The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Men's Basketball Announces Complete 2015-16 Schedule
8/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
2015-16 Schedule (PDF)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- A season-opening contest at Auburn, an appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic, a home game with Stephen F. Austin, a program that has won a combined 61 games the past two seasons, and an 18-game Conference USA slate, highlight the 2015-16 UAB men's basketball non-conference schedule, head coach Jerod Haase has announced.
Another highlight to the schedule will be the C-USA Tournament that UAB will host for the second year in a row. Last March, the Blazers captured the conference tournament title to earn the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. UAB defeated No. 3 seed Iowa State in second round action of the NCAAs before falling to UCLA in the third round.
In addition to its season opener at Auburn on Nov. 13, UAB will face four consecutive in-state teams to open the 2015-16 season. The Blazers' home opener will come against Alabama State on Thursday, Nov. 16. UAB will then make the short trek to Troy to take on the Trojans on Nov. 19, before returning to Bartow Arena to face Jacksonville State on Nov. 22.
"Having the chance to play four teams from the State of Alabama right off the bat makes for an exciting start to our schedule," Haase said. "It is great for basketball in our state, and we hope Blazer fans will show out in full force when we play at Auburn and Troy as well as when we return home to face Alabama State and Jacksonville State."
Since Haase was named UAB's head coach in 2012, the Blazers have made it a custom to play some of the top teams in college basketball, and the 2015-16 campaign is no different. Following a four-game swing through the state of Alabama, the defending Conference USA Tournament Champions venture to Niceville, Fla., to take on perennial Big 10 power Illinois in the first round of the 2015 Emerald Coast Classic on Friday, Nov. 27.
The winner/loser of the UAB vs. Illinois game will then take on the winner/loser of the Virginia Tech vs. Iowa State matchup on Saturday, Nov. 28. Both the Friday game vs. the Illini and Saturday's contest will be played at The Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College. If the Blazers were to face Iowa State on Nov. 28, it would mark the second meeting between the two teams in as many seasons. The Blazers knocked off last year's Big 12 Tournament Champions, 60-59, in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
"The Emerald Coast Classic gives us a great opportunity to go against some big time teams from the Big 10, ACC and Big 12," Haase said. "Illinois is a great team that had a No. 73 RPI last season, while Iowa State won their conference and entered last year's NCAA tournament ranked No. 9 in the country. Obviously it goes without saying, Virginia Tech plays in the ACC and is always a tough team to play, so we are very pleased with our matchups in Niceville."
UAB opens the month of December with a home game against Georgia State on Dec. 1. That contest will feature the two Cinderella teams of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Both were No. 14 seeds that knocked off No. 3 seeds as Georgia State took down Baylor and UAB downed Iowa State.
Following the contest against the Panthers, UAB travels to Illinois State on Dec. 5, before returning to Bartow Arena to face Seattle University (Dec. 13) and USC Upstate (Dec. 16). The Blazers close out the non-conference schedule at South Florida on Dec. 19.
UAB finishes its non-conference slate with back-to-back home games vs. Hiwassee College (Dec. 22) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 29). The Lumberjacks and Blazers will be meeting for the second time with UAB claiming the first contest, 70-55, during the 1996-97 season. In bringing Stephen F. Austin, a top 50 program the past three years, the Blazers will be facing a Lumberjack program that finished with an RPI of No. 31 last year and has been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
"Stephen F. Austin is a great addition to our non-conference schedule and will present a big challenge for us. They won 29 games last season, won their league and return four starters. That will be a tough matchup."
UAB opens Conference USA play at home for the first time since the 2011-12 season when the Blazers opened league action in Bartow Arena against Memphis. UAB begins its 2015-16 conference schedule with Sunday, Jan. 3 date with Middle Tennessee in a rematch of last season's C-USA Tournament championship game.
The contest with the Blue Raiders is the first of three consecutive home games for the Blazers to begin conference play. UAB also plays host to UTSA (Jan. 7) and UTEP (Jan. 9).
The Blazers play five C-USA opponents twice on a home-and-home basis (Marshall, Middle Tennessee, WKU, FIU and Florida Atlantic).
UAB returns all five starters from last season's team that captured the Conference USA Tournament championship and went on to defeat third-seeded Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Senior guard Robert Brown was named the C-USA Tournament Most Valuable Player, scoring 22 points in the championship game victory over Middle Tennessee.
The Blazers racked up on postseason individual honors. Brown was named a third-team all-conference selection while forward Chris Cokley was tabbed the league's Sixth Man of the Year. Forward William Lee and guard Nick Norton were selected to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.
Season tickets for UAB's 17 games at Bartow Arena are on sale for $215 to the general public and $195 to UAB employees and active members of the National Alumni Society.
Tickets are also on sale through the UAB Ticket Office (205-975-UAB1 or 205-975-8221) for the Nov. 27-28 Emerald Coast Classic. Tickets to the event in Niceville, Fla. Include a four-game package, including both UAB games, for $56. The deadline is Sept. 1.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter. For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow @UABAthletics.
