As a junior, Sykes averaged 16.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists and was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, the C-USA All-Defensive Team and the NABC All-District 11 First Team. The Detroit native led the conference in steals per game at 2.3 and became the first player in league history to finish C-USA competition ranked in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

“This was a good opportunity for Isaiah to learn more about playing at the next level,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “We are here to help our players achieve their goals and I have no doubt that Isaiah will continue to improve as a senior. We are excited for his future and our program’s future as we enter the new conference.”

This past season, Sykes helped the Knights record their third-straight 20-win campaign. He scored in double figures 27 times and had 12 20-point performances. Sykes will enter his final collegiate campaign 16th on UCF’s career scoring list with 1,030 points, ninth with 547 rebounds and ninth with 132 steals.

UCF will begin its inaugural campaign the American Athletic Conference in November. The league should be among the best in the country with defending national champion Louisville, along with Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis and Temple.

Here is a look at the top individual performances of the year:

10. Matt Williams vs. Florida Tech

In Williams’ first college game, he scored 21 points and was seven-of-nine from three-point range in only 13 minutes. During the game, the Knightmare even started to chant his name. Williams’ college debut was originally delayed to an illness.

9. Kasey Wilson at No. 7 Florida

In the first game against a ranked opponent this season, Wilson scored a career-high 20 points. He paced the team with his shooting from deep, where he connected on five-of-six shots. This game showed Wilson’s consistency from deep. He was ranked in the top-10 in the country for three-point shooting for almost the entire season.

8. Calvin Newell vs. Rice

Newell scored a career-high 24 points in the win over Rice. He was one of two Knights to score 24 points alongside Sykes. Fifteen of his points came from three-point range, where he shot five-of-eight from deep.

7. Keith Clanton vs. No. 17 Memphis

In his final home game, Clanton scored 29 points, grabbed six rebounds and swatted two shots. Clanton was accurate from the field hitting 10-of-15 shots (66.6 percent) and three-of-four from deep (75 percent). In the first half, Clanton racked up 13 points. When UCF was down early in the second half, Clanton started his own mini-run, scoring the next nine points for UCF to tie the game.

6. Isaiah Sykes at USF

Sykes wasted no time showing his improvement between his sophomore and junior years. He racked up 26 points, 11 rebounds and a then career-high eight assists in the win over the Bulls. Sykes was only two assists short of a triple-double in his first career start at point guard.

5. Tristan Spurlock vs. Southern Miss

Spurlock finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds. What was more impressive during the game was how efficient Spurlock was shooting. He shot six-of-10 from the field, three-of-six from deep and a perfect three-of-three from the free-throw line.

4. Keith Clanton at East Carolina

On a night where Clanton was one of two Knights to total a career-high in points, it wasn’t enough to win the game in overtime. Clanton accumulated 36 points and eight rebounds. He did most of his work when it counted by scoring a combined 28 points in the second half and overtime. In overtime, he scored eight of UCF’s nine points.

3. Isaiah Sykes vs. Stetson

By scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists, Sykes recorded his first career triple-double and only the third in school history. Prior to the game, Kingsley Edwards was the last UCF player to record a triple-double in 2005.

2. Keith Clanton vs. Bethune-Cookman

Clanton scored a then career-high 30 points en route to a UCF win over the visiting Wildcats. He also grabbed 13 rebounds. Clanton shot 14-of-15 (93.3 percent) in the game. He recorded the highest shooting percentage with a minimum of 15 shots in the nation since 2008. Besides making history in the national scope, Clanton was the first Knight since Jermaine Taylor (2009) to score 30 points in a game.

1. Isaiah Sykes vs. East Carolina

In a memorable game for Sykes, he earned his second triple-double of the season and his career. Sykes finished the game with 20 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. The 16 rebounds and 11 assists were career highs for Sykes. Over the course of the regular season, Sykes was the only player in the country to record with multiple triple-doubles. His triple-double was the fourth in school history.

Honorable Mention

Sykes, who helped UCF record its third-straight 20-win campaign, has developed into one of the top perimeter defenders in the country. He averaged 2.3 steals per game in both league play and overall games to pace C-USA and rank 19th in the nation in the category.

A Detroit native, Sykes registered 72 steals, good for seventh on the UCF single-season list. The guard helped the Knights limit opponents to only 30.5 percent shooting from deep in conference play, the lowest mark in C-USA.

Sykes is the third UCF player to garner C-USA All-Defensive Team honors, joining Keith Clanton (2011-12) and Dave Noel (2007-08).

2012-13 CONFERENCE USA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

The hosts led for the majority of the second half and made 22 foul shots after intermission to knock of the Golden Hurricane (14-13, 6-7).

“I am happy for these guys,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “That is the team that we have been all year long. I thought we played with some toughness and played together. We played defense every possession.”

Tulsa led 36-35 at the break, but was outscored 48-39 in the second stanza. Spurlock hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight total points during a 12-3 UCF run midway through the second half that gave the Knights a 12-point edge.

UCF was playing the second game of a four-contest homestand.

The Knights shot 31-of-42 (73.8 percent) from the line and recorded 14 assists on 22 made field goals with only nine turnovers for the game.

Sykes, who shot 10-of-15 at the line, also added seven rebounds and four assists. Keith Clanton made 9-of-12 foul shots and finished with 15 points, four assists, four steals and four blocks.

Pat Swilling, Jr., who connected on five triples, led Tulsa with 19 points.

The Knights will play their final non-league game of the season Tuesday when they host Georgia Southwestern at 7 p.m. UCF’s last 2012-13 home contest is next Saturday against No. 19 Memphis.

Sykes finished with 20 points and career highs in rebounds (16) and assists (11) to register the fourth triple-double in program history. He became the first Knight to record two triple-doubles in a season and grabbed nine offensive rebounds.

“I was trying to look for my teammates and get others involved in the game,” Sykes said. “Without my teammates, it wouldn’t be possible. You have to give them credit.”

Clanton (14 points, 6 rebounds) now has 948 boards for his career. The senior from Orlando is also sixth on the C-USA all-time rebounds list.

“It means a lot, knowing that rebounding is all effort,” Clanton said of the UCF record. “It is just about how hard you are going to go out there and play every day. I feel like I competed every day.”

UCF led 48-35 at the break and then built its advantage to 16 early in the second stanza. The Pirates (13-9, 4-5) rallied and cut the Knights’ lead to four with 1:31 to play when Akeem Richmond hit a 3-pointer. Sykes answered for the Knights, grabbing a pair of offensive rebounds before scoring inside. UCF scored the game’s final six points.

“I was proud of our guys, showing great composure down the stretch,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said.

The Knights, who have won six-straight games at home, are now tied for second with Southern Miss in the C-USA standings.

Five UCF players finished with double figures in scoring. Tristan Spurlock totaled 16 points and Calvin Newell added 13 points. Kasey Wilson came off the bench to record 10 points for the Knights, who had 18 assists with only seven turnovers.

Maurice Kemp led the Pirates with 24 points and 11 boards.

UCF will play a pair of games on the road next week, starting with a Wednesday evening contest at Memphis. The Tigers are currently receiving top-25 votes in both national polls and are unbeaten in conference play.

Sykes, who recorded his second-straight 20-point outing, made some big plays down the stretch after the Mustangs (11-10, 1-5) tied the contest at 63 with 3:45 to play on a Ryan Manuel jumper. On the ensuing possession, Sykes tipped in a missed shot as he was fouled.

The junior completed the 3-point play with one of his seven made free throws and scored inside again with 1:36 on the clock after SMU had gotten within one point. The Mustangs were not able to get any closer the rest of the game.

Sykes was one of three Knights to finish with double digits in scoring as Calvin Newell scored 17 points and Tristan Spurlock added 14 points and a career-high four blocks.

“You want your team to be versatile. As we continue to build our team, it only makes us better (to get contributions from many players),” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “We were able to win.”

The contest concluded a two-game homestand for the Knights. The team’s next two games are on the road, starting with a matchup Wednesday at Tulane. UCF plays at Marshall next Saturday.

SMU led by seven points early, but the Knights took a 38-32 advantage into halftime after closing the period on a 19-9 run.

Manuel led the Mustangs with 17 points. UCF shot 46.4 percent overall and made 17-of-21 (81.0 percent) of its free-throw attempts.

Sykes’ triple-double was the first by a Knight since Kingsley Edwards in 2005. He shot 6-of-10 overall and connected on a career-high two 3-pointers in 37 minutes. The modest Sykes had no idea that he joined an elite group at UCF until public address announcer Erik Kohler alerted the crowd of the achievement with two minutes left in the contest.

“It surprised me when they announced that I had a triple-double,” Sykes said. “Coach (Donnie Jones) told me to come out there and be more aggressive, so that is what I tried to do. It feels good, but we need to come out and keep competing for the next game. We can’t focus on things like that.”

Sykes secured the triple-double with a feed to Tristan Spurlock who scored inside with 4:58 to play. The assist was one of 19 for the Knights.

“Isaiah Sykes does the things that we talk about that (make) a complete player. Tonight is a great example. I am really proud of not only him, but with the way that our team shared the ball tonight,” Jones said.

Keith Clanton led UCF with 18 points. Stetson fell to 3-8 with the loss.

The Knights opened the contest with three quick early 3-pointers – two from Kasey Wilson (11 points), who leads the country in 3-point field goal percentage, and one from Calvin Newell (11 points) – to grab a 9-2 edge. UCF led 43-27 at the break and then built its advantage to as many as 24 points in the second half.

The contest with the Hatters concluded a busy stretch for the Knights. UCF was playing its fourth game in nine days.

Chris Perez led Stetson with 20 points.

The Knights will have a break for Christmas before returning to action on Dec. 28 when they host Howard at 7 p.m. The contest is part of the two-day UCF Holiday Tournament.

A huge contingent of UCF (1-0) fans were on hand to see the Knights defeat the Bulls, who won a pair of games in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, in Tampa for the first time since 1978.

Sykes, who traditionally plays at small forward, shined running the team. He nearly recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists.

The Knights, who hardly trailed during the evening, shot 50.0 percent overall and finished with a 45-26 edge on the glass. Sykes was one of four UCF players who finished with double digits in scoring. Keith Clanton had 16 points and 16 rebounds.

“It was an incredible win for our program and our school,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “I am very proud of this team. I thought we played a great team (game). We had four guys in double figures tonight and played very unselfishly. The thing I am really proud of is that we played a lot of guys out of position. Isaiah Sykes hasn’t played one minute at point guard in his career until tonight. I am very proud of him.”

The Knights dominated from the start. UCF led 40-24 at the break after a first half filled with dunks, offensive rebounds and incredible play at the point from Sykes. The junior had 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and no turnovers in the opening stanza.

UCF shot 45.2 percent in the first half, when it outrebounded the Bulls (0-1) 25-13.

The Bulls got within 12 points with 8:28 left in the contest, but the Knights responded with a huge 3-pointer from Kasey Wilson that handed UCF a 59-46 advantage.

Sykes did it all for the Knights. In the first half, he found open teammates like Clanton and Sykes for dunks, and scored in a variety of ways. Holding a big lead in the second half, he slowed things down and got to the basket for impressive buckets.

“I just stuck to the game plan and focused. Our coaches did a great job in breaking down their film,” Sykes said. “Our coaches did a good job of preparing our team.”

UCF limited the hosts to a 36.4 percent shooting performance. Tristan Spurlock totaled 14 points in the winning effort, and Wilson added 13 points and six rebounds. Jawanza Poland led USF with 22 points.

UCF and the Bulls will also meet on Jan. 2 in Orlando. The home-and-home series is offering the Knights a preview of the BIG EAST Conference, which the program will join next fall. On Saturday, UCF’s banner already hung in the rafters of the Sun Dome among those of the other BIG EAST programs.

“It was big for us,” Clanton said of the win. “We knew that they were going to come out with a lot of emotion. Coach told us that we might not shoot it well, but the one thing that we can always control is our hustle.”

The Knights will make their 2012-13 home debut on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the UCF Arena against Alabama State. The game is the first of a school-record 20 home contests this season.

The Central Florida Future sports staff compiled a list using a variety of criteria, including impact on and off the field, career achievements, success of the program and buzz and exposure created for the school.

While things seemed pretty clear at the top of the list, it got a bit complicated as we neared the bottom, so included at the end is a “first four out,” which lists a few other deserving Knights.

Here are the Future’s top 10 most valuable Knights:

1. Octavious Freeman, sprinter, track & field — This isn’t even a question. Freeman may very well be the fastest woman on the planet (her 11.10 in the 100 meters in Gainesville is the fastest time for a woman in the event this year, professional or amateur), or at least among them. Freeman came to campus as arguably the most sought-after recruit ever to choose the black and gold. Most importantly, a likely future Olympian, perhaps even a gold-medalist, is a UCF Knight.
2. D.J. Hicks, first baseman, baseball — He’s the guy carrying the big stick for the resident top-15 baseball team. Hicks was voted the preseason Conference USA Player of the Year and a preseason All American, and he’s delivered. He’s done it in ways outside of just sending the ball over the fence. Hicks is batting .329 with a team-leading 55 RBIs (Chris Taladay comes in second with 30). Hicks provides a lot of the excitement to be had at Jay Bergman Field, leading the team with 10 home runs. In short, Hicks is the face of a program that may be contending for a national championship in Omaha, Neb., this summer.
3. Mackenzie Audas, pitcher, softball — In a sport where a pitcher can dominate and take the mound nearly every game, there truly is nothing more valuable than an ace. The Knights have theirs. The freshman has come in and in a flash become the face of the program, posting shutout after shutout, including this biggest win of the season, a 2-0 victory over the then-No. 3 Florida Gators at the UCF Softball Complex. What’s more? She’s going to be rocking the black and gold for three more years.
4. Keith Clanton, forward, men’s basketball — He’s Mr. Reliable for a program that is on an upward trend and has embraced increasing expectations. Clanton is one of the few players who can quietly register a double-double, racking up rebounds and often scoring at ease in the paint or on the perimeter. Clanton led the Knights, averaging 14.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game, and perhaps most importantly hit the go-ahead free throw with just seconds remaining in UCF’s historic win over Memphis.
5. Kevan George, midfielder, men’s soccer — The 29th pick in the this year’s MLS SuperDraft, selected by Columbus Crew, was an integral part of a loaded men’s soccer team that took the program to new heights in 2011. George led the team in assists (7) and had two game-winning goals to his credit in 2011, one of which game in the first round of the NCAA Championship against Florida Gulf Coast.
6. Isaiah Sykes, guard/forward, men’s basketball — Sykes was easily the most improved player on the roster this season and made a strong case for most improved player in the nation. The sophomore from Detroit continued doing the things he did well as a freshman: rebounding, defending and grabbing loose balls. But in the 2011-12 season he started scoring. A lot. Sykes averaged 12.3 points per game and had a few 20-point efforts to his name. Sykes got more confident in his jump shot as the season went on and, of course, delivered more than a few SportsCenter-worthy highlights.
7. Josh Robinson, defensive back, football — The Knights’ defensive backfield took a blow when this junior defender declared for the NFL Draft. Then, the program enjoyed some exposure when Robinson made a huge splash at the NFL Combine. Robinson’s 4.33-second time in the 40-yard dash was the fastest of any athlete at any position at the Combine. Accordingly, Robinson, who came to the program as a four-star recruit out of high school, saw his stock shoot upward. Any time a Knight goes in the earlier rounds of the Draft, it’s a victory for everybody.
8. Tishia Jewell, forward, women’s soccer — The 5-foot-6 senior out of Satellite Beach was an integral part of a women’s soccer program that ranked among the top in the nation. Jewell finished 2011 as a Third Team All-American and a C-USA First Team honoree. Jewell dished out 10 assists, putting her at No. 24 nationally, and scored seven goals. On a program that has been consistently good for quite some time, Jewell shined this year, scoring two game-winning goals.
9. Jackie Coward, sprinter, track & field — She is the most accomplished athlete in the program’s history, and Coward is also the commitment that started it all. Coward was the first All-American to come to UCF and join coach Caryl Smith Gilbert in her vision of what the program could become. Speedsters like Freeman and Aurieyall Scott may not have selected UCF out of high school had it not been for Coward. The senior sprinter will be chasing Olympic dreams at the U.S. Trials this summer.
10. Alex Friedrich, right fielder, baseball — It’s probably the best sports story on campus. Friedrich, who graduated from nearby şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą High School, had no major college offers despite his stellar high school career. Undaunted, Friedrich came to UCF and walked on with the program, no small achievement. But he wasn’t done. Friedrich gradually earned more and more playing time, and now the senior right fielder who came to campus without a scholarship offer is one of the top hitters on one of the top baseball teams in the country. Friedrich is batting .351 and also has quite the arm in the outfield with five assists this season.

Just missed out:

Here is a look at the top individual performances of the year:

10. Keith Clanton vs. No. 4 UConn

Clanton was one of the top performers at the Battle 4 Atlantis and his play in the Bahamas helped UCF finish second at the eight-team event. In the win over No. 4 UConn, Clanton gave the defending national champions’ frontcourt, which featured 6-foot-10 Andre Drummond and 6-foot-9 Alex Oriakhi, trouble all day. The junior forward finished with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. He shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range and his shots from deep forced Drummond and Oriakhi outside the paint, opening the lane for drives from Marcus Jordan and Isaiah Sykes.

9. Marcus Jordan vs. North Carolina A&T

Jordan was unstoppable offensively in UCF’s early-season win over North Carolina A&T. The junior guard finished with 28 points on 5-of-12 shooting from deep. He logged 37 minutes and did much of his damage at the free-throw line, where he shot 7-of-10 for the contest.

8. A.J. Rompza vs. UAB

Following an emotional senior night ceremony, UCF fans would have forgiven Rompza if he was a little off his game against UAB. But as he had many other times during his career, the point guard came through for UCF fans, lifting the Knights to a victory that secured a third-place Conference USA finish for the squad. In 38 minutes, Rompza totaled 10 assists with only one turnover in the win over the Blazers. 7. Isaiah Sykes vs. Houston

In the win over the Cougars at the UCF Arena, Sykes had a monster game. He totaled 21 points, but was more impressive on the glass. The Detroit native finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, with an amazing 11 of the boards coming on the offensive end. As a team, Houston only recorded 13 offensive boards.

6. Keith Clanton vs. Memphis

Clanton was stellar all game long against the Tigers, finishing with 23 points and eight boards. But it was his play at the end of the contest that UCF fans will always remember. With the Knights trailing by two points with five seconds remaining, Clanton corralled an offensive rebound and scored inside the paint as he was fouled. The Orlando native calmly sank the free throw and seconds later, UCF’s students were rushing the court after the Knights had their first victory in 10 tries over the Tigers.

5. Keith Clanton vs. Old Dominion

In leading UCF to another impressive non-conference win, Clanton was sensational against Old Dominion. He scored 23 points, totaled 16 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, and had four steals versus a team that was coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance. Clanton shot 8-of-14 in the win and made all three of his 3-point field goal attempts.

4. Marcus Jordan vs. No. 4 UConn

Jordan scored only three points in the first half against the defending national champions, but played well when it mattered most. In helping UCF overcome a 17-point second-half deficit, Jordan totaled 17 points after intermission. He continually took the ball to the basket in the second half, and his fearless play after the break led the Knights to one of the biggest victories in school history.

3. Isaiah Sykes at Southern Miss

Throughout the year, it was easy to see the improvement that Sykes made from his freshman to his sophomore season. His strides were no more evident though at Southern Miss. The Knights eventually fell to the Golden Eagles, but Sykes single-handedly kept UCF in the contest. He scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting and also added 10 rebounds and three assists.

2. A.J. Rompza at East Carolina

Rompza had perhaps the best game of his collegiate career in UCF’s big victory over the host Pirates. In 39 minutes, Rompza totaled a season-best 16 points, matched a career-high with seven rebounds and recorded nine assists with only one turnover. And on the defensive end, he grabbed five steals. Thanks to Rompza, the Knights’ offense was on point in the win as UCF scored 81 points, its second-highest total of the year.

1. Keith Clanton vs. College of Charleston

Clanton made sure that UCF opened the Battle 4 Atlantis in strong fashion, leading the Knights to an impressive victory over College of Charleston. Clanton scored in a variety of ways against the Cougars and finished with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting. He connected on a pair of 3-pointers and also added 14 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals.

Honorable Mention

• Isaiah Sykes vs. UTEP: 23 points/11 rebounds

• Isaiah Sykes at East Carolina: 20 points/10 rebounds/10-of-15 shooting

• Tristan Spurlock at SMU: 15 points/3 3-pointers

• Marcus Jordan vs. Stetson: 26 points/3 assists/8-of-13 shooting/4-of-7 3-point shooting

• Isaiah Sykes vs. Hartford: 22 points/11 rebounds/9-of-14 shooting

• Kasey Wilson at Rice: 13 points/4 rebounds/4-of-5 shooting