Summer is crucial for new players and stars like Clanton

The month of July may not seem like one of the most important times of the year for college basketball players.

For starters, it's offseason, and no games are being played.

If a player is looking to make a step to the next level by participating in offseason workouts, focusing on getting bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled, well, the case could certainly be made that summer is important for the players.

UCF head coach Donnie Jones says he sees the summer as a valuable time for the team.

"The summer is a good chance for our guys to get stronger. Hopefully our leadership knows what is expected. They can workout together and also play pick-up [games]," Jones said in a release.

While the entire roster will benefit from a productive summer, the Knight whose offseason could have the biggest impact is Conference USA Third Team selection Keith Clanton.

The Knights' success could largely depend on how hard the Orlando native pushes himself in the offseason.

The junior said in a recent interview, discussing his trip to play in an all-star tour in China, that one of his focuses this summer was going to be hitting the weights.

"I think the biggest thing is strength... I've been working on a lot of strength and just being able to guard more than one position," Clanton said.

Between his freshman and sophomore year, Clanton improved his numbers across the board and helped guard Marcus Jordan shoulder much of the load for a team that often lacked offensive firepower.

Clanton averaged 14.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots as a sophomore.

But for Clanton, a player often acknowledged by teammates as having the most pro potential, it has always been clear that he could be even better.

There has always been a lingering expectation for more from Clanton.

Should the 6-foot-8 forward make those strides, it could make all the difference for the Knights, coming off a season where they cracked the national spotlight for the first time.

For starters, the better Clanton plays, the less often teams will be able to key on Jordan. After the Knights started 14-0 largely behind Jordan's breakout start to the season, teams started to key on the now-junior guard, creating all sorts of problems for UCF's offensive productivity.

Clanton can be the player who creates the most headaches for opposing coaches with his versatility. He can shoot the three, drive and make smooth moves around the post. Depending on what he adds to his skill set or improves on, he could become the type of match-up problem that frees up teammates for easy looks.

This year, the Knights have plenty of help on the way.

Three players who sat out last season due to transfer rules, wingman Tristan Spurlock, forward Josh Crittle and guard Jeff Jordan are all eligible and eager to play. The best recruiting class in the school's history, featuring ESPNU Top 100 center Michael Chandler, will provide some depth.

Still, all of these players are going to take time to get acclimated, especially the freshmen. Clanton, a veteran of the program, is going to have to come up big early on in the season when perhaps these players won't be ready to help contribute.

What the versatile power forward needs to work on specifically is what he mentioned: strength. Already this summer, Clanton looks slimmer. Now, it's just a matter of adding strength and explosive power. Clanton has often been criticized as lacking intensity. Coming into the season physically prepared to be a more forceful player could go a long way to improving his ability.

In addition to getting stronger, and, in turn, more aggressive, Clanton needs to improve upon the things he already does well. Some of his strengths last season were his ability to shoot from three, his footwork in the post and his tenacious shot blocking. Along with now-graduated center Tom Herzog, Clanton helped the Knights become one of the top shot-blocking teams in the country last season.

Still, there's a whole roster of players who have similar improvements to make over the summer.

It may only be the beginning of July, but what's going on in the UCF practice facility in the weeks to come could make all the difference next season.