The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Welcomes UNC Asheville For Sunday Night Clash
12/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (3-6, 0-0 C-USA) vs. UNC Asheville (4-4, 0-0 Big South)
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 | Bartow Arena | 7 p.m. CT
Live Stats | TV: ASN | Radio: WUHT-FM 107.7
Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Following a week off, the UAB men's basketball team returns to action and will host UNC Asheville on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT inside Bartow Arena.
Sunday's game will air on the American Sports Network with Doug Bell (play-by-play) and Chris Walker (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Blazers IMG Sports Network with David Crane (play-by-play) and Steve Mitchell (analyst) calling the action.
For ticket information, contact the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-8221.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter @UAB_MBB. For more on all Blazer sports teams follow @UABAthletics.
UAB vs. UNC Asheville Quick Hits
» UAB and UNC Asheville meet for the first time in school history on Sunday. The Blazers return to action for the first time in a week, following last Sunday's 78-74 loss to Illinois State.
» Junior guard Robert Brown was the bright spot for the Blazers against Illinois State in UAB's last outing. Brown scored a career-high 27 points and hit 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Brown's seven made 3-point baskets represented the most by a UAB player in a single game since 2011 and were just two shy of the school-record nine made 3-point field goals.
» UAB is in the middle of a four-game home stretch. Before this week's action, the Blazers faced three-straight ranked teams in three consecutive days at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. It marked the first time in school history UAB has faced three-straight ranked opponents and the first time a team in NCAA Division I men's basketball has played a trio of ranked teams in consecutive days during the regular season since VCU accomplished that feat at the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis (played No. 19 Memphis, No. 5 Duke and No. 13 Missouri).
» Blazer freshman guard Nick Norton has made an immediate impact for UAB this season. He is currently first in Conference USA in assist/turnover ratio with 40 total assists and just 12 turnovers this season. He also leads the league in steals with 15, and his total of 40 assists ranks third in the conference.
» Each UAB player will wear different colored shoes -- a green shoe and a white shoe -- during every game this season. UAB's shoe combination is part of the Blazers Committed To A Cure initiative, which was created by coach Jerod Haase and his staff to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
UAB vs. UNC Asheville Notes
Blazers Depending On Youth
» Entering Sunday's game against UNC Asheville, Blazer underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores ) have accounted for 66.2 percent of UAB's scoring total this season. The 10 underclassmen have scored 388 of the Blazers' 586 points this season. Of UAB's top five leading scorers, three are sophomores.
Brown Has Career Day Against Illinois State
» UAB junior guard Robert Brown had a career day against Illinois State last Sunday. The Clermont, Fla., native scored a career-high 27 points off of a 9-of-13 shooting performance from the field. Brown nailed 7-of-9 from 3-point range, which was just two shy of the school record nine made 3-point baskets made by Robert Vaden in 2008.
» Brown is currently UAB's leading scorer with 11.7 points per game and has scored in double figures in five of UAB's nine games this season.
UAB Switches Starting Five Against Morehead State, Illinois State
» UAB has changed its lineup in its last two games this season. The Blazers inserted guards Denzell Watts and Tyler Madison into the lineup in the last two games in place of Nick Norton and Hakeem Baxter. Watts had his highest point output of the season against Morehead State with five points and four assists, while Madison has scored a combined 18 points in his last two games.
Blazers Return From Paradise
» UAB spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Paradise Island, Bahamas for the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. UAB played three games in three days, all against ranked teams. UAB fell to No. 2 Wisconsin, 72-43, No. 16/18 Florida, 56-47, and No. 22 UCLA, 88-76. It marked the first time in school history UAB has played three-straight ranked opponents. Redshirt junior guard Robert Brown led the Blazers at Atlantis, averaging 10 points per game during those three contests. Brown scored the first 11 points for the Blazers against No. 2 Wisconsin on his way to a season-high 16-point performance against the Badgers.
Newcomers Already Making Impact
» With 9 of UAB's 13 players playing in their first year at UAB, the Blazers have had to rely on their newcomers so far this season. The first-year Blazers have made an immediate impact with Virginia Tech transfer Robert Brown leading UAB in scoring with 11.7 points per game. Three of UAB's five usual starters (Nick Norton, Robert Brown and Hakeem Baxter) are newcomers in their first year playing for the Blazers.
19-Game Non-Conference Home Win Streak Snapped
» UAB's season-opening 74-65 loss to ULM represented the first loss at home against a non-conference opponent for the Blazers under head coach Jerod Haase. The loss also snapped a 19-game non-conference home win streak that dated back to the 2011-12 season.
Norton Running The Point
» Freshman point guard Nick Norton has had a strong start to his Blazer career through the first nine regular season games. The Bloomington, Illinois native is first in Conference USA in assist-to-turnover ratio with 40 total assists and just 12 turnovers this season. Norton had a season-high 17-point effort against No. 22 UCLA in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and he is UAB's best 3-point shooter, hitting 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) from behind the arc. Norton did not play against Morehead State due to a concussion, but played 27 minutes in UAB's last outing against Illinois State.
