UCF's Taylor to Compete at Portsmouth

Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) of the UCF men’s basketball team will compete in front of representatives from every National Basketball Association franchise in April as the shooting guard has been invited to compete in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Taylor will be one of 64 college seniors who will participate in the four-day, 12-game tournament in Virginia.

The event, which is in its 57th year, will begin April 8. The P.I.T. is the only postseason showcase for college seniors prior to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp and is the lone event that includes actual game competition.

“It is a tremendous honor for Jermaine to be invited to the Portsmouth Invitational,” UCF head coach Kirk Speraw said. “It gives him an opportunity to play against some of the best players in the country. This will be a great opportunity for Jermaine to show people how much he has improved during his time here.”

The Conference USA Player of the Year, Taylor ranked third nationally in 2008-09, averaging 26.2 points. He led the Knights in scoring in 29 of their 31 games. In C-USA action, he averaged a league-record 29.1 points. His 466 points in conference play were also good for a C-USA record.

Taylor registered nine 30-point performances and one 40-point showing. His 812 points established a UCF single-season record. He shot 48.0 percent overall and connected on 92 3-pointers during the campaign. Taylor also paced the Knights in rebounds per game (5.2) and blocked shots (24). In addition to earning a spot on the All-C-USA First Team, Taylor was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 11 First Team and the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District IV Team.

Taylor is also scheduled to compete in the Vegas.com Slam Dunk Championship in Auburn Hills, Mich., on April 2.

Since the P.I.T. was established in 1953, dozens of participants have gone on to play in the NBA, including Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Terry Porter, John Stockton and Ben Wallace.