The fun is just beginning for the Knights.
UCF will kick off its Conference USA slate Wednesday, welcoming the Marshall Thundering Herd to the UCF Arena.
The game will be especially interesting for coach Donnie Jones, who left the Herd this past spring to fill the vacancy left after Kirk Speraw was let go. Jones turned around a slumping Herd basketball program and led them to a 24-10 record last season, including a postseason appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The move by Jones within the same conference frustrated many Marshall fans, a frustration he and the Knights can expect to have voiced when they visit the Herd on March 5.
For now, though, Wednesday's game is more about beating a Marshall that, despite Jones' departure, is standing tall at 9-3 early on in the season.
Entering conference play undefeated with a target on their backs, the Knights are aware it certainly doesn't get any easier from here.
"I really think that the teams that we've played have prepared us," said senior center Tom Herzog. "Conference (play) is a whole new level."
Of the many familiar faces Jones and his players will have to prep for, guard DeAndre Kane might be a good one to start with. The sophomore sat out last season under Jones as a partial academic qualifier, but has come alive in his second year leading the Herd. Kane is averaging 16.2 points per game on just over 47 percent shooting from the field, in addition to an impressive 3.9 assists per game. The 6'4 guard will likely be defended by either Jordan, whose lock down defense greatly helped the Knights last time out, or Dave Diakite, whose raw athleticism should provide a challenge for Kane. This matchup could very well be the game's most telling storyline.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the UCF Arena.
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