Aug. 17, 2005

NICE, France - The UCF men's basketball team concluded its six-game exhibition tour in Europe on Wednesday, facing Golfe-Juan for an informal scrimmage in southern France. The Golden Knights will return to Orlando late Friday evening.

UCF concluded the trip with a 4-1 mark against professional teams. While overseas, the group visited Holland, Belgium and France.

"This trip was a great chance for our guys to experience different cultures and see different parts of the world," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "Traveling like this gets everyone away from their normal routines and allows them to experience new things."

Junior forward Josh Peppers paced the squad offensively, scoring 18.8 points to go with a team-best 7.4 rebounds per contest. After sitting out all of last season following a transfer, sophomore guard Dave Noel averaged 11.8 points, four assists and 2.2 steals a game.

The Golden Knights had five players average double-figures in scoring on the trip, including senior forward Anthony Williams, who recorded 10.8 points, 5.6 boards and 1.6 blocks per outing. Senior guard Justin Rose averaged 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds from the backcourt. In five games, senior guard Troy Lindbeck hit 16 three-pointers and averaged 10.2 points.

"We were able to weather some performances that were not our best and still come together at the end of ballgames and pull out some victories," said Speraw. "We showed some mental toughness in fourth quarters, but we also established that we still have a lot of work to do before practice starts in October.

UCF opens the 2005-06 regular season on Nov. 18, at home against Rollins.

The Golden Knights, who have made two consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, will be making their Conference USA debut this season. Dating back to the start of the 2002-03 campaign, UCF has won 70 games, a mark that ranks 23rd nationally and first in the state of Florida during that span.

In Amsterdam, the Golden Knights learned how the city has historically handled flooding. UCF players and coaches shopped at a traditional flea market in Amsterdam. The UCF contingent learned about Amsterdam's history on a boat tour.

Josh Peppers (left) and Justin Rose raced while wearing giant clogs at a traditional Dutch village in Holland. The group spent one day in Beglium, touring its historic palaces and churches. UCF had the opportunity to play in some unique venues, like this gym in Poissy, France.

Most of the contingent visited The Lourve in Paris, viewing famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa. Troy Lindbeck, Tom Schuberth and Mike O'Donnell pose in front of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. UCF visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The coaching staff in front of the Eiffel Tower while on an evening boat tour of Paris.