Basketball team needs to find chemistry to succeed
UCF forced to adapt to unique situation with only two returning starters, one senior
Published: Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Updated: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 15:10
 "Photo: Samantha Hery/ Central Florida Future")
Samantha Hery/ Central Florida Future
Junior Isaiah Sykes and senior Keith Clanton, the team’s only returning starters from last season, share a laugh during basketball media day. Clanton, UCF’s all-time leader in blocks, was named the Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year by the league’s coaches.
Donnie Jones might have to trade in the Billy Donovan handbook in favor of watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians this season.
His team will fall somewhere on the spectrum of dysfunctional, like Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, or absolutely wonderful, like Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, and Jones himself will likely have to do his best Kris Jenner impression and be a “momager.”
Jones will enter his third season as head coach of the UCF men’s basketball team with a 12-man roster that will include only six players from last season.
That means half of last year’s team will be replaced.
Even Kim can do that math.
The most notable absentees are A.J. Rompza, who recently graduated, and Marcus Jordan, who opted not to rejoin the team for his senior year.
The team will miss its leadership like Bruce Jenner misses being taken seriously.
Members of the media may have noticed the absence of Rompza and Jordan, along with so many others, when the team had its annual media day Monday.
Only two starters — guard Isaiah Sykes and forward Keith Clanton — will return to a team that will add six new players.
Of the six new faces, five are freshmen: forwards Staphon Blair and Dylan Karell and guards Tyler Coons, Daiquan Walker and Matt Williams.
Junior guard Calvin Newell will also join the active roster after sitting for a year due to NCAA transfer rules.
That means Jones will have more than NCAA sanctions to deal with. Part of his momager duties will include finding the gel of this team (No, not the kind Disick uses in his hair).
How the Knights come together throughout the season could be a storyline worthy of its own E! series.
The Knights have two dates circled on the calendar that will provide for the best measure of progress throughout the season.
A Nov. 10 date with South Florida will tip off the season in Tampa in the Bull’s first game at the newly renovated Sun Dome. The Knights and Bulls will then play a rematch on Jan. 2 at the UCF Arena.
UCF is hoping that by the time the season starts, the team is as synchronized as Kim and Kanye West’s outfits.
is a member of the 
