The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Basketball Teams Hold Annual Media Day
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 3, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's and women's basketball teams held their annual media day on Wednesday morning. Men's head coach Mike Davis and women's head coach Audra Smith met with members of the local media to discuss the upcoming season.
The coaches were joined by senior guards Aaron Johnson and Jamarr Sanders from the men's team, in addition to senior guard Amanda Peterson and sophomore guard Jala Harris from the women's team.
The men's squad is coming off a record-setting 25-9 season and its third-straight NIT bid. The Blazers tied the school record with 25 wins and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up North Carolina. In Conference USA action, UAB went 11-5 and finished third in the league.
This year's squad is led by Sanders and Johnson, the only two returning starters from the 2009-10 team. Sanders averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Johnson, a preseason all-conference honoree, averaged 9.6 points and 4.8 assists per contest.
The women's team looks to continue its momentum from the end of last season, as the Blazers won six of their last seven and made the C-USA Championship game for the first time since 2000. The Blazers finished 17-15 overall and 8-8 in C-USA.
After setting the school's single-season 3-point record last season with 83 treys, Peterson returns as the lone senior on the 2010-11 squad. The Homewood, Ala., native needs just 30 treys to break UAB's career 3-point record. Harris led all C-USA freshmen with 15.8 points per game last year and earned C-USA Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year honors, becoming the first player in league history to earn both accolades in the same season.
The men's basketball team holds its first exhibition of the season on Friday against West Alabama at 7 p.m. in Bartow Arena. Tickets for the game are $1 and Full Moon will donate 1,000 hot dogs and 1,000 hamburgers to fans who purchase a $1 ticket. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., fans can go to the plaza level in front of Bartow Arena and enjoy the free food, while supplies last.
The women's basketball team opens the season with an exhibition against Miles Monday at 7 p.m. in Bartow Arena. Following the game, fans can stick around to meet the Blazers and get autographs on the team poster.
Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Davis
On the upcoming season...
"We feel like if we do everything right, we have a chance. We have two senior guards who we feel like can play with anybody in the country. Aaron Johnson was there from day one with me and I think he's excited to leave a legacy and compete for a conference championship. We feel good about Aaron and Jamarr Sanders. Those two guys in the backcourt can really lead us this year. We have some young guys, Cameron Moore and Ovie Soko, that haven't had a lot of playing time on the court, but we feel really good about their ability to contribute this year."
On Friday's exhibition...
"We feel our fans last year were second to none. We averaged almost 6,000 fans per game. Please come out and support us Friday night. We have a brand new team. We have six newcomers to this team and two guys that can play with anyone."
On this year's schedule...
"We have a very difficult schedule. Five of our first eight games are on the road, which is very unusual. We are used to be on the road though. We go play at Arizona State, Middle Tennessee State, Duke, Arkansas and Georgia. We have some tough games and we feel really good about our schedule. Once again it's going to be a very tough non-conference schedule, but we feel our non-conference schedule helps us to prepare us for our conference schedule. We look forward to the challenge of going to Duke, who is ranked No. 1 in the country, just before our conference play starts. It gives us an opportunity to know what we need to work on before conference play."
On the expectations of this year's team...
"There is a lot of uncertainty with this basketball team from the standpoint of guys producing on the court. I understand last year why they picked us where they picked us. This year it's the same. But, we feel really good about where we are."
Women's Basketball Head Coach Audra Smith
On momentum from last year...
"Last year's run to the conference championship game really propelled us into this upcoming season, giving us an awakening and a new sense of urgency. We really have to prepare to put ourselves in position early so that we'll be in contention to have that opportunity to advance to that championship game, but also have the opportunity to win that conference championship game. "
On this year's mission...
"This season so far has been tremendous. I'm really proud of the way the young women have come in with their mindset in terms of working hard and in terms of really wanting to get to that next level. Our mission statement or theme for this season is to get to the next level. We are putting ourselves in the position and doing all the things to do that."
On what the team needs to improve from last year...
"Our main focus this season in terms of the areas we have to improve upon is on the defensive end and definitely rebounding. That defensive component is imperative, it's the key to winning and that's an area that we've been spending a lot of time on."
On the newcomers...
"Now we're very fortunate to have everyone returning, with the exception of two players that we lost to graduation. Fortunately for us we have LaShaunda Pratt, our transfer from Boston College that sat out last year, come in and be able to play a significant role in terms of being an impact player for us. Also in terms of newcomers, we signed Destiny Samuels from Ramsay High School and Karisma Chapman from Calumet City. Those two players bring a lot of athleticism and a lot of energy that will really help our returners in terms of being successful. So we have a good group and a nice nucleus of players that are really going to step onto the floor and be productive for us this season."
On what they learned from last season's run to the C-USA Championship game...
"In that run to the conference championship, we played with urgency, a lot of momentum, a lot of heart and they understand that we have to do that night in and night out. We've broken it down and we've talked about the effort and the energy we have to put forth in practice. Then we've talked about how we have to take care of business in the non-conference to get us ready for conference. So it definitely has given them a sense of confidence."
Senior Guard Aaron Johnson
On the expectations of this upcoming season...
"I have great expectations. It is my last go around so my expectations for this team and for myself are to get into the NCAA tournament. I want to get that feel of the atmosphere and that tournament excitement. That is something I haven't felt yet and I want to have felt it by the end of the year.
"It is a soaking in year for me. I have to experience everything that is possible in the NCAA and basketball, and everything that goes along with being in your senior season. With my last home game, and that feeling that most seniors get to feel, I want to soak all of that in. I just want to have a great and enjoyable year."
On the potential threat of the team...
"Our offense this year is probably the best I have seen in the four years of being here. I think with the players we have in Cameron [Moore], Ovie [Soko], and especially Jamarr [Sanders], we can do a lot of things and surprise of a lot of people."
On leading the team with Jamarr as the two seniors...
"I know last year people counted on me as a leader and I was a junior. Now I have to kick it up another notch just being a senior and being the most experienced player on the team. I have been here with Coach Davis for four years, and I have to get the message to everybody that is younger that we have to play this way in order to win games."
Sophomore Guard Jala Harris
On the expectations of this season, personally...
"This year I definitely want to build off of what I did last year. My main focus this year is distributing the ball a little bit better. Also, my minutes will not be as high, so I will be fresher. I will be able to do a lot more things that I was not able to do last year because I was so tired."
On preparing for the season...
"My main focus over the summer and in the off-season was to get in shape. Last year, I did not feel that I was in top shape. I did a lot of talking with B.J. who played here two years ago. She was telling me if I get in shape it elevates your game. Also, I got in the gym so that I can get off more shots. My shooting percentages were not what I would have liked last year. So, I have been getting in the gym a whole lot more than last year."
On the attitude and tone of the team this year...
"Last year, with six freshmen coming in, you didn't really know what to expect. This year we are more mature. We know what to expect. When you get to the conference championship game, then the next year it makes you feel like you can do it again. We practice with more urgency than we did last year. We understand the importance of preparing ahead of time instead of getting at the end of the season and playing for your life because you did not handle your business at the beginning of the season. This year we have said a lot about getting to that next level. We do not want to have the conference tournament dictate whether or not we can get into the NCAA tournament."
