The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB BASKETBALL BLOG - Donnie Marsh
8/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 19, 2010
Welcome back! If you are like me you're wondering where the summer went. It is absolutely amazing to think that our guys are back and in class already. It has truly been a whirlwind of an off season. I thought I would open the school year by highlighting some of our summer exploits, by updating you on where the team is at this point, and by giving you a glimpse into our plans for the next few weeks leading up to the first days of practice. This will be the only blog until after we tip off practice on October 15th.
The Summer
Several of our guys remained in Birmingham attending summer school, lifting & conditioning with our Strength & Conditioning Coach Lou DeNeen, working our summer camp, and playing pick up games with and against some former UAB players as well as other talented players from the Birmingham area. In addition the guys who were here put in a great deal of time working on shooting. Several of the guys worked their way up from 200 makes per day to 1,000 makes per day. That is putting in your work! I remember our last summer at Indiana we had a player record 48,000 makes during the summer. He earned himself a green light during the season. During the summer former UAB standout Lawrence Kinnard returned from his professional debut in Poland to complete his requirements for graduation. We are really proud of Lo as it takes a great deal of focus and a genuine commitment to come back and finish what he started. We know his family is really proud of him as well. There are some very special people in the UAB community who helped Lawrence keep his focus and to them I say thank you. Lawrence, Frank Holmes, Mo Finley, and Paul Delaney were all on campus working out to stay in shape and playing against our guys in those pick up games to help them get better. That was a big help for our guys as well. This summer also saw us bring our two freshmen to campus in a "jump start" program allowing them to enroll early in two classes, to get acclimated to college life, to begin the physical preparation needed to get them ready for the fall, and to get to know their teammates. Quincy Taylor & Preston Purifoy did a terrific job in all phases of the jump start experience. The lone Blazer who didn't return for the summer was Ovie Soko who had a very good summer playing for the British U20 National team. Aaron Jordan in Sports Information did a great job highlighting Ovie's performances as one of the best players in the European Championships. Our 7' center Beas Hamga made his way to Birmingham for the final 3 or 4 weeks of the summer getting himself familiar with his teammates and the area.
The Team
We have all of our guys in place at this point. They all started class and are looking forward to improving on a very solid year in the classroom. In fact at the opening academic meeting for all student-athletes, the team was awarded a certificate recognizing their efforts in the classroom this past year (as well as during the summer). We're proud of the guys and they are determined to raise the bar even higher this school year. The non-conference schedule is finally complete. This has been the most challenging year of my career trying to put this schedule together. At the end of the day I think we are pleased about 15 home games (16 with the exhibition game), and some challenging high profile opponents we will face. We definitely have our work cut out for us.
The Next Few Weeks
If the preseason is anything like the offseason, these next 8 weeks will fly by. Our guys have begun lifting and will start conditioning on Monday. We'll condition twice a week - including those special Friday 6AM sessions on the track. They will lift 2 or 3 times per week and we start individual instruction sessions this weekend. In addition they will play in open gym several times each week. That's a full load especially when you include classes, tutors, mentors and study hall. October 15th will be here before we know it.
As I look ahead to the start of our season, I want to wish nothing but the very best to our fall sports teams as they gear up for competition. We'll be out to support you all as often as our schedule allows. On a personal note I want to wish my son Tyler the best as he completes his final semester of college; my daughter Sydnee the best as she begins her college career; and the best to my wife LaRoyce who has launched a new business venture d'Trespa Consignment Boutique in Homewood (1722 28th Avenue South). If you get a chance, stop by and say hi.
Here we go again! There is absolutely nothing better than the start of a new school year and sports season. Strap yourselves in. I have the feeling it's going to be one heck of a ride!!! GO BLAZERS!
