The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Three Blazers Named All-Conference USA
3/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the first time since UAB began playing in Conference USA (1996), three Blazers were named as all-conference teams, league officials announced on Monday. Senior guards Paul Delaney III and Robert Vaden were selected to the second team, while senior forward Lawrence Kinnard was tabbed to the league's third team.
"This is a great honor for all three of these guys," UAB head coach Mike Davis said. "They have all played a big role in our success this season and I am very happy the league's coaches and media honored them."
Delaney has had an outstanding season after missing nearly the entire 2007-08 campaign with a knee injury. The Decatur, Ga. native, who was a first-team all-conference honoree in 2006-07, is second on the team with 15.9 ppg, to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Delaney ranks second in the conference in steals per game (2.0) and field goal percentage, connecting on 163-of-285 shots from the floor this season (.572). Additionally, he is ninth in the league in scoring and 12th in assists.
Vaden, a first-team all-conference honoree last season, joins Kinnard as the first Blazers to earn a spot on the squad in back-to-back seasons since former UAB great Mo Finley achieved the feat in 2002-03 (second team) and 2003-04 (third team). Vaden leads C-USA in three pointers made (3.16) and total three made (96) entering the C-USA Championship. He also ranks fifth in the league with 17.5 points per game and eighth in three-point percentage.
Kinnard earns a spot on the league's third team for a second straight season. The Memphis, Tenn. native leads C-USA in rebounds per game (8.9) and double-doubles (13), while also ranking 12th in the league in scoring with 14.5 ppg. He is also one of the league's top shooters, ranking eighth in the conference in field goal percentage (45.9 percent).
Players from five different schools are represented on the 2009 All-Conference USA first-team. Seniors Jermaine Taylor of UCF and Stefon Jackson of UTEP, two of the most prolific scorers in Conference USA history, were selected to the first team in a vote by the C-USA head coaches and media members. They were joined by Tulsa junior center Jerome Jordan, Houston junior guard Aubrey Coleman and Memphis freshman guard Tyreke Evans.
A pair of Tigers joined Vaden and Delaney on the second team in seniors Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier. Tulsa junior guard Ben Uzoh repeats his C-USA second-team honor as TU's leading scorer this season.
Five different schools were also represented on the all-conference third team. Kinnard was joined by senior forward Markel Humphrey of Marshall, junior guards Kelvin Lewis of Houston and Jeremy Wise of Southern Miss and sophomore guard Randy Culpepper.
These 15 all-conference players will be in action at this week's C-USA Men's Basketball Championship, March 11-14 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. As the No. 3 seed overall, the Blazers received a first-round bye and will open championship play on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 seed UCF and No. 11 seed Southern Miss. The Blazers' quarterfinal contest will be televised live on CSS and can also be heard on the Blazers ISP Radio Network, 107.7 FM WUHT FM.
2008-09 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM
Aubrey Coleman, Houston, G, 6-4, 200, Jr., Houston, Texas
Tyreke Evans, Memphis, G, 6-6, 219, Fr., Chester, Pa.
Stefon Jackson, UTEP, G, 6-5, 185, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.
Jerome Jordan, Tulsa, C, 7-0, 245, Jr. Kingston, Jamaica
Jermaine Taylor, UCF, G, 6-4, 210, Sr., Tavares, Fla.
2008-09 ALL-CONFERENCE USA SECOND TEAM
Antonio Anderson, Memphis, G, 6-6, 214, Sr., Lynn, Mass.
Paul Delaney III, UAB, G, 6-2, 202, Sr., Decatur, Ga.
Robert Dozier, Memphis, F, 6-9, 220, Sr., Lithonia, Ga.
Ben Uzoh, Tulsa, G, 6-3, 200, Jr., San Antonio, Texas
Robert Vaden, UAB, G/F, 6-5, 205, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.
2008-09 ALL-CONFERENCE USA THIRD TEAM
Randy Culpepper, UTEP, G, So., 6-0, 165, So., Memphis, Tenn.
Markel Humphrey, Marshall, F, 6-6, 230, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.
Lawrence Kinnard, UAB, F, 6-8, 208, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
Kelvin Lewis, Houston, G, 6-4, 190, Jr., Fort Worth, Texas
Jeremy Wise, Southern Miss, G, 6-2, 165, Jr., Jackson, Miss.
