The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
No. 25 UAB Hosts UTEP In Conference USA Showdown
1/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2010
UAB-UTEP Game Notes | Gametracker | Watch
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 25th-ranked UAB men's basketball team will close out its two-game homestand on Saturday night when it hosts the UTEP Miners in Conference USA action at Bartow Arena. The Blazers (18-2, 6-0 C-USA) and Miners (14-5, 5-1) will tipoff at 7 p.m. CT in what is expected to be a fierce battle between two of the top teams in the league.
The Blazers improved to 6-0 in Conference USA play with an impressive 65-55 win over preseason league favorite Tulsa on Tuesday night. Junior guard Elijah Millsap recorded his league-leading 11th double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while senior George Drake added 17 points on the strength of 10-of-10 shooting from the foul line.
Junior guard Elijah Millsap continues to lead UAB in scoring (16.6 ppg), rebounding (9.6 rpg), steals (1.9 spg) and free throws made (101) and attempted (138). He also leads C-USA in double-doubles and in rebounding and is fifth in scoring. The Louisiana-Lafayette transfer has led the Blazers in scoring and/or rebounding in 17 of their 20 games this season.
Senior forward Howard Crawford is second on the team with 12.3 points per contest, while junior guard Jamarr Sanders adds 10.8 ppg and leads the team in three-pointers made (38) and attempted (104). Junior guard Aaron Johnson adds 9.0 points and leads the team in assists (4.4).
As a team, the Blazers are shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc this year. UAB also boasts a +6.3 advantage on the boards (36.7-30.4). Furthermore, the Blazers hold the opposition to 59.2 points a game, which leads C-USA and ranks 14th nationally, and have held 16 of their 20 opponents to 64 points or below.
UAB head coach Mike Davis is now in his fourth season at the helm of the Blazers' basketball program and his 10th season as a head coach. He boasts a record of 78-41 (.655) at UAB and a 193-120 (.617) mark overall. He now owns a record of 34-18 (.654) in Conference USA play.
UTEP comes into Saturday's showdown having won four-straight contests to improve to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in league play. Most recently, the Miners captured an 84-71 home win over Tulane on Wednesday night. UTEP was led by junior forward Jeremy Williams and junior guard Christian Polk, who each accounted for 21 points in the victory.
The Miners boast five players who average double-figure scoring this season. Leading the way is junior guard Randy Culpepper with 17.2 points per contest, which ranks third in the conference. Culpepper, the reigning C-USA Player of the Week, scored a career-high 39 points in the win at UCF (1/23). He also leads his squad in three-pointers made (49) and attempted (137). Meanwhile, junior guard Julyan Stone ranks third in C-USA with 5.3 assists per contest, while also adding 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Junior forward Derrick Caracter, who missed the Tulane game with a sore knee, is second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and leads the Miners with 8.2 rebounds a contest. Sophomore forward Arnett Moultrie (11.8 ppg), Polk (11.6 ppg) and Williams (10.6 ppg) each contribute double-figure scoring this season.
As a team, the Miners rank near the league leaders in scoring (77.9 - 3rd), field goal percentage (.476 - 2nd) and field goal percentage defense (.396 - 3rd). UTEP is second in the league in assists (15.8) and third in the league in steals (8.9).
Head coach Tony Barbee is in his fourth season at the helm of the UTEP men's basketball program. He owns a record of 70-50 (.583) overall.
Quotables
Junior Guard Elijah Millsap
On facing UTEP Saturday:
"It's a real big game for us. We're 6-0 in conference right now and we have a good UTEP team coming in here. They're real strong and they're going to be physical. They're a top team so we just want to keep doing what we're doing and give them all we got. If we play like we played in the first half of the Tulsa game, we will be good."
On any added pressure since they're back in the top 25:
"We feel no added pressure; we're just coming out here and playing basketball. We don't give too much, we don't take too much away from it, and we just play basketball."
On being 18-2:
"It feels good to be 18-2, that's how we come out. We're trying to have fun, we're not looking at the record and we're just trying to get better every day. "
Senior Guard George Drake
On playing UTEP:
"It's a big game for us. We're going to come out with the same mindset that we've had in the previous games and just play hard. UTEP's a really good team and they have a good record. It's going to be a really good game."
On how to continue winning games:
"Each and every night we have to come out and have that focus that we've shown up to this point. We have to come out hard each game."
On the fan support:
"Our fan support has been great. Everyone's happy and right now; there's a lot of energy and excitement in the air. It's real good for us and the turnout here at Bartow at each of our games has been great."
On getting a strong effort from UTEP: Head Coach Mike Davis
On being considered a top team in the country: On facing UTEP: On being 18-2: UAB vs. UTEP: The Series UAB-UTEP A Year Ago Last Time Out Elijah Millsap had 19 points and 12 rebounds and led the offensive resurgence with a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays. As a result, the Blazers blew a 16-point halftime cushion but rebounded from going 12 minutes without a basket in time to survive a matchup of the only two remaining teams without a conference loss.
Millsap broke that frigid spell with a basket and free throw with 6:16 left to halt a 19-2 run that had given the Golden Hurricane (16-4, 5-1) a 46-44 lead.
George Drake hit eight straight free throws in the final 5:39 and finished with 17 points. Jamarr Sanders added 12 points for the Blazers, who went 19 of 20 from the line in the second half.
Jerome Jordan led Tulsa with 20 points and eight rebounds. Ben Uzoh added 17 points and made all three of the Golden Hurricane's 3-pointers. No. 2 scorer Justin Hurtt missed all seven field goal attempts and finished with two points, nearly 13 below his season average.
UAB Returns To Rankings For Second Time This Season Drake Knocks `Em Down Approaching 20-Win Plateau Best Start In School History Only Five Better
Defensive Dominance Nationally, UAB ranks among the top defenses in the country. In the latest NCAA rankings (through games of 1/28), the Blazers are ranked 12th in the nation in scoring defense. Additionally, UAB is ranked 44th in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense.
Home Sweet Home Furthermore, UAB ended the non-conference home slate in style with a 67-57 win over then-No. 16 Butler. As a result, the Blazers finished a perfect 7-0 against non-conference foes at home this season. Even more impressive is the fact that UAB stretched its home win streak against non-conference opponents to 31 consecutive games. The last time the Blazers dropped a non-league game on their home floor was on Nov. 29, 2005 when UAB fell to Western Kentucky, 92-76.
UAB In The RPI Mr. Clutch The Comforts Of Home
"I hope so; we have put a lot of work into it. As I said before, we want to get the city of Birmingham involved in it and just keep winning and playing hard."
"We're just trying to come out and play hard every game. Every game we play is a big game. UTEP is probably is the most talented team in our league. Coach (Tony) Barbee has done a great job of putting together an incredible talented team. It's going to be a challenge for us on Saturday, but it's one we look forward to."
"Right now we're 18-2, I've never been 18-2. It's new territory for all of us, but the reason we're 18-2 is because defensively we're playing hard. That's what we have to remember and focus on more than the rankings and the record. And we make sure that we take pride in everything that we do."
UAB and UTEP will meet for the 10th time in series history when the two square off on the hardwood on Saturday. The Blazers currently own a 5-4 advantage in the series, and have captured wins in four of the last five meetings between the two teams. UAB has never lost to the Miners in Bartow Arena, winning all three contests played in Birmingham. Furthermore, the Blazers have never won my more than nine points in their five victories over UTEP.
Last season, the teams played on two occasions, with each squad earning on victory on its respective home court. On Jan. 21, 2009, UAB earned a 78-73 win over UTEP, while the Miners answered back with a 70-52 victory on March 4, 2009 in El Paso.
The No. 25 UAB Blazers made 13 straight free throws after their 16-point lead vanished during a lengthy offensive funk to help them salvage a 65-55 victory over Tulsa on Tuesday night.
The UAB men's basketball team, off to its best start in school history and still perfect in Conference USA play, is back in the Associated Press poll, ranked No. 25 nationally this week.The Blazers, with a 18-2 overall record and a 6-0 mark in league games, are making their second appearance in the AP poll this season. UAB entered the poll Dec. 28 after defeating then No. 16/20-ranked Butler. Prior to cracking the Top 25 last month, the Blazers had not appeared in the AP poll since late in the 2006 season.
Senior guard George Drake scored 17 points in the win over Tulsa last Tuesday, which marked the third-best output during his career. Even more impressive was the fact that Drake knocked down all 10 of his free throws in the victory, including hitting 8-of-8 in the final five minutes of the contest. The Calera, Ala. native currently leads UAB and ranks second in Conference USA in free throw percentage this season (.872).
At 18-2 on the year, the Blazers are just two wins shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the year. UAB has recorded 19 20-win seasons in the 31 years that the men's basketball program has been in existence. Additionally, coming into the year the Blazers have recorded two straight 20-win seasons and have reached the milestone in six of the past seven seasons.
Following the 65-55 victory over Tulsa last Wednesday, the Blazers are off to a 18-2 start to the season, which is now the best start in school history. Below is a chart of the best starts in school history and where this year's team ranks on that list.
Season Start Final Record Postseason
2009-10 18-2 ??? ???
1993-94 16-2 22-8 NCAA
1985-86 16-2 25-11 NCAA
1991-92 14-2 20-9 NIT
1983-84 14-2 23-11 NCAA
With an 18-2 overall record on the year, UAB is tied with Texas for the sixth-best record in the nation among NCAA Division I teams. The only five teams who have a better record than the Blazers are Kentucky (19-1), Villanova (19-1), BYU (20-2), Syracuse (20-1) and Kansas (18-1).
A calling card for this year's UAB squad has been its defensive prowess. The Blazers held Tulsa, one of C-USA's top offensive teams, to just 55 points when the two squads clashed last Wednesday night, which marked the 13th time this season UAB has held the opposition to under 60 points in a contest. In fact, in 20 contests on the year, UAB has now held 16 foes to 64 points or less. As a result, the Blazers are holding teams to 59.2 points a game, which leads Conference USA. Additionally, the Blazers rank fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (.305) and are sixth in field goal percentage defense (.409).
Bartow Arena has always been a tough place for opponents to come in, but that has been even more true over the past three seasons. Over that time, the Blazers have been nearly unbeatable, compiling a record of 37-2, with the lone two losses during that time coming to Memphis in 2008 and 2009. The Blazers are 10-0 at Bartow Arena this season and have won 11-straight contests at home, which is second best in C-USA (Tulsa has won 21-straight home games).
Following the 65-55 victory over Tulsa last Tuesday, the Blazers' RPI jumped as high as No. 25 in the latest RPI. Below is a breakdown of where UAB's RPI stands through games of Jan. 29.
Source RPI SOS
CBSSportsline.com 22 110
Warren Nolan 23 112
RealTimeRPI.com 24 112
CollegeRPI.com 25 127
NCAA.com 25 NA
Junior guard Aaron Johnson is slowly becoming known as a clutch player. For the second straight contest, the Chicago, Ill. native nailed a game-winning basket in UAB's win at Marshall (1/23). He also hit the game-winner against Southern Miss (1/20). In all, Johnson has hit three game-winning shots in his career, with the other coming in 2007-08 against Houston.
There is a big difference in junior guard Jamarr Sanders when it comes to playing games on the road compared to Bartow Arena. In UAB's 10 road contests (including two neutral site games), Sanders is averaging just 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds a game, while shooting 34.2 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc. However, in the Blazers' 10 home games, Sanders' averages improve to 14.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest, while he shoots 47.5 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three-point range.
