The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Photo by: Ken Shepherd
Walker, Jackson & Buffen Earn All-Conference USA Honors
3/7/2022 12:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball
DALLAS – For the first time since 2015-16, the UAB men's basketball team had multiple student-athletes earn All-Conference USA honors, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
Jordan Walker (First Team), Quan Jackson (Third Team) and KJ Buffen (Honorable Mention) all earned All-C-USA recognition after outstanding seasons for the Blazers. Jackson also was named to Conference USA's All-Defensive Team for the second straight season.
Walker, a junior guard from Port Washington, New York, became UAB's first First Team All-Conference USA honoree since Robert Brown in 2015-16. The junior not only led UAB in points per game (19.3) and assists per game (5.1), but he also led Conference USA in points per game (21.6), assists per game (5.33) and 3-pointers made per game (3.83) in league play.
Walker became the only player in UAB history to earn Conference USA Player of the Week honors three times in one season, winning the league's weekly award three of out four weeks from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7. He also broke a UAB single-game scoring record in a standout performance at home against Middle Tennessee, surpassing head coach Andy Kennedy and Robert Vaden's previous record of 41 points with 42 points on Feb. 5.
Jackson, a graduate guard from Tallahassee, Florida, became just the fourth player in UAB history to earn C-USA All-Defensive Team honors in back-to-back seasons and the first Blazer to do it since William "HaHa" Lee in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The lockdown defender led Conference USA in total steals (75) and steals per game (2.42). He also tied for sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.22) in conference play.
On offense, Jackson scored a career-high 29 points in UAB's comeback victory over Florida Atlantic on Jan. 15. He also tallied back-to-back double-doubles against Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss in Bartow Arena, notching the first two double-doubles of his college basketball career. The graduate guard recorded double-digit scoring efforts in 12 of his 18 Conference USA games.
Buffen, a junior forward from Gainesville, Georgia, earned C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition after leading UAB with seven double-doubles in the regular season. He broke out this season on Dec. 1 against ETSU, tying a career-high with 20 points and setting a new career-best with 16 rebounds in the home victory over the Bucs. Since his breakout performance, he has led UAB in rebounding in 10 of its past 24 games.
Buffen tallied double-digit scoring efforts in 10 of UAB's 18 C-USA games. He also recorded a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in his career in games at Old Dominion and at home against Rice.
All three players have scored over 1,000 career points as the Blazers lead the nation with six 1,000-point scorers – Michael Ertel (2,053), Jackson (1,775), Tavin Lovan (1,241), Walker (1,150), Buffen (1,059) and Justin Brown (1,039).
After winning its final four games to conclude the regular season, the UAB men's basketball team will open postseason play Thursday night at the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships in Frisco, Texas. UAB, who is the No. 2 seed in the C-USA's West Division, is scheduled to play at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Ford Center at The Star.
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.
2022-23 men's basketball season tickets are also now on sale and start for as low as $110 in Blaze's Corner. The public season-ticket price is set at $275, while employee and alumni season tickets are set at $245 per seat.
All-Conference First Team
Jordan Walker, UAB
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
Jahmir Young, Charlotte
Dayvion McKnight, WKU
Tylor Perry, North Texas
All-Conference Second Team
Souley Boum, UTEP
Josh Jefferson, Middle Tennessee
Thomas Bell, North Texas
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Austin Trice, Old Dominion
All-Conference Third Team
Quan Jackson, UAB
Jamal Bienimy, UTEP
Tevin Brewer, FIU
Carl Pierre, Rice
Alijah Martin, FAU
All-Conference Honorable Mention
KJ Buffen, UAB
Michael Forrest, FAU
Camron Justice, WKU
Cobe Williams, LA Tech
Jacob Germany, UTSA
Jamarion Sharpe, WKU
Donovan Sims, Middle Tennessee
Travis Evee, Rice
Josh Anderson, WKU
Tyler Stevenson, Southern Miss
All-Defensive Team
Quan Jackson, UAB
Jamarion Sharp, WKU
JJ Murray, North Texas
Cobe Williams, LA Tech
Thomas Bell, North Texas
Jordan Walker (First Team), Quan Jackson (Third Team) and KJ Buffen (Honorable Mention) all earned All-C-USA recognition after outstanding seasons for the Blazers. Jackson also was named to Conference USA's All-Defensive Team for the second straight season.
Walker, a junior guard from Port Washington, New York, became UAB's first First Team All-Conference USA honoree since Robert Brown in 2015-16. The junior not only led UAB in points per game (19.3) and assists per game (5.1), but he also led Conference USA in points per game (21.6), assists per game (5.33) and 3-pointers made per game (3.83) in league play.
Walker became the only player in UAB history to earn Conference USA Player of the Week honors three times in one season, winning the league's weekly award three of out four weeks from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7. He also broke a UAB single-game scoring record in a standout performance at home against Middle Tennessee, surpassing head coach Andy Kennedy and Robert Vaden's previous record of 41 points with 42 points on Feb. 5.
Jackson, a graduate guard from Tallahassee, Florida, became just the fourth player in UAB history to earn C-USA All-Defensive Team honors in back-to-back seasons and the first Blazer to do it since William "HaHa" Lee in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The lockdown defender led Conference USA in total steals (75) and steals per game (2.42). He also tied for sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.22) in conference play.
On offense, Jackson scored a career-high 29 points in UAB's comeback victory over Florida Atlantic on Jan. 15. He also tallied back-to-back double-doubles against Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss in Bartow Arena, notching the first two double-doubles of his college basketball career. The graduate guard recorded double-digit scoring efforts in 12 of his 18 Conference USA games.
Buffen, a junior forward from Gainesville, Georgia, earned C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition after leading UAB with seven double-doubles in the regular season. He broke out this season on Dec. 1 against ETSU, tying a career-high with 20 points and setting a new career-best with 16 rebounds in the home victory over the Bucs. Since his breakout performance, he has led UAB in rebounding in 10 of its past 24 games.
Buffen tallied double-digit scoring efforts in 10 of UAB's 18 C-USA games. He also recorded a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in his career in games at Old Dominion and at home against Rice.
All three players have scored over 1,000 career points as the Blazers lead the nation with six 1,000-point scorers – Michael Ertel (2,053), Jackson (1,775), Tavin Lovan (1,241), Walker (1,150), Buffen (1,059) and Justin Brown (1,039).
After winning its final four games to conclude the regular season, the UAB men's basketball team will open postseason play Thursday night at the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships in Frisco, Texas. UAB, who is the No. 2 seed in the C-USA's West Division, is scheduled to play at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at the Ford Center at The Star.
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.
2022-23 men's basketball season tickets are also now on sale and start for as low as $110 in Blaze's Corner. The public season-ticket price is set at $275, while employee and alumni season tickets are set at $245 per seat.
All-Conference First Team
Jordan Walker, UAB
Kenneth Lofton, Jr., LA Tech
Jahmir Young, Charlotte
Dayvion McKnight, WKU
Tylor Perry, North Texas
All-Conference Second Team
Souley Boum, UTEP
Josh Jefferson, Middle Tennessee
Thomas Bell, North Texas
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall
Austin Trice, Old Dominion
All-Conference Third Team
Quan Jackson, UAB
Jamal Bienimy, UTEP
Tevin Brewer, FIU
Carl Pierre, Rice
Alijah Martin, FAU
All-Conference Honorable Mention
KJ Buffen, UAB
Michael Forrest, FAU
Camron Justice, WKU
Cobe Williams, LA Tech
Jacob Germany, UTSA
Jamarion Sharpe, WKU
Donovan Sims, Middle Tennessee
Travis Evee, Rice
Josh Anderson, WKU
Tyler Stevenson, Southern Miss
All-Defensive Team
Quan Jackson, UAB
Jamarion Sharp, WKU
JJ Murray, North Texas
Cobe Williams, LA Tech
Thomas Bell, North Texas
Players Mentioned
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