jermaine Taylor (drafted by the Rockets this year) was playing in his sophomore season for the basketball team.

Now, Dave Diakite is in his second year (redshirt freshman) but may be further along than Taylor was at the time (from now on I will refer to him as Jermaine because it doesn’t seem right to keep calling him Taylor).

Diakite led UCF to a 76-72 victory at home over Albany Saturday night by posting a career-high 21 points that included a pair of game-clinching free throws in the final seconds following a steal (yes, I know it wasn’t a very formidable opponent but it was a good stepping stone for this young team and Diakite was clutch nonetheless).

Diakite is now emerging as the star of this team along with Keith Clanton (sorry, I had to mention my favorite player as a fellow star). He’s doing this by taking on a larger scoring role when the team needs him to, playing great physical defense against multiple types of players and grabbing clutch powerful rebounds above the heads of all others.

Diakite is doing things now that Jermaine never could do in his career at UCF (this is not an article intended to bash Jermaine, only to illustrate how good Diakite might get and maybe take some unnecessary shots at one of the best players to ever play for UCF).

The defense and rebounding is an area where Jermaine always failed to impress and it’s Diakite’s best attributes right now. Diakite doesn’t have to carry a scoring load like Jermaine did but is still showing signs of becoming an offensive threat in the near future (and he can be an explosive one at all times, not just when he catches alley-oops).

He’s able to hit three-pointers at an honest rate (Jermaine shot 30 percent his freshman season) and is already better at attacking the basket and creating his own shot than Jermaine was, not to mention being a threat in the low post as well (he was the go-to guy on the block for the last four minutes against Albany and dominated, like he should have).

Does this mean that by the time Diakite is a senior he will be scoring 26.2 points per game for the Knights? No. I don’t think so but it will be because he won’t have to and will have better talent around him.

Will Diakite be a better pro prospect and all-around player than Jermaine by his senior year? In my mind, there’s no question.

Physically, he’s way beyond where Jermaine is. This is coming from someone who called Jermaine unathletic to a friend which led to the famous thread that started on the UCF Rivals message boards.

While Jermaine wasn’t necessarily unathletic (he would jump high when he caught alley-oops, but that was the only time and never appeared too abnormally athletic at any other times), when standing next to and being compared to Diakite, it’s not such a ludicrous statement.

Diakite actually possesses a first step while Jermaine never really had one until his senior season. Diakite looks fast on defense and offense while Jermaine seemed to never blow by anyone (I know I already mentioned the first step but it really was that nonexistent) with the ball on offense and couldn’t guard anyone on defense (like a 6-foot-4 Isaac Sosa).

When Jermaine got rebounds, his arms were over the rim. When Diakite gets them, his head is looking down into the rim.

Jermaine was described as raw when he first came to UCF and that he was then polished and molded into the player he became by his senior year (someone who looked more crafty on offense than a player that was once raw, where did the raw skills go!?).

Diakite is also described as being raw but has much more raw talent than Jermaine ever did (this tells me maybe he will be molded into an even better player than Jermaine).

When it comes down to it, Diakite can reach his potential while being woven into an offensive game plan and not having to demand the ball as much as Jermaine did, which will allow for everyone else to get better too.

When Jermaine was a senior, it was all about him and he became so much better than the rest of the supporting cast that the team had no choice but to go to him as much as possible (Jermaine didn’t exactly help much by becoming a great passer or anything when he easily could have).

That will never happen with Diakite. He can find offense himself from the offensive glass and can let others get involved (like UCF’s other young stars: Sosa and Clanton) and still have a big game.

Jermaine wasn’t selfish (I promise I cheered for him sometimes when he was a senior). The team just needed him to be when he was here.

Diakite will never be asked to do that and that’s why he should turn into a better all-around player than Jermaine ever was. The rest of this season should showcase Diakite’s growth from an athletic and raw talent to a polished stud on both ends of the floor.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

Marcus Jordan wears black, square glasses and stands at 6'3"—three inches shorter than his famous father.

His arms and chest are decorated in body art. He has two stars right below his shoulders that bear his initials. His father didn’t prefer the ink.

Marcus wears the letters UCF across his chest, not UNC. His father wore the No. 23. He prefers No.5.

Really, the only similarity between Marcus and his father, Michael Jordan, is the family name draped across the back of their respective jerseys.

It’s pretty much the only thing Marcus wants to be compared to with his father, despite continuous expectations from the time he was young to become like the Hall of Famer and NBA icon.

“I have had those expectations since sixth grade, so just growing up, you learn how to deal with them,” Jordan said. “You know you’re not going to be Michael Jordan Jr., you’re going to be Marcus Jordan. I have no problem with that.

“I love [being his son], and I wouldn’t want to be anybody else.”

Marcus is beginning his first collegiate season of basketball at UCF after being recruited to play for the Knights in early April. He headlines a talented freshman class, including forward Keith Clanton and swingmen Nik Garcia and R.J. Scott.

Marcus’ recruitment to the Knights made national and even global headlines, especially when he made his official commitment on Apr. 6.

Head coach Kirk Speraw noted that a commitment like one of Marcus’ speaks for itself, but UCF didn’t recruit the Chicago native for the name he bears on the back of his jersey.

“Our decision to recruit Marcus was strictly on what he would bring to our team and the skill set that he had,” said Speraw, who is entering his 17th season as head coach of the Knights. “It didn’t matter if his name was Marcus Smith, his skill set is what we needed for this basketball team and what he would bring to this basketball team. All the other stuff was not even a thought in our minds.”

The decision to lure Marcus to Orlando was helped by his former teammate at Whitney Young High School, A.J. Rompza. The two are best friends, and combined with AAU teammate, Nik Garcia, made Marcus feel something different about this team than any other.

“I really felt like this team was a family here,” Jordan said. “I just thought I was joining the UCF family, basically. Having A.J. Rompza down here already, one of my best friends, and having Nik Garcia coming down with me as well, I wasn’t going into it alone.

“I felt comfortable here.”

Averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in his senior season at Whitney Young, Marcus continued to improve on his skill set as the season went on. He averaged 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the post season, en route to leading his team to the Class 4A State Championship.

Speraw believes his skill set goes beyond what shows up in the box score.

“He will bring a very competitive level to this team and is somebody that has very good instincts with the basketball,” Speraw said. “Those are two skills that people don’t look at very often, but those are two skills that are very critical to a successful basketball program. We are excited to add that ingredient to the rest of the mix that we have.”

Joining Marcus in the 2009 recruiting class is a local talent that will be looking to make headlines as well in Clanton. The 6'8" forward was named the Class 1A Player of the Year his senior year at Orlando Christian Prep and led them to a 30-2 record—including a state championship.

“He is a great young man,” Speraw said of Clanton. “He is very unselfish, and he is going to be great to play with because he is so unselfish, has great vision, and is such a tremendous passer.”

Scott, a Louisiana native, and Garcia, a Chicago native, will also factor into the success of the recruiting class.  Scott also led his team to a state title his senior year and is known for his play-making ability.  Garcia, a 6'6" shooting guard, is a lights-out shooter, averaging 22 points per game last season.  Garcia’s 3-point shooting will be a huge compliment to the inside games of Clanton and the penetration ability of Marcus and Scott.

“Nik is a great shooter,” Speraw said. “He has a reputation of making big shots in basketball games. He brings good length and he has a good sense on how to play.”

Although Marcus has been slowed by a knee injury and has yet to find his touch from the field, all of the freshman will be counted on to adjust quickly to the college level to help contribute this season.

Despite the buzz surrounding his recruitment and the expectations that come with his last name, Marcus is not just looking to make an identity for himself, but also wants to help the Knights find their own identity.

“I want to get my name out there, but I want to get UCF basketball’s name out there too,” Marcus said. “I’m looking forward to doing both.” 

The UCF Knights will look to get to 2-0 to start the season tonight after a convincing 84-67 victory over Massachusetts in the season opener last Friday.

The Knights should have no trouble doing this since they play Howard, he is just one man who apparently likes the Buffalo Bills (evidence by his logo).

I had a hard time focusing on the game against UMass since Michael Jordan was at the game and I kept trying to make eye contact with him from afar (that is also why it took me so long to write my post-game thoughts/recap).

But I did notice a few things.

This team is better than expected and it has everything to do with the progression made by last year’s freshmen class and the talent on the incoming class.

A.J. Rompza, who I didn’t think would improve too much over his career at UCF, proved me wrong and changed my mind immediately. He is listed at 5’9” but is really like 5’6” but is quick enough that his small stature isn’t that much of a factor. With Jermaine Taylor gone he has taken on a bigger scoring role by knocking down threes and penetrating to the hole and finishing with a greater success rate than he showed last year. He’s a great defender who makes the rest of his teammates play harder with him.

The best thing that might have happened for UCF was the Under-20 FIBA Championships (I think that’s what it was called, I’m not looking it up) this past summer where Issac Sosa represented Puerto Rico. Sosa, who again I felt wouldn’t be that much of a different player this season, looks much stronger (and tanner) with the ball on offense and defending on defense and hasn’t lost a step in stroking the trey either (6-for-7 from deep vs. UMass and finished with 26 points).

Sosa experienced the same kind of success scoring early last season but his production dipped down when the team played against bigger, more physical guards, especially in conference. Sosa has modified his game slightly and it should make for more looks and scoring opportunities for the UCF offense this year. He has added the dimension of driving to the basket and has what has to be one of the best pump fakes in the conference now (not that it resembles or is even close to what Sam Young gave the country in his days at Pitt).

As much as the sophomores have come along, the success of the team will ultimately be determined by how well redshirt freshman Dave Diakite and freshman Keith Clanton play. They are the most talented players on the team and have the highest ceiling, making their development to be of vital importance for UCF.

They both looked good and showed signs in the opener, but head coach Kirk Speraw will need more from these two if this team is going to make a run in the conference.

Diakite, who looked somewhat robotic in the offense in the exhibition game against St. Leo’s, was much more active and aggressive versus UMass and would often put the ball on the floor to try and create his own shot as well as battle for position in the post to look for points that way.

Clanton was his usual cool self coming off the bench and giving UCF just what they needed. All he does is make good passes, surprise with how good his handle is in attacking the rim and not miss easy layups (something Kenrick Zondervan made famous at UCF the past four years).

He finished the game with nine points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes of action, the most time any UCF forward played against UMass.

And then there was the son of Michael, Marcus, who looked average but decent all at once (whatever that means, it is a perfect way to describe his performance). Maybe he was feeling nerves because his dad was in the stands or is still lingering from some injuries that apparently keep him from showing off the airness that runs through his blood, but nothing really is going to be expected from young Marcus except solid, strong defense and help handling the ball and knocking down open shots on offense.

The second biggest story of the night (besides Michael’s presence) had to be the performance by Kuba (I will never again type his full name out, too much work). If Bill Walton was announcing the game he would have compared the Polish Hammer to Hakeem Olajuwon in a second after Kuba banked home a turnaround jumper in the first half (and Walton would have been kidding because he is infinitely funnier than anyone in the world and not stupid you idiots who criticize basketball’s greatest announcer ever).

But seriously, Kuba looked in much better shape than last year and finished layups better than a year ago too. On defense, all he does is alter the opponents’ shots and as long as Clanton, Diakite or P.J. Gaynor is playing alongside him, UCF got the rebound (A.J. Tyler does not help in this department since he never boxes out, which is apparently why he didn’t cut it at Clemson).

However, Kuba cannot be relied upon to play down low alone because he cannot catch very well, hopefully he will continue to work at developing this extremely basic skill.

So the future for the young Knights looks bright and they definitely have a chance to contend in Conference-USA if they play this way all season long.

The Howard game should be an easy one tonight with the real test coming against Auburn this Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

As basketball season approaches at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the Knights look to get off to a fast start this Friday against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

While most conference schools are going about their business this preseason, this team has been faced with the task of handling adversity right out of the gate.

There is no doubt that Marcus Jordan’s arrival and shoe controversy has brought a national spotlight upon UCF, but the team will have to face an unexpected amount of attention right away.

For most teams, dealing with attention and adversity is left up to senior leaders and proven players, yet with such a young squad for the Knights, there is no doubt they will need to mature sooner than expected.

All this is coming at an exciting time for UCF basketball. Kirk Speraw, the Knights' head coach, was able to bring in the most highly touted recruiting class in the program’s history by exploiting the talent pool in hometown Orlando and continuing the pipeline of great guards from Chicago.

There is no doubt that Keith Clanton, Jordan, Nik Garcia, and R.J. Scott will be depended on early this season, but all signs show that these freshmen not only bring in talent, but also a great pedigree for winning.

Clanton is the stud of the recruiting class and will likely be asked to fill a starting role immediately. Clanton is a hometown star who spurned bigger basketball programs like South Carolina and Butler to stay and play for the Knights.

He brings raw talent, post scoring, and rebounding to the roster, but perhaps his background for winning will help the Knights the most.

Clanton is a two-time state champion at Orlando Christian Prep and took home MVP honors in winning an AAU National Championship last summer. Clanton achieved this playing with University of Florida freshman standout Kenny Boynton and top-ranked high school senior Brandon Knight from Pine Crest.

While Clanton is the prize of the class, he is not the only frosh that will bring a winning pedigree to the table. Jordan has likely felt pressure all his life from just his name, but in high school he did everything possible to make a name of his own.

He is coming off two trips to the Illinois state finals, finishing as a runner-up with fellow UCF guard A.J. Rompza in 2008 and then leading Whitney Young High School to a state championship in 2009.

Now Jordan will bring his name and skill to Orlando to help out a rebuilding program. Speraw will likely get what is needed out of Jordan, overlooking false expectations from his last name. He will be asked to bring hustle, strong defense, and athleticism to a team that will have a deep bench this season.

With touted guard Dave Diakite returning to the fold after an injury last year, Speraw will not see a step down from athleticism in the wing position.

Diakite won’t be a polished scorer like UCF alum Jermaine Taylor right away, but he will bring the ability to light up the crowd at any moment just as Taylor did.

As a young player, Diakite will be asked to lead right away with other main contributors A.J. Tyler, Isaac Sosa, Taylor Young, and P.J. Gaynor.

Rompza will no doubt be the leader of the squad this season, as he was able to not only step in and start last season, but also excel in leadership at the point guard position. A.J. will need to increase his scoring this season with the departure of Taylor.

Key bench players will likely be Jacob Kusmieruk at the center position, Drew Speraw at guard, and redshirt freshman Amara Thompson in the wing. All three players will likely see good minutes off the bench this year.

The Knights will be tested right away with their season opener against UMass. The head coach for the Minutemen is Derek Kellogg, a former John Calipari assistant who is familiar with the Knights and Conference USA.

Out of conference this season the Knights will be tested against Auburn, as well as going on the road against two tough Big East schools in Notre Dame and UConn in what will surely be three huge games for the program.

In the conference, Memphis will once again be near the top, even after losing Coach Calipari to Kentucky. They will be helped by the transfer of former Duke guard Elliot Williams, who was able to get a waiver and will play immediately for the Tigers.

Likely sitting with the Tigers at the top of C-USA will be Tulsa, led by their star center Jerome Jordan. After the top two teams, the conference could be wide open.

If UCF is able to build momentum with good out of conference play, they could make a push through the conference and possibly into postseason action. Maturity will be a factor, but with the parts beginning to fall in place to build a national power in Orlando, the UCF basketball team will be looking to win fast and often.

Given that his father is synonymous with the company, it is likely that Marcus Jordan had a Nike swoosh on his pacifier as a baby. Certainly, he grew up wearing shoes and clothes designed by the famous sports apparel company.

Now a freshman basketball player at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the young Jordan has become a central figure in a “shoe war” even before playing his first college game.

It seems UCF has a long-term relationship with adidas, and recently agreed on a new six-year, $3-million deal that called for all UCF athletic teams to wear adidas apparel and equipment.

Evidently, at the time Jordan was being recruited to UCF, he asked if he would be able to wear a Nike shoe endorsed by his father instead of the adidas shoes provided to the school. According to all accounts from UCF, the regional adidas representative gave approval for Marcus to wear Nike shoes during games. I’m willing to bet it was an important component of why he ultimately chose UCF.

However, within the last week came word that the national adidas management had overturned that exception and UCF was subject to having their contract revoked if Jordan didn’t wear adidas shoes.

We also have learned that adidas has previously made several exceptions for athletes (mostly kickers) who prefer Nike shoes, both at UCF and at other schools.

However, none of those athletes happened to be the son of the most recognized spokesperson for their biggest competitor.

In addition—and this may be a very key point in why this rival company is holding firm—none of those other athletes had a father who draped an American flag over his shoulder at the 1992 Olympic medal ceremony to ensure that he wasn’t photographed with a Reebok label on his chest.

Though this situation involves adidas rather than Reebok, I’m willing to bet all competitors in the apparel industry have had encounters with the senior Jordan over the years and would relish the opportunity to stick one to a ruthless businessman who always seems willing to throw sticks in the direction of others.

18-year old Marcus Jordan was suddenly put into an unfair position of having to choose between wearing the shoes he had worn his entire life and a pair provided under his school's apparel contract.

It would seem to many Marcus could have just sucked it up and laced up the adidas sneakers. However, having gone through the proper channels and received initial permission, Jordan rightfully decided to hold UCF to their verbal agreement he could wear his dad’s brand of shoe.

To their credit, UCF officials have sided with their freshman athlete, saying the choice is completely up to him regardless of the consequences for the school’s contract with Adidas.

Living here in Orlando and watching the entire saga unfold, I have been amazed by this power play by adidas.

Especially after I actually saw the shoes (see the photo at the top).

They are very nice white high top shoes with no visible Nike logo. If you didn’t know that they were Nike shoes, I don’t think most people would pay it any mind.

To make adidas seem even pettier in my mind, for the team’s first exhibition game Wednesday night, Marcus even had clearly marked adidas anklets directly above the shoes so that anyone who saw them would see the adidas logo.

It almost seemed to me like Marcus was going out of his way to say, “I’ll do whatever you want me to do to highlight Adidas, just please let me wear my dad’s shoes.”

Instead, seemingly before the game was even over, a statement was sent to the media (rather than to the school) announcing the agreement with UCF would be terminated.

Of course, the speculation here is that “Daddy” and Nike should sweep in and rescue UCF. So far that hasn’t happened, but I expect it will. Doing so would both make them the heroes and further emphasize the pettiness of adidas.

Though I don’t know all the facts, I have a hard time not siding with UCF on this entire situation.

I understand they had an agreement with adidas for their athletes to wear their apparel, but exceptions have been made previously, and in this case the exception was requested and approval given months ago.

Adidas may have been trying to send a message to their clients across the country of the importance of sticking to their agreements, but I can’t help but think that the real message they have sent is not one they will like.

It seems to me that in trying to stick one to Michael Jordan and play tough with UCF they have signaled to potential clients that adidas can’t be flexible when situations would seem to warrant flexibility.

I expect Nike, Reebok and the others will be reminding potential clients of adidas’ tough stance the next time they are battling for a contract.

As for young Marcus, I hope that this “shoe war” proves to be just a minor early skirmish and not the defining moment of his college career.

It certainly has to be tough to be the son of a legend trying to follow in his footsteps. I’m sure this is not the start Marcus would have wanted, but hopefully he will show some of the toughness that was a trademark of his father’s career.

I doubt he will ever be “Air Jordan,” but even if Marcus is only half as good as his dad, he will still be better than most.

This article is an original story from Sports Then and Now , which was created to give passionate sports fans a place where they can analyze and discuss current sports topics while also remembering some of the great athletes, moments, teams and games in sports history all at one site. If you haven't been there yet, check it out today.

The UCF men’s basketball team is losing 36.5 percent of its scoring from last season, and that’s if you only count Jermaine Taylor.

The Knights’ all-time leading scorer was drafted by the Houston Rockets in this year’s NBA Draft after giving UCF fans four years' worth of three-pointers and alley-oop dunks.

The Knights have also parted ways with Kenrick Zondervan and Tony Davis.

UCF was one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, and things won’t be changing much in that department this year, as the squad contains just one senior in coach’s son Drew Speraw.

Making up for the losses is a freshman class that may be the best head coach Kirk Speraw has ever had in his 17 years with the Knights.

Headlining the list of new faces is Keith Clanton, Nik Garcia, R.J. Scott, and Michael Jordan’s son, Marcus. Dave Diakite will also be a freshman this season after redshirting last year.

While Jordan has received the bulk of the hype with his family ties and controversy over what shoes he will wear, it is Clanton that should be getting talked about the most.

Clanton, who played his high school ball at nearby Orlando Christian Prep, was rated the 68th-best senior last year by Scout.com and won back-to-back 1A state championships to finish out his high school career.

But most notably, Clanton was part of an AAU team that was one of the best in the country and consisted of players such as Brandon Knight, Kenny Boynton, Eloy Vargas, and Ray Taylor.

While Clanton’s experience playing against tough competition may have been limited in his high school games, he more than made up for it with the experience he gained in the AAU ranks.

Clanton will bring to UCF something that has been missing for the past few seasons, at least since Lavell Payne played back in the 2006-2007 season. The Knights will finally have a post presence who is willing to bang and score points from inside the paint.

In UCF’s first exhibition game vs. St. Leo’s last Wednesday, Clanton scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and also grabbed eight rebounds as UCF won 84-65. All of Clanton’s shots in the game came from inside or around the paint.

Clanton’s game does not stop there. At 6’8’’ and 230 pounds, the freshman big man can handle the ball like a guard and drive to the hoop like a forward.

UCF legend Mike O’Donnell said of Clanton that he could play all five positions if given the chance, and it showed in the team’s first exhibition.

On more than one occasion, Clanton found himself with the ball on the perimeter or wing and proceeded to drive to the basket and score or hit a cutting teammate for a high percentage look.

But Clanton isn’t the only player on this team, and he wasn’t the only freshman who has showed promise early in this season.

Diakite doesn’t look like he belongs on the court with everyone else at times, but in a good way. He looks like he should be wearing pads or in the NBA with the 6’6”, 215-pound chiseled frame he possesses.

If UCF fans were excited by Taylor’s high-flying antics last year, they will be even more impressed by Diakite. When Diakite jumps, it’s as if a trampoline has been secretly put beneath him before he takes off. He flies.

The Washington, D.C. native played fewer minutes than he would have liked in the opener because of foul trouble but produced nonetheless. He scored nine points to go along with seven rebounds and showed nice variety and balance to his game. He even played a little center with one smaller lineup that the Knights went with.

Behind Clanton and Diakite, Jordan got the most playing time in the first game, registering 23 minutes. He only scored one point but was strong defensively and calm while handling the ball in the backcourt, something Speraw values highly in his perimeter players.

Jordan showed a coolness that said he had been there before and looks more than ready to handle big minutes in his freshman campaign with the Knights.

Garcia and Scott saw less time, but both could become solid contributors for the Knights this season. They each attempted multiple three-pointers, and even though they missed all five of their attempts, they looked comfortable taking them, and Speraw definitely looked confident when they were shooting.

The UCF Knights will only go as far as their young contributors take them this season. That may be obvious, seeing that almost all of their players are young, but it is true.

The Knights’ roster consists of one senior, two juniors, five sophomores, and eight freshmen.

Losing a star like Taylor will give UCF the opportunity to sneak up on opponents the first time they see them, which can be especially important in conference play.

The Knights will have a much more balanced attack on offense this year, and with Memphis now on the decline following John Calipari’s departure, UCF will have a chance to make a run at the conference if all the parts come together.

Read the full article here: The Sports Genius.

Photo courtesy of www.ucfsports.com.

Photo by Jason Greene, Orlando Sentinel (changed at request of UCF communications dept.)

Last night Marcus Jordan (yeah, that Michael's son) wore Nikes to play in their exhibition game against Saint Leo last night (which they won 85-64).

This is one sloppy mess over wearing the greatest basketball shoes ever made or some crappy Adidas basketball shoes. It is a big deal because lots of sponsorship money is at stake.

I don’t understand why this is such a big deal to everyone else, though. Do we REALLY think that because Adidas has officially become the sponsor of schools not named Central Florida, UCF is going to be left standing in the cold?

Let’s do the math. Michael Jordan is Marcus’s dad. Michael Jordan put Nike on the map. His Airness is still a big player in Swooshland.  Do you see where I’m going with this?

The only ones that get left in the cold on this deal is Adidas.  It makes no sense why they just wouldn’t let little MJ wear his Nike’s and keep the rest of the team in their three striped kicks.  They lose a whole school to their biggest rival, Nike.

This is a bad business decision by Adidas.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.  I don't know how many more kids Jordan has, but it's unlikely anyone else will ever have grounds to do this again.

I was thinking this may not be allowed somehow under NCAA regs because new ones are cooked up all the time. However, according to the cover of the '08-'09 media guide from Illinois, they are wearing Nikes. Guess what Jefferey’s last name on that team is? Jordan.

If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Marcus Jordan not being the only athlete around campus that will be wearing Nikes in the coming weeks for the Knights.

Check CollegeHoopsDaily.com for a bonus Mars Blackman/ Michael Jordan Commercial from back in the day.

UCF's 2009-10 basketball season is slated to begin on November 4 with an exhibition game vs. Saint Leo University.

Coach Kirk Speraw is in his 17th year as the Knights' head coach, and he expects nothing short of success. The Knights basketball team has finished in the top half of the C-USA standings each year since Speraw's tenure began.

UCF is currently completing their two months of off-season workouts, and starting Friday, Oct. 16, they will begin regular season practice.

Many players, including Junior guard Taylor Young, are reporting immense improvement in the off-season. “I am shooting the ball more consistently,” Young told reporters. Last year Young shot only 31.6 from the field, but is looking to turn that around in 2009-10.

Young is only one of three upperclassmen on the squad this season, which makes the Knights one of the youngest teams in the nation. The young squad includes Michael Jordan's son Marcus Jordan, a true freshman out of Highland Park, Illinois, and one of the biggest stories of the off-season.

The team's upperclassmen, including Taylor Young, have made it their mission to serve as role models to their younger teammates, going over Speraw's offensive scheme, and ensuring that the group is gelling and progressing at a swift rate.

The kind of leadership that the Knights' coaching staff is palpable; there's no man on the Knights' basketball squad for himself.

Age is nothing but a number for this team. The Knights are expected to continue to dominate in C-USA this season.

Point Guard

Last year, Jermaine Taylor was the star of UCF basketball, winning the C-USA Player of the Year award, and averaging 26.2 points per game. He was selected in the 2009 NBA Draft. A.J. Rompza, a sophomore, is one of the big reasons for Taylor's success.

Rompza will return again this year and see a lot of time at point guard for the Knights, along with Marcus Jordan. Jordan was considered one of the 100 best recruits from many outlets in the off-season, and should add magic to point guard for the Knights.

Shooting Guard

Sophomore Isaac Sosa made eight starts and averaged 8.2 points as a freshman. His three-point field goal percentage was seventh on the UCF single-season register, and will be an integral part of the Knights' success this season.

Drew Speraw has been selected as team captain, and will continue to be a shooting star for UCF, as he had a 55 percent field goal percentage last year.

Other star shooting guards for the Knights include Nik Garcia, R.J. Scott, and Amara Thompson.

Small Forward

Due to an injury this year, Dave Diakite only appeared in five contests as a true freshman. He's looking to make a big difference in the Knights' game this season as a rebound giant.

Sophomore P.J. Gaynor can play both forward spots. As a rookie last year, he appeared in 25 contests as a reserve and averaged two points in just over nine minutes.

Post Players

A.J. Tyler averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 boards last year. He only made nine starts, but was a force against Southern Miss at the C-USA championship, leading UCF with 16 points and 6 boards in 29 minutes.

With Kendrick Zondervan lost to graduation, Tyler is set to be one of the Knights' primary offensive threats.

Keith Clanton signed a National Letter of Intent with the Knights last spring, and has created quite a buzz among UCF basketball fans. Last year Clanton was named Florida Class 1A Player of the Year and the Orlando Sentinel Player of the Year. He averaged 18.2 points, 12.5 boards, and 3.8 blocked shots, leading Orlando Christian Prep to the state title.

Jakub Kuzmieruk, a player from Poland, has lost 20 pounds in the off-season, which should help mobility on both sides of the floor. Last year he averaged 2.2 points in 14 games.

CBS College Sports will air three UCF men's basketball games this year to a national audience, including a matchup against Marshall on January 13, Tulsa on January 16, and Tulane on February 13. Regionally televised games include Memphis on February 10 and February 16 versus Houston, both on CSS.

Other exciting matchups include Notre Dame, USF, and Connecticut. In total, the Knights will meet 10 teams that went to the postseason last year. View the entire 2009-10 schedule here.

In preparation for the start of the regular season next Sunday, the CU women’s basketball team blew out Regis University 86-44, in an exhibition game at the Coors Events Center on Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said she was pleased with her team’s performance, but admits there are still areas to work on before the season starts.

“I thought the ball pressure was great on the defensive end, causing 34 turnovers, easy buckets in transition, this group likes to get out and run and I thought their decision making was very good,” McConnell-Miller said.

“Free throws are a concern, this is very uncharacteristic for this group, because every day in practice it’s a focus and I don’t think we’re ever less than about 78 percebt from the free throw line.”

CU finished 16 for 25 from the charity line, a very low number since free throws have been an emphasis with the team since the start of practice.

“Our free throws we definitely need to work on,” said redshirt-sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney. “We’ve been doing that a lot in practice so it’s kind of surprising that we’ve missed our free throws because of how much time we do spend on it in practice.”

Mullaney had 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists in her 22 minutes played against Regis.

After having to sit out a year per NCAA rules after transferring from Colorado State, Mullaney said it felt good to be back on the court in a game situation.

“It felt great, it was a good game to get under my belt, to play with my teammates and the chemistry on the floor was amazing,” Mullaney said. “It was great to be out there and play a game after two years of sitting out basically.”

A surprise for CU was the play of freshman Alyssa Fressle who played the most minutes on the team with 33 and led the Buffs in points with 18, while posting seven rebounds and three assists in her first collegiate game.

“I had some jitters, but I think that was normal,” Fressle said. “It was good to get this game out of the way and focus on a real game next Sunday.”

McConnell-Miller said Fressle’s play helped ignite the team not only on offense but on defense as well.

“I think she ignited everything on the defensive end, the amount of ball pressure she gives us really allows other players to take chances, gets deflections, and creates time constraints for the other team which forces them to take tough shots,” McConnell-Miller said.

The Buffs never trailed in the contest and started the game on a 16-3 run, which featured four 3-pointers.

Colorado went 4-for-4 from the three-point line in the first four minutes of the game, but then went 1-for-8 in the next eight minutes of the first half.

CU finished 8-for-23 from beyond the arc, something that McConnell-Miller did not especially like.

“I’m okay with the four for four, I’m not ok with that one for eight,” McConnell-Miller said. “Making eight is fine, taking 23, we’ve done worse, but we definitely need to shoot a higher percentage because we have some players who can make those shots.”

Except for a few minor details, it seemed like the Buffs were clicking on all cylinders in this warm up game.

However, McConnell-Miller said they need to do a better job in the rotation of players and in the preparation for the opposing team, before next Sunday’s season opener against Central Florida at 2:30 P.M. at the Coors Events Center.

“I think a better rotation for me, I think better combinations of players, and really what we’re running with, with those groups of players,” McConnell-Miller said. “Not taking so many chances on the defensive end, and hopefully having a little better preparation for what [the other team] is supposed to run.”