The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Friday, March 18
Pittsburgh, Pa.
8:20 p.m.
UAB
vs
Houston
Photo by: Mario Terrana
UAB Opens NCAA Tournament Against Houston on Friday
3/17/2022 5:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Riding a seven-game winning streak, the UAB men's basketball team enters the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with the eighth-longest winning streak in Division I. The 12th-seeded Blazers (27-7) will open their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance against fifth-seeded Houston (29-5) on Friday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Friday's tipoff in Pittsburgh is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. CT and will be televised live on TNT. The game will also be carried live on national radio (Westwood One) and local radio (Blazer Sports Network) from PPG Paints Arena.
UAB's first-round matchup is against a former Conference USA opponent, playing 24 games against the Cougars and holding an 18-6 advantage over Houston in the series history.
With a win, UAB would advance to the Round of 32 and would play the winner of fourth-seeded Illinois and 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Sunday. Sunday's schedule will be set following Friday's results.
UAB LATELY
UAB (27-7) punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 when the Blazers completed the season sweep of Louisiana Tech on Saturday, earning an 82-73 win over the Bulldogs at The Star in Frisco, Texas. UAB clinched its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday with a balanced scoring attack, featuring four Blazers scoring in double figures -- Jordan Walker (27), Michael Ertel (15), KJ Buffen (13) and Tavin Lovan (11). Walker scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half, helping the Blazers build a 43-33 lead entering halftime. Ertel then heated up in the final 20 minutes, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the second half behind three made 3-pointers. UAB defeated a talented LA Tech team led by star power forward Kenny Lofton, Jr., three times this season -- once on the road, once at home and once on a neutral court in the C-USA Championship Game. The win also marked UAB's second Conference USA Tournament Championship victory in program history and sixth conference tournament title victory in program history.
HOUSTON LATELY
Houston (29-5) also enters the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid, reeling off three straight victories in Ft. Worth, Texas, to win the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Houston earned all three of its victories by double digits, avenging two losses to Memphis from the regular season with a 71-53 victory over the Tigers in the American title game. Despite battling injuries this season, including to standout guard and leading scorer Marcus Sasser, the Cougars have posted dominant results all season long, ranking inside the top six of the NET rankings the entire season. Fresh off a Final Four run this past season, the Cougars went 16-1 at home, 7-3 on the road and 6-1 in neutral site matchups this season. As a team, Houston ranks No. 1 in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (37.3%) and first in team offensive rebounding percentage (37.9%). The Cougars, however, struggle at the foul line, ranking No. 312 in the nation in free throw percentage (66.9%).
GOING TO BE A BATTLE
UAB's game against Houston is the only first-round matchup in this year's NCAA Tournament with two teams with 27+ wins. UAB (27) and Houston (29) combined for 56 victories before entering March Madness, making the classic 5-12 matchup the first round game with the most combined wins in this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
UAB ALL-CONFERENCE USA HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-C-USA
• Quan Jackson: Third Team All-C-USA, C-USA All-Defensive Team
• KJ Buffen: Honorable Mention All-Conference USA
• Michael Ertel: Conference USA All-Academic Team
UAB'S CONFERENCE USA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: All-Tournament Team, Tournament MVP
• Quan Jackson: All-Tournament Team
• Michael Ertel: All-Tournament Team
UAB NABC ALL-DISTRICT HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: NABC All-District 11 First Team
UAB MID-MAJOR ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
• Jordan Walker: Kevin Connors Second Team Mid-Major All-American
UAB AND HOUSTON HEAD-TO-HEAD
1/11/97 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 69-66
3/5/97 Kiel Center W, 55-54
1/31/98 Bartow Arena W, 78-61
2/21/98 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 104-70
1/9/99 Bartow Arena W, 116-78
2/4/99 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 90-82
2/2/00 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 90-87
2/26/00 Bartow Arena W, 69-66
1/10/01 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 65-67
1/31/01 Bartow Arena W, 65-53
1/19/02 Bartow Arena L, 71-80
3/2/02 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 72-76
1/11/03 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 63-50
2/22/03 Bartow Arena W, 80-52
1/10/04 Bartow Arena W, 64-42
3/5/05 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 71-66
1/21/06 Bartow Arena W, 82-79
2/17/07 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 64-70
2/20/08 Bartow Arena W, 101-99
1/10/09 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 56-75
2/20/10 Bartow Arena W, 75-66
2/26/11 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 68-55
2/1/12 Bartow Arena W, 80-69
2/26/11 Hofheinz Pavilion L 61-66
UAB AND HOUSTON BY THE NUMBERS
Overtime games 0
Common opponents this season 1
Total venues played 4
Games decided by 21 points or more 4
Games decided by 11-20 points 5
Head coaches in the series 5
Number of Houston wins 6
Average margin of victory for Houston 7.5
Average margin of victory for UAB 12.5
Games decided by 10 points or less 14
Number of UAB wins 18
Total meetings 24
Average points scored by Houston 67.9
Average points scored by UAB 75.4
Fewest combined points 106
Most combined points 200
Number of miles between venues 669.6
Total points scored by Houston 1,629
Total points scored by UAB 1,809
Days since last meeting 3,338
Total points scored by both teams 3,438
Days since the series began 9,197
WATCH
Friday night's first-round game against Houston will be televised live on TNT. Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner and Dana Jacobson comprise Friday's broadcast crew.
NATIONAL RADIO
UAB's Friday night showdown against Houston will also be carried live on national radio. Blazer fans can tune into Sirius Channel 135 and XM Channel 202.
A free online stream of all individual Westwood One game broadcasts, as well as the "March Madness Mix," is available at WestwoodOneSports.com/madness. A direct link to all games from Pittsburgh is WestwoodOneSports.com/PITTSBURGH.
John Sadak (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) will be on the call.
LOCAL 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.
UP NEXT
The winner of Friday night's game at PPG Paints Arena will face the winner of fourth-seeded Illinois and 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Sunday. Sunday's tipoff time would be decided following Friday's results.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball season-ticket packages for the 2022-23 season are on sale now and start for as low as $110 in Blaze's Corner. The public season-ticket price is set at $275, while season tickets for UAB employees and alumni are available for $245 per seat. Scholarship seating is also available, and fans can also request more information by clicking here.
Friday's tipoff in Pittsburgh is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. CT and will be televised live on TNT. The game will also be carried live on national radio (Westwood One) and local radio (Blazer Sports Network) from PPG Paints Arena.
UAB's first-round matchup is against a former Conference USA opponent, playing 24 games against the Cougars and holding an 18-6 advantage over Houston in the series history.
With a win, UAB would advance to the Round of 32 and would play the winner of fourth-seeded Illinois and 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Sunday. Sunday's schedule will be set following Friday's results.
UAB LATELY
UAB (27-7) punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 when the Blazers completed the season sweep of Louisiana Tech on Saturday, earning an 82-73 win over the Bulldogs at The Star in Frisco, Texas. UAB clinched its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday with a balanced scoring attack, featuring four Blazers scoring in double figures -- Jordan Walker (27), Michael Ertel (15), KJ Buffen (13) and Tavin Lovan (11). Walker scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half, helping the Blazers build a 43-33 lead entering halftime. Ertel then heated up in the final 20 minutes, scoring 11 of his 15 points in the second half behind three made 3-pointers. UAB defeated a talented LA Tech team led by star power forward Kenny Lofton, Jr., three times this season -- once on the road, once at home and once on a neutral court in the C-USA Championship Game. The win also marked UAB's second Conference USA Tournament Championship victory in program history and sixth conference tournament title victory in program history.
HOUSTON LATELY
Houston (29-5) also enters the NCAA Tournament via an automatic bid, reeling off three straight victories in Ft. Worth, Texas, to win the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Houston earned all three of its victories by double digits, avenging two losses to Memphis from the regular season with a 71-53 victory over the Tigers in the American title game. Despite battling injuries this season, including to standout guard and leading scorer Marcus Sasser, the Cougars have posted dominant results all season long, ranking inside the top six of the NET rankings the entire season. Fresh off a Final Four run this past season, the Cougars went 16-1 at home, 7-3 on the road and 6-1 in neutral site matchups this season. As a team, Houston ranks No. 1 in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (37.3%) and first in team offensive rebounding percentage (37.9%). The Cougars, however, struggle at the foul line, ranking No. 312 in the nation in free throw percentage (66.9%).
GOING TO BE A BATTLE
UAB's game against Houston is the only first-round matchup in this year's NCAA Tournament with two teams with 27+ wins. UAB (27) and Houston (29) combined for 56 victories before entering March Madness, making the classic 5-12 matchup the first round game with the most combined wins in this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
UAB ALL-CONFERENCE USA HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-C-USA
• Quan Jackson: Third Team All-C-USA, C-USA All-Defensive Team
• KJ Buffen: Honorable Mention All-Conference USA
• Michael Ertel: Conference USA All-Academic Team
UAB'S CONFERENCE USA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: All-Tournament Team, Tournament MVP
• Quan Jackson: All-Tournament Team
• Michael Ertel: All-Tournament Team
UAB NABC ALL-DISTRICT HONOREES
• Jordan Walker: NABC All-District 11 First Team
UAB MID-MAJOR ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
• Jordan Walker: Kevin Connors Second Team Mid-Major All-American
UAB AND HOUSTON HEAD-TO-HEAD
1/11/97 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 69-66
3/5/97 Kiel Center W, 55-54
1/31/98 Bartow Arena W, 78-61
2/21/98 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 104-70
1/9/99 Bartow Arena W, 116-78
2/4/99 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 90-82
2/2/00 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 90-87
2/26/00 Bartow Arena W, 69-66
1/10/01 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 65-67
1/31/01 Bartow Arena W, 65-53
1/19/02 Bartow Arena L, 71-80
3/2/02 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 72-76
1/11/03 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 63-50
2/22/03 Bartow Arena W, 80-52
1/10/04 Bartow Arena W, 64-42
3/5/05 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 71-66
1/21/06 Bartow Arena W, 82-79
2/17/07 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 64-70
2/20/08 Bartow Arena W, 101-99
1/10/09 Hofheinz Pavilion L, 56-75
2/20/10 Bartow Arena W, 75-66
2/26/11 Hofheinz Pavilion W, 68-55
2/1/12 Bartow Arena W, 80-69
2/26/11 Hofheinz Pavilion L 61-66
UAB AND HOUSTON BY THE NUMBERS
Overtime games 0
Common opponents this season 1
Total venues played 4
Games decided by 21 points or more 4
Games decided by 11-20 points 5
Head coaches in the series 5
Number of Houston wins 6
Average margin of victory for Houston 7.5
Average margin of victory for UAB 12.5
Games decided by 10 points or less 14
Number of UAB wins 18
Total meetings 24
Average points scored by Houston 67.9
Average points scored by UAB 75.4
Fewest combined points 106
Most combined points 200
Number of miles between venues 669.6
Total points scored by Houston 1,629
Total points scored by UAB 1,809
Days since last meeting 3,338
Total points scored by both teams 3,438
Days since the series began 9,197
WATCH
Friday night's first-round game against Houston will be televised live on TNT. Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner and Dana Jacobson comprise Friday's broadcast crew.
NATIONAL RADIO
UAB's Friday night showdown against Houston will also be carried live on national radio. Blazer fans can tune into Sirius Channel 135 and XM Channel 202.
A free online stream of all individual Westwood One game broadcasts, as well as the "March Madness Mix," is available at WestwoodOneSports.com/madness. A direct link to all games from Pittsburgh is WestwoodOneSports.com/PITTSBURGH.
John Sadak (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst) will be on the call.
LOCAL 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.
UP NEXT
The winner of Friday night's game at PPG Paints Arena will face the winner of fourth-seeded Illinois and 13th-seeded Chattanooga on Sunday. Sunday's tipoff time would be decided following Friday's results.
MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION
UAB men's basketball season-ticket packages for the 2022-23 season are on sale now and start for as low as $110 in Blaze's Corner. The public season-ticket price is set at $275, while season tickets for UAB employees and alumni are available for $245 per seat. Scholarship seating is also available, and fans can also request more information by clicking here.
Players Mentioned
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