The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Opens Conference USA Play At UTEP On Saturday Night
1/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2007
UTEP Game Notes
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team will begin the 2006-07 Conference USA season when it travels to El Paso, Texas to take on the Miners of UTEP. Tip off is slated for Saturday, Jan. 6, at 8:05 p.m. CT (7:05 MT), at the Don Haskins Center. The radio broadcast can be heard on the Blazers ISP Sports Network, beginning with the pre-game show at 7:30 p.m. CT. Birmingham and Huntsville listeners can follow all the action on WYDE 101.1 FM. The broadcast can also be heard on WIQR 1410 AM in Montgomery/Prattville and 98.3 FM WTRB in Ashland/Talladega.
The Blazers and Miners will be meeting for the fourth time in the series history, with UTEP holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. Last season, the team's split two games, with UTEP claiming a 65-37 win in El Paso, Texas on Feb. 8, 2006. UAB returned the favor in the Conference USA Tournament, defeating the Miners, 63-60, on March 10, 2006.
Scouting UTEP
UTEP enters its contest against UAB sporting an 8-6 record on the campaign, and have won two consecutive games. Most recently, the Miners crushed UC Riverside, 95-55, on Jan. 2 in El Paso. It was the fourth consecutive game the Miners have reached the 90-point mark, tying a school record. When UAB comes to El Paso, it will mark UTEP's 11th home contest in 15 games this season.
The Miners are led on the year by sophomore guard Stefon Jackson, who currently ranks second in the league in scoring at 20.1 points per game. Jackson also leads the squad in steals (26), and ranks second in rebounds per game (5.8). Junior guard Darren Clarke is the only other player to average double figures, going for 10.1 ppg entering the contest. Sophomore forward Maurice Thomas is also a contributor, accounting for 8.7 ppg and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds per contest.
Head coach Tony Barbee is in his first year at the helm of the UTEP basketball program. He joins the Miner program following a highly successful six-year run (2000-06) as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. During that span, the Tigers won 148 games, an average of nearly 25 victories per season.
Scouting UAB
UAB will enter Conference USA play with a record of 8-6 overall. The Blazers are coming off a tough loss to No. 3/3 Florida, 75-70, at the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Blazers led most of the way before succumbing to the reigning national champs in the game's final two minutes.
Junior guard Paul Delaney III, a two-time recipient this season of the Conference USA Player of the Week, leads the Blazers in points (17.6) and assists (5.2) per game, while also ranking third on the team with 5.3 boards a contest.
Along with Delaney, senior guard Wen Mukubu and sophomore forward Lawrence Kinnard are also threats on offense. Mukubu averages 15.1 points per contest and a team-best 53.1 percent from beyond the arc. Kinnard ranks third on the team with 11.4 points per game, and also pulls down a team-leading 5.6 rebounds a game.
UAB head coach Mike Davis enters the game against the Miners with an overall record of 123-85 (.591) in his seventh season as head coach, and is 8-6 (.571) in his first season at UAB.
A UAB Win Would:
• Improve UAB's record to 9-6 overall.
• Mark the fifth consecutive Conference USA season-opening win for UAB.
• Will mark the sixth win over the Blazers' last nine games.
• Mark the 124th win in coach Mike Davis' career (209 games).
Last Time Out
UAB had the defending national champions on the ropes and led throughout the majority of the contest; however, No. 3/3 Florida hit 7-of-8 free throws over the final two minutes and escaped with a 75-70 victory in the Orange Bowl Classic. Wen Mukubu led the Blazers with a game-high 20 points in the contest. After leading 40-33 at halftime, UAB shot just 31 percent (8-of-26) from the field after intermission. UAB led by 11 points in both halves. Florida increased its defensive intensity down the stretch, and the Blazers missed their final six shots from the field. Brewer scored 19 points for Florida, which made 22 of 26 free throws, while Green added 18 points. Paul Delaney III added 17 for the Blazers.
UAB-UTEP A Year Ago
Last season UAB and UTEP met twice on the hardwood, splitting the two contests. The Blazers travelled to El Paso on Feb. 8, 2006, falling 65-37 - the Blazers' lowest point total of the year. UAB returned the favor; however, in the Conference USA Tournament on March 10, 2006, defeating the Miners 63-60. Squeaky Johnson led UAB in the two contests, averaging 11.0 points and 3.5 assists in the two contest. Paul Delaney III averaged 8.5 points in the two games last season.
UAB In Conference USA Openers
In its 12th year in Conference USA, the Blazers have had a good start in league play a majority of the time. UAB boasts a 7-4 record in C-USA openers, including a 4-2 record when the conference-opener is played on the road. The Blazers enter the contest having won four consecutive C-USA openers, as well as two straight league-opening contests on the road.
900 And Counting
The game against UTEP marks the 900th game in the program's 29-year history. UAB enters the contest with an overall record of 565-334 (.628) - an average of 19.9 wins per season. UAB earned win No. 550 in a 72-64 victory over East Carolina on Feb. 11, 2006.
The Blazers have appeared in 13 NCAA tournaments - advancing to three Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight - eight NIT appearances, two NIT Final Fours, with six conference titles, 23 winning seasons, 17 20-win seasons and three All-Americans.
"Wen"ning Ways
Senior guard/forward Wen Mukubu has been a key cog in the UAB offense this season, particularly over UAB's last three contests. After scoring 20 points against No. 3/3 Florida last Saturday, and going for a career-best 24 points in the win over Winston-Salem State on Dec. 23, Mukubu is leading the team over the three-game stretch with 18.7 points per game. He is also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest, while shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from three-point range during the span.
Home vs. Road
UAB enters its game against UTEP sporting a 2-4 overall record in true road games, compared to a perfect 5-0 record on its home floor. Part of the reason for the disparity is the way the Blazers shoot the ball at home vs. road contests. When playing in Bartow Arena, UAB is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from behind the arc, while averaging an impressive 80.0 ppg. However, those numbers drop significantly in road contests. In the six true road games this season, the Blazers are shooing only 41.5 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from three-point range, while averaging almost 20 points less per game (60.2 ppg).
Can I Assist You?
Assists are big in Mike Davis' offense and that is shown in the stats. In its eight wins this season, UAB is averaging an impressive 13.5 assists per contest. However, that number drops significantly to 8.5 assists per game in the Blazers' six defeats this season. In fact, UAB has recorded 12 assists or more in seven games this season, winning all but one of those (12 assists at Wyoming in a 93-87 defeat).
Defending The Trey
The UAB perimeter defensive effort over its last three games has been impressive. Over that span, the Blazers are allowing opponents to shoot just 28.8 percent (15-of-52) from three-point range and have won two of the three contests. In comparison, the Blazers are shooting an impressive 46.3 percent (31-of-67) during that same stretch.
Winning Trends
There are a couple of trends to keep in mind when the Blazers are playing. Through 14 games this season, UAB sports a 7-1 record when leading at halftime. However, the Blazers are 0-3 when trailing after the opening half, and 1-2 when tied.
Furthermore, UAB is 7-1 when committing less turnovers than its opponents, but drops to 1-5 when committing more. Finally, the Blazers are a perfect 5-0 when shooting over 45-percent from the floor in a game, but drops to 3-6 when failing to hit over 45 percent of their shots.
