ORLANDo, Fla. - Two years down the road, a men's basketball matchup between the University of Massachusetts and Central Florida could be a game between two-veteran laden teams with high hopes.

But tonight when both teams open their 2009-10 season at 7 p.m. at UCF Arena, it's hard to know exactly what to expect as the Minutemen and Golden Knights are two of the youngest teams in the country.

While the Minutemen feature five freshman, Central Florida will counter with eight, including Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA legend Michael Jordan.

UMass coach Derek Kellogg said the game would be a good barometer for where his team is.

"With so many young guys and new guys on the team, I'm not sure when we'll actually be ready," Kellogg said. "This is not a bad test to see where we are as a team and a program."

Senior captain Ricky Harris shared his coach's curiosity.

"I can't wait to see these freshmen under the bright lights in a hostile environment," said Harris who believes the Minutemen's intensity had risen after Saturday's 80-78 exhibition-game win over Dowling. "I think they know now that they have to play harder on every possession. You can't take any plays off in college."

A year ago, coach Kirk Speraw's Knights finished 17-14 overall, but lost eight of their last 10 games and missed the postseason. They will be rebuilding this year without Jermaine Taylor, their graduated guard who averaged 26.2 points per game last season.

Sophomore guard Isaac Sosa is Central Florida's top returning scorer. He averaged 8.2 points per game last year and shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range. He's one of four sophomore starters.

Also among the second-year Knights is Jakub Kusmieruk, a 7-foot-4, 280-pound center from Poland.

He appeared in just 14 games last year, averaging 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds, but his size alone makes him a factor. He will be the biggest player UMass faces all season.

While UMass has not played Central Florida since the first round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament, Kellogg saw the Knights as a Conference USA rival while he was at Memphis. "I'm familiar with their coaching staff and style of play," he said. "They always over achieve. They're opportunistic and they've always been that way."

Kellogg was not sure who would be in his starting lineup. Senior captain Ricky Harris is assured a spot a guard, and sophomore Sean Carter is a likely starter up front.

But after that, Kellogg will have some choices to make. Either junior Gary Correia or sophomore David Gibbs will certainly start at point guard.

Kellogg started junior Anthony Gurley at small forward in the exhibition game. Kellogg could do that again, but the second-year coach seemed a little intrigued by the idea of using Gurley off the bench.

If Gurley does not start, then two freshmen likely would. Terrell Vinson started in the exhibition game, but Javorn Farrell made the most impact against Dowling. Sampson Carter is also a possibility.

Kellogg said he plans to have a long bench to start the season.

"I'm looking at playing anywhere from nine to 11 guys. That all depends on flow of the game," said Kellogg. "I want to make sure we have some stability coming off the bench."

While Freddie Riley seems unlikely to start, the freshman will certainly see minutes in the game. The native of Ocala, Fla., will be making his collegiate debut a 90-minute ride from his hometown.

"I'm very, very excited. I can't wait to play in front of my family and friends," Riley said. "There will be like 10 or 15 people coming up. I just can't wait to play. I can't wait to get this win."

NOTES: Harris enters the game at No. 15 on the UMass all-time scoring list with 1,347 career points. He's in striking distance of some pretty elite company. No. 14 is Clarence Hill with 1,369, one behind No. 13 Julius Erving, at 1,370. Marcus Camby looms at No. 12 with 1,387.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.