The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Set To Host Southern Miss In Bartow Classic Saturday
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (12-11, 8-2, C-USA) vs. Southern Miss (6-15, 1-9 C-USA)
2 p.m. CT | Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
Live Stats | Watch Live | Game Notes
Radio: WUHT-FM 107.7
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Winners of five of its last six and currently sitting in a tie for second place in the Conference USA standings, the UAB men's basketball team hosts Southern Miss Saturday in the sixth annual Bartow Classic. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. CT.
The Bartow Classic is named in honor of legendary UAB head coach and athletic director Gene Bartow. To honor the founding father of UAB Athletics, the athletic department will donate $2 for every ticket sold (excluding season tickets) to the Coach Gene Bartow Fund For Cancer Research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Saturday's game will not be televised. The game will air locally on the Blazer IMG Sports Network with David Crane (play-by-play) and Steve Mitchell (analyst) on the call. Fans can listen locally on WUHT-FM 107.7.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter @UAB_MBB.
UAB vs. Southern Miss Quick Hits
Bartow Classic: UAB celebrates the sixth annual Bartow Classic during today’s game. The Bartow Classic is named for longtime UAB men’s basketball coach and athletic director Gene Bartow. Bartow passed away on Jan. 3, 2012 after a long battle with stomach cancer. To honor the founding father of UAB Athletics, the athletic department will donate $2 for every ticket sold (excluding season tickets) to the Coach Gene Bartow Fund For Cancer Research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Top Of The Standings: UAB currently sits in a tie for second place in the Conference USA standings heading into Saturday’s game vs. Southern Miss. The Blazers are tied with Louisiana Tech at the second spot in the standings after UAB downed the preseason C-USA favorites, 80-60, on Thursday. Western Kentucky currently sits at No. 1 in the league standings with a 9-1 conference record.
Loss Avenged: UAB avenged its earlier loss to LA Tech with an 80-60 win against the Bulldogs on Thursday. During that contest, UAB led for over 36 minutes and outrebounded LA Tech, 49-34. UAB also only committed 13 turnovers, including only three in the second half, against a team that is known for its pressure defense that forces 16.5 turnovers per game.
Balanced Blazers: Balance has been the key for the Blazers during recent success. UAB has had at least four players score in double figures in three out of the last five games and has had five players score in double figures four times this season. On Thursday against LA Tech, freshman Nick Norton scored a team-high 16 points, while Blazer sophomore Hakeem Baxter recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Blazer Rookies: UAB freshmen account for 36 percent of the Blazers’ scoring during Conference USA play. Two of UAB’s top three scorers during league action are freshmen, with Chris Cokley and Nick Norton each averaging 9.1 points per game. UAB freshman William Lee is averaging a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game in C-USA play and leads the team in rebounding overall this season with 4.9 per game.
UAB Notebook
UAB Has It Turned Around In Conference USA Play
» UAB suffered through a brutal non-conference slate that featured matchups against four ranked teams and an LSU squad that is one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference. The Blazers finished non-conference play at 4-9 overall, but have turned it around in league action with road wins at Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss and UTSA and home wins against a tough Charlotte team a previously ranked Old Dominion squad and LA Tech, among other notable wins.
» UAB’s only two losses have come on the road against the C-USA preseason top two picks -- LA Tech and UTEP. The Blazers lost both those games by a combined five points after building leads in both contests. In fact, UAB led for a combined 51:20 against those two teams.
Blazer Freshmen Making An Impact, Getting Attention
» UAB earned Conference USA Freshman of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks on Jan. 19 and Jan. 26. Chris Cokley won the honor on Jan. 16 after he scored 11 points against LA Tech and 11 points vs. Southern Miss in consecutive games. UAB guard Nick Norton earned the distinction on. Jan. 26 following a 26-point effort against Charlotte on Jan. 22.
» Three of UAB’s top five scorers in Conference USA play are freshmen. Cokley and Norton each average 9.1 ppg in league play, while Lee averages 7.3 ppg. Lee is the team’s leading rebounder in C-USA games with 6.0 boards per contest.
Mehinti Moving Up Career Blocks Chart
» Blazer sophomore forward Tosin Mehinti is currently No. 7 on UAB’s all-time career blocks chart with 87 in his career. He currently leads the Blazers with 52 blocks this season, which ranks No. 5 in a single-season for an individual player at UAB.
UAB Winning At The Free-Throw Line
» UAB is currently first in Conference USA in free-throw percentage. The Blazers have hit 337-of-456 (73.9 percent) free-throw shots this season. UAB has hit 84.5 percent of its free throws in the last five games and has hit 81.5 percent against conference foes. In the final minute of C-USA games, UAB is shooting 82.5 percent (33-of-40) from the line, led by guard Hakeem Baxter’s perfect 14-for-14 mark from the free-throw stripe in the final two minutes of C-USA play.
UAB Frontcourt One Of Best In C-USA
» UAB’s frontcourt has solidified itself as one of the top frontcourts in Conference USA. The Blazers rank second in blocked shots (5.4 per game), with Tosin Mehinti (ranks third with 2.3 per game) and William Lee (ranks seventh with 1.2 per game) each in the top-10 in C-USA in blocked shots. In league games only, UAB ranks first in rebound margin with a +5.8 advantage against conference teams.
What Can Brown Do For You
» UAB redshirt junior guard Robert Brown, who transferred from Virginia Tech after the 2012-13 season, has scored in double figures a total of 18 times this season. The Blazers’ go-to guy has led his team in scoring in 14 of 23 games this season.
Norton Running The Point
» Freshman point guard Nick Norton has had a strong start to his Blazer career through the first 23 regular season games. The Bloomington, Ill., native is fourth in Conference USA in assist-to-turnover ratio with 85 total assists and just 38 turnovers this season. He is also UAB’s best 3-point shooter, hitting 37-of-91 (40.7 percent) from behind the arc.
Mr. Efficient Chris Cokley
» UAB freshman Chris Cokley, who is second on the team in scoring during Conference USA play with 9.1 points per game, has averaged just 16.1 minutes per contest in league action. Cokley is making the most of his time in the game, hitting 40-of-62 field goals (64.5 percent) during the last 10 outings, which is the top mark in Conference USA in league games only.
