Hustle Points: 6/28

Knights add combo guard Walker to fall recruiting class

Head coach Donnie Jones has added another talented guard to his recruiting class for the fall with the signing of a grant-in-aid by Daiquan Walker. Walker is rated as the No. 33 guard in the nation by ESPNU.

Walker lead Constitution High School (Philadelphia) to the Pennsylvania Class A championship. During that campaign, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 18.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per contest.

In the title game, the soon-to-be Knight scored 22 points to pair with seven boards, six assists and six steals.

“We are very excited about Daiquan’s ability to thrive in our up-tempo style of play,” Jones said in a release. “He brings great diversity as a combo guard.”

Walker was named the Pennsylvania’s Associated Press All-State Class A First Team.

Rooney adds new hitting coach to staff

The UCF Knights baseball team has made a change to its coaching staff, adding Kevin Schnall as a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.

Schnall previously coached at Coastal Carolina, where during his tenure, the Chanticleers made NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 out of 12 seasons. With Schnall on staff, Coastal Carolina advanced to the Super Regionals in 2008 and 2010. UCF has never advanced past the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

“Kevin has established himself as one of the top offensive coaches in the country, along with a proven track record of recruiting and developing players at the highest level of college baseball,” head coach Terry Rooney said in a release. “His success in the preceding areas is demonstrated by consistently leading his teams to the NCAA postseason.”

Dyer, Jacobs come to terms on Citrus Bowl renovation plan

A preliminary agreement is now in place for a roughly $175 million renovation of Orlando’s football stadium, the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs signed ceremonial footballs on Monday to symbolize the agreement. The 76-year-old stadium is now expected to be back in the discussion for several high-profile events.

The facility is about to renegotiate to keep the Capital One Bowl and the Russell Athletic Bowl (formerly the Champs Sports Bowl). In addition, with the creation of a four-team college football playoff, Orlando now stands ready to compete to be one of the sites for the three games.

Plans for the renovations include a completely new lower bowl with 8,000 club seats; additional restrooms and concession stands; a wider, more contemporary and modern concourse area; new locker rooms and media rooms; banquet space and a ballroom; and the flexibility to add more suites. 

All of these things constitute the kind of amenities that had held the facility back for the past decade or so.

—compiled by Steven Ryzewski