The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Trek To Middle Tennessee For C-USA Opener
1/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2014
Game Details:
UAB (11-3) vs. Middle Tennessee (10-5)
Details: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 • 5 p.m. CT • Murphy Center • Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Game Coverage: Live Stats • Twitter • Listen/Watch Here
Game Notes: UAB|TV: CSS | Radio: 107.7 FM
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- Fresh off its best non-conference season since 2009-10, the UAB men's basketball team opens Conference USA action Saturday at Middle Tennessee. Tip at MT's Murphy Center is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
Saturday's contest will air on CSS with Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Brian Oliver (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game locally on the Blazer IMG Sports Network with David Crane and Bobby Frasor calling the action on WUHT-FM 107.7.
Five Things To Know
• UAB and Middle Tennessee meet for the seventh time in history on Saturday. UAB won the first five meetings in the series, before falling, 84-64, in last year’s matchup.
• UAB’s 11 regular season non-conference wins are the most for the Blazers since the 2009-10 season, when UAB won 12 games before league play.
• The Blazers begin their 19th season of Conference USA play on Saturday. Overall, UAB is 165-117 (.585) in C-USA regular season action.
• The Blazers have won seven of their last eight games on the season. Their five-game win streak from Nov. 27-Dec. 18 was their longest since the 2009-10 season.
• UAB averages 48.5 rebounds per game -- the top mark in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
UAB Notes
Blazers Begin 19th Season In C-USA
» UAB begins its 19th season of Conference USA action on Saturday. The Blazers, who have won two regular season C-USA Championships (2004 and 2011) average nine wins per season all time in C-USA action.
» Middle Tennessee is one of eight new league members the Blazers will play this season. UAB holds an all-time record of 53-25 (.679) against teams who will begin Conference USA play for the first time in 2013-14.
» UAB is 10-8 all-time in C-USA openers.
11 Non-Conference Wins Most In Four Years
» UAB enters conference play with an 11-3 overall record. The 11 non-conference regular season victories mark the most since UAB won 12 games before league action in 2009-10.
UAB Leads Nation In Rebounding
» According to ESPN.com’s statistical rankings, UAB is the No. 1 rebounding team in the nation, averaging 48.4 boards per game. The Blazers have recorded over 50 rebounds six times this season (54 vs. Rutgers, 53 vs. Troy, 62 vs. New Mexico, 52 vs. North Carolina 51 vs. Alabama A&M and 50 vs. NewBerry College). The 62 against New Mexico represents the fifth time in school history that UAB has had 60-plus rebounds. The school record is 69, which came against South Alabama on Dec. 20, 1994.
» The Blazers have doubled up two opponents this season on the boards. UAB doubled Rutgers’ rebound total of 27 as the Blazers had just as many offensive boards (22) as the Scarlet Knights had defensively. Against Troy, UAB outrebounded the Trojans, 53-24, including a 39-16 advantage on the defensive glass.
40-Plus Boards In 12 Games; 50-plus In Six Games
» UAB has recorded 40 or more rebounds in 13 of its 14 games this season and has hit that mark in eight-straight contests. The Blazers have also recorded 50 or more six times this season and have hit that mark in two-straight games (51 vs. Alabama A&M, 50 vs. Newberry College).
» UAB’s six games with 50+ rebounds is the most in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
Frazier, Washington Making The Difference
» UAB junior point guard Chad Frazier and junior forward C.J. Washington, who are both in their first seasons with the Blazers, are UAB’s top scorers and have led the Blazers in scoring in 13 of 14 games this season. They are the only two Blazers to score 20-plus points in a game this season -- each doing so three times. The two combine to score 32.1 of UAB’s 77.4 ppg, which is 41 percent of the team’s scoring effort.
Four Blazers In Double Figures
» The Blazers have four players who are averaging double figures in scoring this season, led by Chad Frazier’s 17.6 ppg. C.J. Washington averages 14.5 ppg, while Rod Rucker adds 10.8 ppg and Fahro Alihodzic scores 10.1 ppg. Washington, Rucker and Alihodzic each average nearly a double-double with Rucker and Alihodzic’s 7.4 rebounds per game to go along with Washington’s team-high 7.6 boards per contest.
Swing Approaching 1,000 Career Points
» UAB guard Jordan Swing is approaching the 1,000 career point mark. The Birmingham native, who now has 955 career points, began his career at Western Kentucky before transferring to the hometown Blazers for his final three seasons.
Three UAB Players Have Started Every Game
» Fahro Alihodzic, Chad Frazier and Jordan Swing have found themselves in the starting lineup in each of UAB’s 14 games this season. Swing has now started 21-straight games dating back to last year.
Six Score In Double Figures Against Newberry
» Six Blazers scored in double figures against Newberry College on Saturday, Jan. 4. It marked the second time this season the Blazers have had more than five players score in double digits. UAB is 8-0 when four or more players score over 10 points in a game.
Blazers Win Five-Straight From Nov. 27-Dec. 18
» UAB rode a five-game win streak from Nov. 27-Dec. 18. It was the Blazers’ longest win streak since the 2009-10 season when the Blazers won seven in a row from Jan. 2-Jan.26.
Scouting Middle Tennessee
» Middle Tennessee begins its first season as a member of Conference USA in 2013-14. The Blue Raiders, who are coached by Kermit Davis, hold a 10-5 record going into league play.
» MT joins Conference USA following a successful stint in the Sun Belt Conference. In fact, the Blue Raiders won two-straight regular season conference crowns the two seasons prior to joining C-USA.
» This season, the Blue Raiders have won two consecutive games and come into Saturday’s contest after downing Tennessee State, 74-66, on the road. MT is led in scoring by Shawn Jones, who averages 13.9 ppg.
