The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Men's Basketball Releases Entire 2009-10 Schedule
9/1/2009 12:00:00β―AM | Men's Basketball
Sept. 1, 2009
Click here to view 2009-10 schedule (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- High profile games against Georgia, Arkansas, Virginia, Cincinnati and Butler highlight UAB's 2009-10 schedule, Blazers' head coach Mike Davis announced on Tuesday.
In all, the Green and Gold will play 15 home games during the upcoming season.
Additionally, the Blazers are also slated to play four in-state foes (South Alabama, Jacksonville State, Troy and Samford) during the season.
Despite losing seven letterwinners from a year ago, Davis did not shy away from putting together a strong slate for the 2009-10 campaign. He feels the Blazers will benefit in the long run from playing such a strong non-conference schedule.
"This is a challenging schedule that will test us early and often throughout the year," Davis said. "Playing against such strong non-conference competition will be a great experience and get us ready for the conference season. Conference USA is going to be an improved league from top to bottom so we are going to have our work cut out for us. We're looking forward to getting things started."
One of the highlights of this year's out of conference schedule will be when the Blazers open the home portion of the non-conference slate on Nov. 21. That's when UAB welcomes Southeastern Conference foe Georgia, which will mark the first of two games against SEC competition in the upcoming year. The Bulldogs will make their first ever appearance in Bartow Arena, while representing only the fifth time an SEC team has invaded the Blazers' current home arena and the first since Mississippi State played at UAB on Jan. 2, 2003.
The Blazers will also travel to take on Arkansas on Jan. 2 in Fayetteville, Ark. It will mark the third time the two teams have met on the hardwood, but it will be the first time the two teams have squared off since the 1991 season.
UAB opens its 32nd season of basketball, and fourth under Davis, with four games on the road, beginning when the Blazers participate at the Kent State Hispanic Fund Classic in Kent, Ohio on Nov. 13-15. The Green and Gold will play three games in the three-day event against Wisconsin-Green Bay (Nov. 13), tournament host Kent State (Nov. 14) and crosstown rival Samford (Nov. 15). It is the fourth straight season UAB has opened its season away from Bartow Arena.
Following the tournament, UAB will remain on the road to take on Jacksonville State on Nov. 17, marking the second time in two seasons the two in-state opponents will meet on the hardwood.
The Georgia contest will commence a season-long six-game homestand for the Blazers. Following the game against the Bulldogs, UAB will host Troy (Nov. 24), Florida A&M (Nov. 28), Middle Tennessee State (Dec. 2), East Tennessee State (Dec. 4) and Cincinnati (Dec. 16).
It will be a special occasion when the Blazers host the Bucs of ETSU, who are led by former Blazer head coach Murry Bartow. Plans are in the works to honor Murry's father, Hall of Fame coach and UAB legend Gene Bartow, during the Dec. 4 festivities.
The Blazers will end their non-conference slate on a tough five-game stretch that is sure to get UAB ready for conference play. First UAB will welcome former Conference USA rival and current Big East member Cincinnati to Bartow Arena on Dec. 16. The Blazers will then battle South Alabama in the Coors Classic at the 10,000-seat Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala., Dec. 19. The game will be a part of a doubleheader, which will also include Alabama against Kansas State.
UAB will close out the home portion of the non-conference schedule with a home game against Butler on Dec. 22. The Blazers and Bulldogs met last season in Indianapolis, Ind., when Butler snuck away with a 72-68 victory.
"Having the likes of Georgia, Butler and Cincinnati come to Birmingham is great for our University and the city," Davis said. "We know our players and fans will be excited to see those teams come to our campus."
Prior to the non-conference finale at Arkansas, the Blazers will be on the road to take on ACC foe Virginia on Dec. 30, which will mark the second meeting between the two schools in program history. The only other time the two teams met on the hardwood came in the Sweet 16 of the 1982 NCAA Tournament. The Blazers won that contest, 68-66, to advance to the only Elite Eight in school history.
UAB will open C-USA play with a home contest against East Carolina on Jan. 6, marking the first time in Davis' four seasons that the Blazers will open league play at home. It also is the second time that the Blazers and Pirates will open league play against one another. The only other occurrence came during the 2003-04 season when UAB defeated ECU, 71-68, in Greenville, N.C.
The Blazers will not have a homestand or a road trip longer than two consecutive games throughout league play this season. Following the East Carolina game, the Blazers will play the first of five mirror games against C-USA opponents when they travel Tulane on Jan. 9, with the Green Wave coming to Birmingham on Feb. 27. UAB will also have mirror contests with Southern Miss (Jan. 20 at UAB and Feb. 17 at Southern Miss), Marshall (Jan. 23 at Marshall and Feb. 13 at UAB), UTEP (Jan. 30 at UAB and March 6 at UTEP) and Memphis (Feb. 3 at Memphis and March 3 at UAB).
Additionally, the Blazers will also have home C-USA games against Tulsa (Jan. 26) and Houston (Feb. 20) and road league games at SMU (Jan. 16), at Rice (Feb. 6) and at UCF (Feb. 24).
The Conference USA Championship will be held in Tulsa, Okla. on March 10-13, marking the first time in five seasons the event will not be held in Memphis.
Season tickets for the 2009-10 UAB men's basketball season are currently being sold online at www.UABsports.com. Tickets range from $215 for the general public to $195 for UAB Employees and members of the National Alumni Society. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the UAB Athletic Ticket Office or by calling toll-free, (205) 975-UAB1.
