The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Saturday, February 19
Bartow Arena
3 p.m.
UAB
vs
NORTH TEXAS
Photo by: Ken Shepherd
Top Two Teams in C-USA Standings Square Off Saturday As Blazers Host North Texas
2/18/2022 4:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM – The UAB men's basketball team will look to climb within one game of the top spot in Conference USA when the Blazers host league leader North Texas on Saturday in Bartow Arena. Saturday's tipoff between the top two teams in the C-USA standings is set for 3 p.m. and will be carried live on Stadium.
The Blazers (20-6, 10-3 C-USA) have won three straight games over the Mean Green with head coach Andy Kennedy holding a perfect 3-0 record against North Texas since taking over at his alma mater in March 2020. The Blazers hold a perfect 15-0 record in Bartow Arena this season, winning all 15 matchups by double digits and five of their past six games in their on-campus home by 21 or more points.
UAB's home dominance will be put to the test against the Mean Green, who are a perfect 7-0 in road games this season. The Blazers hold a 7-4 advantage over North Texas in the all-time series history, splitting the first four matchups in Birmingham with two wins apiece.
The Green and Gold won the first matchup between the two teams this season on Jan. 6 in Denton, Texas, notching a 69-63 win in the Super Pit. North Texas (19-4, 12-1 C-USA) has not lost since, reeling off 11 straight victories.
"STEAL MILL" T-SHIRTS FOR SATURDAY'S WHITE OUT
Saturday's showdown against the Mean Green will be UAB's "White Out" matchup in Birmingham. The Blazers will wear their white uniforms, while fans are encouraged to arrive early at Bartow Arena for their chance to receive their own white "Steal Mill" T-Shirt courtesy of the UAB Bookstore.
UAB LATELY
UAB (20-6, 10-3 C-USA) dominated from start to finish in Thursday night's 92-68 win over Rice, jumping ahead with a 10-0 run over the first 2:47 to set the tone. The Blazers dominated in all facets of Thursday's game, outscoring the Owls 56-28 on points in the paint, 24-1 in fast-break points and 19-8 in points off turnovers. KJ Buffen surpassed 1,000 career points with his seventh double-double of the season, pouring in 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds, a season-high four assists and two steals. Jordan Walker joined Buffen in the double-double club with 10 points and a career-high 12 assists, making it the first time since Feb. 14, 2019, two Blazers posted a double-double in the same game. Quan Jackson also continued his strong run of form for the Blazers, tallying a game-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds in just 24 minutes on the floor. With a win on Saturday, the Blazers would tie a program record with a perfect 16-0 start in Bartow Arena. The only other time UAB has started 16-0 in Bartow was in 2015-16 when the Blazers finished 16-0 in their on-campus home.
NORTH TEXAS LATELY
Since a loss to the Blazers back on Jan. 6, the Mean Green (19-4, 12-1 C-USA) have been spotless, reeling off 11 straight wins to sit atop the Conference USA standings. North Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 55.3 points per game. The Mean Green also rank first in Conference USA in fewest total turnovers (262), rebound margin (4.9), 3-point field-goal defense (28.2%) and team winning percentage (82.6%). Junior guard Tylor Perry leads the Mean Green in scoring with 13.5 points per game despite coming off the bench in all 22 of his appearances this season. Thomas Bell ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and first on the UNT roster with 7.0 rebounds per game. North Texas' 11-game winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Division I, winning four of those 11 matchups by five points or fewer. The Mean Green are 7-0 in true road matchups this season with their most recent road defeat coming back on Feb. 27, 2021, at Marshall.
ALL 11 MATCHUPS IN THE SERIES
12/4/97 North Texas W, 79-73
1/23/14 at North Texas L, 65-76
2/12/15 at North Texas L, 64-67
1/23/16 North Texas W, 78-57
1/5/17 at North Texas W, 54-52
2/8/18 North Texas L, 60-67
1/24/19 at North Texas W, 52-49
2/8/20 North Texas L, 64-71
3/5/21 at North Texas W, 65-51
3/6/21 at North Texas W, 65-61
1/6/22 at North Texas W, 69-63
NOTHING BUT "NET"
UAB's victory at North Texas on Jan. 6 marked its second NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) Quadrant I victory of the 2021-22 season, both of which have come on the road in back-to-back games away from Birmingham. UAB then notched its first Quadrant II victory of the year on Saturday, Jan. 22, at LA Tech to move back inside the top 40. The Blazers checked in at No. 35 in the first NET rankings on Dec. 6, which was then a program high. The Blazers' previous high in the ranking system came in Andy Kennedy's first season back in Birmingham when UAB reached No. 48 in the NET ratings. UAB has reached as high as No. 28 in the ranking system this season and currently sits at No. 46 in the most recent ratings after Thursday's dominant victory over Rice in Bartow Arena. North Texas (No. 41) leads Conference USA in the ranking system.
WELCOME TO THE 1K CLUB
With a dunk in the first half of Thursday's win over Rice, KJ Buffen became the sixth current Blazer to join the 1,000-point club. Buffen, Jordan Walker and Justin Brown have all three surpassed 1,000 points in their college careers with the Blazers this season. Buffen (1,016), Walker (1,052) and Brown (1,028) are joined by fellow Blazers Mike Ertel (1,993), Quan Jackson (1,729) and Tavin Lovan (1,203) to have scored more than 1,000 points in their college basketball careers. UAB is the only known program in Division I with six 1,000-point scorers. Notre Dame and Florida each both have five 1,000-point scorers on their rosters.
IN ELITE COMPANY
With Thursday's 24-point win over Rice, Andy Kennedy became just one of six active head coaches with 20+ wins in 12 of their first 15 seasons. The five other coaches on the list comprise John Calipari, Mark Few, Jim Boeheim, Jamie Dixon and Bob Huggins.
RADIO
Blazer men's basketball games are set to air on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 with David Crane and Murry Bartow on the call.
In addition, Crane will host Blazer Sportsline every Tuesday beginning Dec. 28. The show takes place live from Iron City Grill in downtown Birmingham and features men's basketball head coach Andy Kennedy and women's basketball head coach Randy Norton.
The nine-episode show, airs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Blazer Sportsline can be heard on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 and fans will be encouraged to tweet questions to @UABLearfield.
Fans may also follow the Blazers this season by downloading the free TuneIn Radio app, online through Blazers All-Access at UABSports.com, or on the UAB Gameday mobile app.
WATCH
Saturday's game will be carried live on Stadium. Chris Hassel (play-by-play) and Tim Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will hit the road to open their final road trip of the 2021-22 regular season on Thursday when the Blazers face UTSA in San Antonio. Thursday's tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
WHITE OUT AND BOOK DRIVE
Saturday's game against North Texas will also feature a book drive. Fans can donate a book as they arrive at Bartow Arena and receive a discounted ticket rate of just $10 for an upper level seat to Saturday's matchup against the Mean Green. For more information on this offer, click here.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball single-game tickets start as low as $12 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home basketball game during the 2021-22 season. Groups are encouraged to complete the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office for more information.
The Blazers (20-6, 10-3 C-USA) have won three straight games over the Mean Green with head coach Andy Kennedy holding a perfect 3-0 record against North Texas since taking over at his alma mater in March 2020. The Blazers hold a perfect 15-0 record in Bartow Arena this season, winning all 15 matchups by double digits and five of their past six games in their on-campus home by 21 or more points.
UAB's home dominance will be put to the test against the Mean Green, who are a perfect 7-0 in road games this season. The Blazers hold a 7-4 advantage over North Texas in the all-time series history, splitting the first four matchups in Birmingham with two wins apiece.
The Green and Gold won the first matchup between the two teams this season on Jan. 6 in Denton, Texas, notching a 69-63 win in the Super Pit. North Texas (19-4, 12-1 C-USA) has not lost since, reeling off 11 straight victories.
"STEAL MILL" T-SHIRTS FOR SATURDAY'S WHITE OUT
Saturday's showdown against the Mean Green will be UAB's "White Out" matchup in Birmingham. The Blazers will wear their white uniforms, while fans are encouraged to arrive early at Bartow Arena for their chance to receive their own white "Steal Mill" T-Shirt courtesy of the UAB Bookstore.
UAB LATELY
UAB (20-6, 10-3 C-USA) dominated from start to finish in Thursday night's 92-68 win over Rice, jumping ahead with a 10-0 run over the first 2:47 to set the tone. The Blazers dominated in all facets of Thursday's game, outscoring the Owls 56-28 on points in the paint, 24-1 in fast-break points and 19-8 in points off turnovers. KJ Buffen surpassed 1,000 career points with his seventh double-double of the season, pouring in 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds, a season-high four assists and two steals. Jordan Walker joined Buffen in the double-double club with 10 points and a career-high 12 assists, making it the first time since Feb. 14, 2019, two Blazers posted a double-double in the same game. Quan Jackson also continued his strong run of form for the Blazers, tallying a game-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds in just 24 minutes on the floor. With a win on Saturday, the Blazers would tie a program record with a perfect 16-0 start in Bartow Arena. The only other time UAB has started 16-0 in Bartow was in 2015-16 when the Blazers finished 16-0 in their on-campus home.
NORTH TEXAS LATELY
Since a loss to the Blazers back on Jan. 6, the Mean Green (19-4, 12-1 C-USA) have been spotless, reeling off 11 straight wins to sit atop the Conference USA standings. North Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 55.3 points per game. The Mean Green also rank first in Conference USA in fewest total turnovers (262), rebound margin (4.9), 3-point field-goal defense (28.2%) and team winning percentage (82.6%). Junior guard Tylor Perry leads the Mean Green in scoring with 13.5 points per game despite coming off the bench in all 22 of his appearances this season. Thomas Bell ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and first on the UNT roster with 7.0 rebounds per game. North Texas' 11-game winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest in Division I, winning four of those 11 matchups by five points or fewer. The Mean Green are 7-0 in true road matchups this season with their most recent road defeat coming back on Feb. 27, 2021, at Marshall.
ALL 11 MATCHUPS IN THE SERIES
12/4/97 North Texas W, 79-73
1/23/14 at North Texas L, 65-76
2/12/15 at North Texas L, 64-67
1/23/16 North Texas W, 78-57
1/5/17 at North Texas W, 54-52
2/8/18 North Texas L, 60-67
1/24/19 at North Texas W, 52-49
2/8/20 North Texas L, 64-71
3/5/21 at North Texas W, 65-51
3/6/21 at North Texas W, 65-61
1/6/22 at North Texas W, 69-63
NOTHING BUT "NET"
UAB's victory at North Texas on Jan. 6 marked its second NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) Quadrant I victory of the 2021-22 season, both of which have come on the road in back-to-back games away from Birmingham. UAB then notched its first Quadrant II victory of the year on Saturday, Jan. 22, at LA Tech to move back inside the top 40. The Blazers checked in at No. 35 in the first NET rankings on Dec. 6, which was then a program high. The Blazers' previous high in the ranking system came in Andy Kennedy's first season back in Birmingham when UAB reached No. 48 in the NET ratings. UAB has reached as high as No. 28 in the ranking system this season and currently sits at No. 46 in the most recent ratings after Thursday's dominant victory over Rice in Bartow Arena. North Texas (No. 41) leads Conference USA in the ranking system.
WELCOME TO THE 1K CLUB
With a dunk in the first half of Thursday's win over Rice, KJ Buffen became the sixth current Blazer to join the 1,000-point club. Buffen, Jordan Walker and Justin Brown have all three surpassed 1,000 points in their college careers with the Blazers this season. Buffen (1,016), Walker (1,052) and Brown (1,028) are joined by fellow Blazers Mike Ertel (1,993), Quan Jackson (1,729) and Tavin Lovan (1,203) to have scored more than 1,000 points in their college basketball careers. UAB is the only known program in Division I with six 1,000-point scorers. Notre Dame and Florida each both have five 1,000-point scorers on their rosters.
IN ELITE COMPANY
With Thursday's 24-point win over Rice, Andy Kennedy became just one of six active head coaches with 20+ wins in 12 of their first 15 seasons. The five other coaches on the list comprise John Calipari, Mark Few, Jim Boeheim, Jamie Dixon and Bob Huggins.
RADIO
Blazer men's basketball games are set to air on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 with David Crane and Murry Bartow on the call.
In addition, Crane will host Blazer Sportsline every Tuesday beginning Dec. 28. The show takes place live from Iron City Grill in downtown Birmingham and features men's basketball head coach Andy Kennedy and women's basketball head coach Randy Norton.
The nine-episode show, airs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Blazer Sportsline can be heard on 100.5 ESPN JOX 2 and fans will be encouraged to tweet questions to @UABLearfield.
Fans may also follow the Blazers this season by downloading the free TuneIn Radio app, online through Blazers All-Access at UABSports.com, or on the UAB Gameday mobile app.
WATCH
Saturday's game will be carried live on Stadium. Chris Hassel (play-by-play) and Tim Scarborough (analyst) will be on the call.
UP NEXT
The Blazers will hit the road to open their final road trip of the 2021-22 regular season on Thursday when the Blazers face UTSA in San Antonio. Thursday's tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
WHITE OUT AND BOOK DRIVE
Saturday's game against North Texas will also feature a book drive. Fans can donate a book as they arrive at Bartow Arena and receive a discounted ticket rate of just $10 for an upper level seat to Saturday's matchup against the Mean Green. For more information on this offer, click here.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball single-game tickets start as low as $12 and can be purchased by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1.
Discounted group tickets and fan experiences are available for a minimum purchase of 15 tickets to any home basketball game during the 2021-22 season. Groups are encouraged to complete the UAB Basketball Group Ticket Request Form or call the UAB Athletics Ticket Office for more information.
Players Mentioned
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