Saturday  was Keith Clanton’s 22nd birthday and Clanton made one of his biggest decisions in his basketball career. Clanton  announced on his birthday  that he will stay at UCF for his senior season instead of transferring to Florida State. The Knights are not eligible for post season in 2013 and Clanton and other Knights Seniors have the options of transferring without sitting out a year because of the infractions.
” I think to people’s surprise I will be returning to UCF for my Sr. season.” Clanton said via Twitter announcing his decision to stay. ” I love this team and my dreams and goals can be fulfilled here.”
Clanton will be the leader and bring much needed experience to  the Knights 2012-2013 roster  that will be very young. In the backcourt the Knights lost Starting point guard AJ Rompza to graduation. Starting shooting guard  Marcus Jordan will  not be returning for his senior season according to report from ESPN’s Andy Katz. Sources close to the program told me that Jordan not coming back has been known since May when Jordan met with UCF Basketball Head Coach Donnie Jones and talk about Jordan’s future with the program. Jordan was arrested this summer in Omaha which you can readthe details here . CJ Reed who transferred from Bethune Cookman last season and sat out the year to play Point Guard at UCF, decided to transfer and play for his father who is an asst coach at Georgia Southern.
Guards new to program to play PG and SG – Matt Williams (Freshman), Daiquan Walker (Freshman),  Calvin Newell (Transfer)
Players returning who can play Guard and Small Forwards- Isaiah Sykes,  Tristan Spurlock
Forwards Returning – Keith Clanton,  Kasey WilsonÂ
New guys to play Forward/Center- Staphon Blair (Freshman), Dylan Karell (Freshman)
Josh Crittle according sources will leave UCF to play his senior season close to his home in chicago area transferring to DePaul.
Clanton was looking at Kentucky and Florida State as options  where he could play for postseason and improve his stock in the NBA Draft. At Kentucky Clanton would not have started while at FSU he would have started but be part of a deep/ young front court.
Here a look at the Seminoles depth Chart heading into 2012-2013 season with Clanton not going to FSU.
PG – Ian Miller, Devon Bookert (Freshman)
SG/SF- Michael Snaer, Aaron Thomas (Freshman), Montay Brandon, Terry Whisnant
Forwards- Clanton, Okaro White, Terrance Shannon, ,Robert Gilchrist
Center- Kiel Turpin
In the end Clanton felt best option was to stay at UCF where  he will be the focal point of the team in his final season in the Black and Gold and be a strong candidate for Conference USA player of Year.
