The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Men's Basketball Plays First Exhibition Game Friday
11/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 1, 2001
Nov. 1, 2001
The UAB basketball team plays its first exhibition game Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Bartow Arena when the Blazers play Global Sports.
The Blazers are coming off a 17-14 season in which they finished fourth in the National Division of Conference USA. This year the Blazers are picked third in the division behind league favorite Memphis and South Florida. UAB was 8-8 in conference play last year.
Head coach Murry Bartow is in entering his sixth year at the helm of the program. He has a career record of 90-66.
UAB returns four players who started at least 19 games last season. Wing player P.J. Arnold (6-5, Sr.) is the leading returning scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game. Forward Eric Batchelor (6-8, Sr.) averaged 11.5 points last year. Will Campbell (6-8, Sr.) is an all-conference possibility, averaging 8.7 points and leading the team with 8.1 rebounds per game. Tony Johnson (6-4, Jr.), who has been slowed a bit in practice by injury, started 19 games last year and averaged4.0 points.
In addition to those four the Blazers return Myron Ransom (6-5, Sr.) and Mo Finley (5-10, So.) to the lineup. Both were redshirted due to injury last year. Ransom, who missed the season due to a knee injury, averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds two seasons ago.
Finley averaged 6.3 points, but showed his ability by scoring 32 points against Fresno State.
Gone is last year's starting point guard and LeAndrew Bass. However, Eric Bush, a transfer from Barton City (Kan.) Community College has been outstanding in practice and should be one of the better point guards to play at UAB.
A pair of newcomers who could make an impact are forwards Antonae Roberson (6-5, Jr., San Jose CC) and Cedric Davis (6-8, Jr., Sinclair CC). Freshman Jeffrey Collins (6-4, Birmingham, Ala.) could also see playing time.
The Blazers will be without wing player Sidney Ball (6-5, Jr.) and center Tom Frericks (6-9, So.), who are both nursing injuries.
The Blazers play EA Sports in their second exhibition game Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Bartow Arena.
UAB begins the regular season at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Nov. 17-20. The Blazers' first-round opponent will be Eastern Michigan.
