With another college basketball season set to tip-off, UCF coach Donnie Jones met with the media on Thursday to talk about their progress as they get ready for Saturday's opener at USF.



The 2012-13 Knights will be led by senior Keith Clanton, who recently was named the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year. An Orlando native, the power forward is coming off an All-C-USA junior campaign where he posted team-highs in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (8.1).





UCF is facing depth issues and won't be able to play in the postseason due to NCAA sanctions, but experts still feel the team has an excellent opportunity to be very competitive in C-USA. Preseason predictions have come in as high as second place.



Saturday's 7 p.m. game in Tampa, which is the grand opening of the newly-renovated Sun Dome, will be the first of an in-season series between the Knights and Bulls. A return trip to Orlando is set for Jan. 2. Next season, the pair will play annually as members of the Big East.



During his first two years at UCF, Jones has led the Knights to a top 25 ranking and back-to-back postseason appearances.




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