The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Opens Conference USA Play Against Tulsa
1/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Don't hold it against UAB head men's basketball coach Mike Anderson if he has some mixed emotions Wednesday night. Anderson's Blazers open Conference USA play at 7:30 p.m. in Bartow Arena against Tulsa - Anderson's alma mater. Anderson helped the Golden Hurricane to the 1981 NIT Championship and 1982 NCAA Tournament as a player.
"It's ironic really, the way things have worked out," Anderson said. "They play in our league now and they were the program that gave me an opportunity to get an education. I'll forever be grateful for that. Of course, my wife is from Tulsa as well. When I look at what that program has become - a premier basketball program - I stick my chest out a little because I'm proud of what they've accomplished."
UAB is 10-3 and enters league play riding a six-game winning streak, but is playing just its second contest without second-leading scorer Demario Eddins. The senior forward is out for the year with a torn right Achilles' tendon.
Richard Jones replaced Eddins in the starting lineup against Valdosta State last Thursday night and scored a career high 17 points in a 98-69 UAB win. Marvett McDonald leads UAB with a 14.8 points per game average. Wen Mukubu (10.9) also scores in double-figures for the Blazers.
"We have been playing pretty good, but we lost one of our key components in the VCU game when Demario Eddins went down," Anderson said. "You're talking about one of your better basketball players that has been taken out of the mix. What remains to be seen is how this team will make that adjustment without Demario."
UAB was picked to finish second in the preseason balloting of Conference USA coaches. Tulsa, under first-year head coach Doug Wojcik, was predicted to finish ninth in the 12-member league. The Golden Hurricane is 5-8 after Saturday's overtime win at Texas-Pan American. Wojcik's club is holding opponents to 66.7 points per game and 40 percent field goal shooting. TU is out-rebounding its opponents by over three per game as well.
Brett McDade leads the way for the Hurricane with an 11.7 points per game average. Anthony Price (11.1) and Darold Crow (10.5) also average double-digits. Big man Charles Ramsdel leads the team in rebounding with 6.5 boards per contest while averaging 9.4 points.
"When you get to the conference season, it's a different season," Anderson said. "You just wipe the slate clean with everybody. Tulsa is coming off a road win, and I don't care where you go, road wins are rare and few. They're coming in here feeling good about themselves."
UAB trails Tulsa, 3-2, in the all-time series but has beaten the Golden Hurricane twice in Bartow Arena. The last match up was in 1999-2000, however. This is the first time Anderson has faced his alma mater as a head coach. He was 7-1 as an Arkansas assistant when the Razorbacks faced his college team.
Despite playing just two seasons for Tulsa, Anderson ranks ninth on TU's all-time steals list with 140. He also rates 17th all-time at Tulsa with 250 career assists. Anderson averaged 4.4 assists per game as a senior on a Tulsa team that went 24-6 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He was also an assistant at Tulsa from 1982-1985 under Nolan Richardson, who retained Anderson on his staff at Arkansas from 1985-2002.
The game can be heard on the ISP/Blazer Sports Network found locally in Birmingham on WYDE, 101.1 FM.
UAB Men's Basketball Game Notes in PDF Format
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