UCF focuses on ways to improve in C-USA

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If you think of UCF's first year as a member of Conference USA last season as a treasure hunt, then the Golden Knights were one of the teams that played the 2005-06 campaign without a map.

The Knights, along with Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP, received their introduction to C-USA last year. With each school coming from a "lesser" conference, coaches at most of those programs set their preseason expectations low.

UCF Coach Kirk Speraw was included in that group.

As it turned out, some midseason struggles aside, UCF was one of the biggest surprises in league play, finishing 7-7 and alone in fifth place behind Memphis, UAB, UTEP and Houston. That quartet combined to lose just three games to the league's other eight teams. The Golden Knights had two of those victories, topping Houston and UTEP -- two squads that participated in the NIT.
Kyle Hightower: Sentinel Staff Writer