UAB Media Relations
Mailing Address:
BRTW 105
1530 3rd Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35294
(205) 934-0722
(205) 934-7505 (Fax)
2003-04 UAB BASKETBALL
MBB Contact: Aaron Jordan
EXHIBITION GAME ONE – NOVEMBER 6, 2003, 7:30 P.M. CST
UAB VS.VASDA USA
UAB 2003-04 SCHEDULE
DATE
NOVEMBER
Thurs. 6
Mon.
17
Mon.
24
Sat.
29
DECEMBER
Wed.
3
Sat.
6
Mon.
15
Thurs. 18
Sat.
20
Tues.
23
Sat.
27
Tues.
30
JANUARY
Sat.
3
Wed.
7
Sat.
10
Sat.
17
Tues.
20
Sat.
24
Wed.
28
Sat.
31
FEBRUARY
Sat.
7
Wed.
11
Sat.
14
Wed.
18
Sat.
21
Wed.
25
Sat.
28
UAB (0-0, 0-0 C-USA)
OPPONENT
VASDA (Exh.)
Arkansas Angels (Exh.)
Georgia Southern
Richmond
TIME/RESULT
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
Birmingham-Southern
at Mississippi State (FoxSN)
vs. Western Michigan%
at VCU
Alabama A&M
Louisiana Tech
vs. LSU# (FoxSN/Sunshine)
Marshall
7:30 pm
1 pm
5:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
6 pm
7:30 pm
South Alabama
at East Carolina*
Houston*
at DePaul* (ESPN Plus)
USF*
at Charlotte*
Tulane*
Saint Louis*
7:30 pm
6 pm
7:30 pm
11 am
7:30 pm
2 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
at Louisville* (ESPN)
at Southern Miss*
East Carolina*
Cincinnati*
at Memphis (ESPN)
at Tulane
Marquette* (ESPN Plus)
6 pm
7 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
6 pm
7 pm
2 pm
MARCH
Wed.
3
at USF
Sat.
6
TCU (ESPN Plus)
Wed.10- Conference USA Tournament!
Sun.
14
* denotes C-USA game
% Coors Classic (Mobile, Ala.)
# Sugar Bowl Classic (New Orleans, La.)
! C-USA Tournament (Memphis, Tenn.)
All times Central
6 pm
Noon
TBA
UAB WILL RELY ON EXPERIENCE IN
2003-04: The UAB basketball team
enters the 2003-04 season as one of the
more experienced teams in Conference
USA. The Blazers return four of five
starters and nine of 12 letterwinners.
The Blazers also have three fifth-year
seniors on the squad in Mo Finley,
Sidney Ball and Tony Johnson. UAB is
one of only three schools in the entire
coutnry which has three fifth-year
seniors on its squad (Arkansas-3,
Creighton-4).
BLAZERS HAVE SUCCESSFUL 2002-03
SEASON: UAB turned a lot of heads
throughout the 2002-03 season. The
Blazers finished the season with a 2113 overall record and finished runnerup at the Conference USA tournament. UAB ended the season just one
game away from playing in Madison
Square Garden in the NIT, dropping a
79-71 decision at St. John’s in the quarterfinals. It was the first time UAB has
reached the postseason since the 199899 campaign.
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS: UAB returns
four of five starters and nine of 12 letterwinners for the 2003-04 season.
Leading the list of returnees is preseason all-conference guard Morris
Finley. The senior from LaFayette, Ala.
is back as the conference’s leading
returning scorer (18.3 ppg in 2002) and
is a member of the preseason all-conference team. The Blazers also will
show off five newcomers, four of
which are JUCO transfers. Leading the
list of newcomers are identical twin
guards Ronell and Donell Taylor. Both
players transferred from OkaloosaWalton JC where they were named to
the all-conference and all-region
teams.
UAB QUICK FACTS
Founded
1969
Enrollment
15,921
President
Dr. Carol Garrison
Athletics Director
Watson Brown
Faculty Representative
Dr. Johnny Scott
National Affiliation
NCAA Division I
Conference Affiliation
Conference USA
School Colors Forest Green and Old Gold
Home Court
Bartow Arena
Capacity
8,500
First Game In Bartow Arena
Dec. 3, 1988
Record In Bartow Arena
175-42 (.806)
34-21 in C-USA (.618)
BASKETBALL HISTORY
First Year Of Basketball
1978-79
All-Time Record
489-300 (.620)
Years In NCAA Tourn. 10 (1981, 82, 83, 84,
85, 86, 87, 90, 94, 99)
Last Appearance
1999
Years In NIT
8
(1980, 89, 91, 92, 93, 97, 98, 03)
Last Appearance
2003
2002-03 Overall Record
21-13
2002-03 C-USA Record/Finish
8-8/t-2nd
(National)
Returning/Lost
9/3
Starters Returning/Lost
4/1
Newcomers
5
BASKETBALL STAFF
Head Basketball Coach
Mike Anderson
Record at UAB/Seasons 21-13/One Season
Career Record/Seasons
Same
Assistant Coaches
Chris Giles (UAB, ‘84)
Scott Edgar (Pittsburgh-Johnstown, ‘78)
Matt Zimmerman (Arkansas, ‘90)
Strength & Conditioning
Marcus Bush
Athletic Trainer
Bryan Koch
Media Relations Contact
Aaron Jordan
Jordan’s Office
205-934-0722
Jordan’s Email
[email protected]
TONIGHT’S GAME INFO...
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003
1
TIME: 7:30 p.m. CST
Jon Gentile produces the broadcast. The pregame show
will begin 7 p.m. CST and the postgame show will follow
immediately after the game.
2002-03 RECORDS: UAB: 21-13, 8-8 C-USA
TELEVISION: None
RADIO: 101.1 WYDE -FM - Gary Sanders will handle
play-by-play, Matt Coulter will be the color analyst and
SERIES HISTORY: UAB defeated VASDA USA in its
opening game of the exhibition season, 119-84.
2003-04 UAB Men’s Basketball
CAREER RECORD
WATCH
Most Three’s Made
1. Andy Kennedy
2. Damon Cobb
3. Cedric Dixon
4. Mo Finley
5. Barry Bearden
Years
1988-91
1995-99
1994-98
19991986-90
No.
318
234
218
182
172
Most Steals
1. Stanley Jackson
2. Steve Mitchell
3. Damon Cobb
4. Oliver Robinson
5. Michael Charles
6. George Wilkerson
7. Eric Bush
8. Barry Bearden
9. Cedric Dixon
10. Jack Kramer
11. Mo Finley
Years
1989-93
1982-86
1995-99
1978-82
1984-88
1989-94
2001-03
1986-90
1994-98
1988-91
1999-
No.
237
190
180
176
175
172
169
151
135
134
128
Most Three’s Att.
1. Andy Kennedy
2. Cedric Dixon
3. Damon Cobb
4. Mo Finley
5. Barry Bearden
1,000-Point Club
1. Steve Mitchell
2. Andy Kennedy
3. Elbert Rogers
4. Oliver Robinson
5. Stanley Jackson
t14. Mo Finley*
Freshman Scoring
1. Demario Eddins
2. Richard Jones
3. Damon Cobb
4. Steve Mitchell
5. Jerome Mincy
5. Larry Rembert
Years
1988-91
1994-98
1995-99
19991986-90
Years
1982-86
1988-91
1988-92
1978-82
1989-93
1999Year
2003
2003
1996
1983
1983
1987
No.
728
631
623
479
422
Points
1,867
1,787
1,587
1,577
1,491
1,137
Points
344
228
212
199
188
188
* Mo Finley became the 15th player in school
history to reach 1,000 points.
##
10
23
2
3
4
31
32
34
11
44
21
15
2
2002-03 FINAL STATS
STATISTICAL LEADERS
PLAYER
Mo Finley
Demario Eddins
Gabe Kennedy
Eric Bush
Jeffrey Collins
Richard Jones
Sidney Ball
Cedric Davis
Derrick Broom
Brandon Tobias
Tony Johnson
Lee Cobb
G/GS PTS.
34/34 18.3
34/32 10.3
34/22 10.1
34/33 9.9
26/5
8.1
33/1
7.1
33/29 5.5
33/11 4.7
24/0
2.8
31/2
2.6
28/1
1.3
17/0
1.2
OTHER
3.2 apg
4.4 rpg
4.8 rpg
3.1 spg
2.9 rpg
1.9 rpg
5.4 rpg
2.9 rpg
0.8 rpg
2.1 rpg
1.3 apg
0.5 rpg
2003-04 UAB M EN ’ S B ASKETBALL N UMERICAL R OSTER
No.
0
1
2
3
4
5
10
12
15
21
23
25
31
32
42
44
Name
Carldell Johnson
Donell Taylor
Ronell Taylor
Marques Lewis
Gabe Kennedy
DeAndre’ Carroll
Morris Finley
Reed Davis
Lee Cobb
Tony Johnson
Demario Eddins
Ernest Little
Richard Jones
Sidney Ball
Derrick Broom
Brandon Tobias
Pos.
G
G
G
F
F
G
G
G
F
G/F
F
F
G
G/F
G
F
Ht.
5-10
6-6
6-5
6-8
6-9
6-4
5-11
6-1
6-7
6-4
6-7
6-9
6-5
6-6
6-5
6-7
Wt.
180
180
180
285
255
190
175
180
230
200
190
230
210
220
200
220
SCOUTING VASDA USA: The VASDA USA
squad is comprised of former college players who have completed their NCAA eligibility and are playing professionally overseas and in the U.S. Those players who are
attempting to play basketball at the professional level, are using VASDA’s preseason
tour to gain some experience and exposure.
LAST SEASON AGAINST VASDA...: UAB
began the 2002-03 season with its exhibition
opener against VASDA. The Blazers defeated their opponents, 119-84 on Nov. 5, 2002.
UAB was led by Mo Finley’s 21 points, 10
assists and five steals, while Demario
Eddins and Gabe Kennedy had 18 and 17
points, respectively. Six UAB players
reached double-figures, while the Blazers
shot 58.7-percent from the floor as a team.
UAB also forced VASDA into 27 turnovers
and collected 19 steals on the evening.
UAB LED NATION IN STEALS: Mike
Anderson’s Fastest 40 Minutes In Basketball is
a frantic style of play which is predicated on
forcing other teams into turnovers. That
was shown in last season’s statistics. The
Blazers led the nation in steals per game last
season, averaging 11.6 per contest. The
Blazers also forced their opponents into 723
turnovers and collected 395 steals, both
school records.
11 WINS EQUALS 500 VICTORIES IN SCHOOL
HISTORY: Entering the 2003-04 season, UAB
needs just 11 wins to reach the program’s
500th victory. Currently, the program’s
overall record is 489-300 which equals to an
average of 19.6 wins per season.
THREE-POINT STREAK STILL GOING: The
Blazers have enjoyed much success from
behind the arc. So much so, that UAB has
made at least one three-pointer in 235 consecutive contests. The last time the Blazers
played a game without knocking down a
2003-04 UAB Men’s Basketball
Cl./Exp.
So./JC
Jr./JC
Jr./JC
Jr./JC
Sr./1L
Fr-R/HS
Sr./3L
So./1L
Sr./2L
Sr./3L
So./1L
Fr./HS
So./1L
Sr./3L
So./1L
So./1L
Hometown/Last School
New Orleans, La./Salt Lake City JC
Montgomery, Ala./Okaloosa-Walton
Montgomery, Ala./Okaloosa-Walton
Milwaukee, Wisc./Wabash Valley
Lower Peachtree, Ala./Wilcox Central HS
Birmingham, Ala./Minor HS
LaFayette, Ala./LaFayette HS
Birmingham, Ala./Altamont HS
Decatur, Ala./Birmingham-Southern
Morganfield, Ky./Union County HS
Chicago, Ill./Winchendon Prep
Monroeville, Ala./Monroe County HS
Oklahoma City, Okla./Douglass HS
Duncanville, Ala./Hillcrest HS
Cartersville, Ga./Woodland HS
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard HS
trey was on Dec. 18, 1996 against
Chattanooga.
CLIMBING UP THE RECORD BOOKS: Senior
guard Mo Finley continues his ascent up the
UAB record books. Finley, a native of
LaFayette, Ala., is ranked in the career lists
for three pointer made, three pointers
attempted and most points scored in school
history. He also need to collect six steals to
break into the top-10 for career steals. Last
season, he collected 623 points which stood
as the fifth-most points in a single-season in
school history.
KEY RETURNEES: The Blazers welcome back
four of their five starters and nine of 12 letterwinners to this year’s squad. Included on
the list of returnees is preseason all-conference player Morris Finley. The LaFayette,
Ala. native returns as C-USA’s leading scorer, averaging 18.3 ppg last season. Demario
Eddins returns after being named to the CUSA All-Freshman team. Eddins also captured the school record for freshman scoring, collecting 344 points on the campaign.
Sidney Ball and Gabe Kennedy are both
inside forces who started 20-plus games the
UAB. Also returning are Richard Jones,
who ranks second on UAB’s all-time freshman scoring list, Tony Johnson, Derrick
Broom and Brandon Tobias, all of whom
played 24 or more games last season.
2003-04 NEWCOMERS: UAB welcomes five
new players to this year’s squad. Out of the
five newcomers, four are transfers from
junior college. Below is a glimpse of each
recruit and a few of their previous school’s
accomplishments:
w Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson (5-10, 180, G)
- Transferred from Salt Lake CC ... averaged
eight points and eight assists per contest.
w Marques Lewis (6-8, 280, F) - Transfer
from Wabash Valley CC ... named as all-conference performer ... was team MVP in 2002-
M
HEAD COACH MIKE ANDERSON
ike Anderson
was named the
third
head
men's basketball coach
at the UAB on April 4,
2002.
In his first season at the
helm, Anderson guided
the Blazers to the best
single-season improvement in school history. UAB finished last season with a 2113 record overall and an 8-8 Conference
USA record, which was good enough to
finish second in the National Division.
Anderson was one of only three Division
I coaches last season to win at least 20
games in his first year as a head coach.
Anderson not only won 21 games last season, but also accomplished some “firsts”
in the program’s history. For example,
UAB played in the C-USA championship
game for the first time in school history,
barely missing an automatic berth to the
NCAA Tournament losing to tournament
host Louisville, 83-78. The Blazers entered
the C-USA Tournament as a No. 9 seed.
UAB defeated Charlotte in the first round,
85-61, No. 1-seeded and eighth-ranked
Marquette 83-76 and fourth-seeded Saint
Louis, 63-62, to advance to the C-USA
championship game.
Despite falling to the Cardinals, the
Blazers did receive an NIT invitation,
appearing in their first postseason since
the 1998-99 campaign. Anderson directed
the Blazers to a quarterfinal appearance
where they fell to eventual 2003 NIT
Champion St. John’s.
Anderson set goals for the program and
his tenure got off on the right start when
you consider:
n The first time UAB has reached the
championship game of the Conference
USA tournament.
n The best single-season improvement
in school history, going from 13-17 in
2001-02 to 21-13 in 2002-03 for a +8-game
improvement.
n The first time the Blazers have led the
nation in steals (11.6/game).
n The first time UAB has beaten a team
ranked in the top eight (No. 8 Marquette,
83-76, 3/13/03) since it defeated
Cincinnati on Jan. 21, 1996.
n The first time a first-year coach at
UAB has won 20 games.
n The first time in school history a firstyear head coach has had a winning percentage over .600 (.618).
n The first time UAB has won 21 games
in a season since the 1997-98 campaign.
n The first time UAB has won a game in
the NIT since it defeated Missouri (93-86)
in 1998.
n The first time the Blazers reached the
quarterfinals of the NIT since the 1993
season.
3
03 ... led team with 16.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg.
w Ernest Little (6-9, 230, Fr.) - Played at
Monroe County HS ... named to Mobile
Register’s “Super 16” ... averaged 15 points,
10 rebounds and four blocks as a senior.
w Donell Taylor (6-6, 180, G) - Transfer from
Okaloosa-Walton CC ... named NJCAA AllAmerican ... selected as Panhandle
Conference Player of the Year ... averaged
29 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
w Ronell Taylor (6-5, 180, G) - Transfer from
Okaloosa-Walton CC ... Panhandle
Conference Player of the Year runner-up to
twin brother Donell ... averaged 19.7 points
and 2.2 steals per contest ... compiled a two
year record of 56-8 at Okaloosa-Walton.
HOME SWEET HOME: UAB enjoys playing at
the friendly confines of Bartow Arena.
Now playing in their 16th season in the
facility, the Blazers have enjoyed 175 wins
against just 42 losses for a winning percentage of .806. The Blazers have won at
least 10 games in Bartow Arena in 14 of the
last 15 seasons played in the building. In
all-time home games, UAB owns an
impressive 298-73 (.803) mark.
UAB PICKED FIFTH IN C-USA/FINLEY
TABBED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: The
UAB men’s basketball team was picked to
finish fifth in the Conference USA raceas
selected by the league’s 14 head coaches. In
addition, senior guard Morris Finley was
selected to the preseason all-conference
team. Finley becomes just the second player at UAB since the inception of C-USA to
be chosen as preseason all- conference
(Fred Williams, 1999).
UAB BASKETBALL RECEIVING NATIONAL
RECOGNITION: After last season’s postseason run through the Conference USA
Tournament and the NIT, the Blazers are
beginning to receive national recognition
in the preseason basketball magazine prognostications. Below is a list of Blazers who
garnered preseason honors:
Street & Smith’s
Top JUCO transfers
All-East
Donell Taylor
The Sporting News
Top Juco Transfers
Shooting Guards:
1. Donell Taylor
10. Ronell Taylor
Small Forwards:
10. Marques Lewis
Biggest JUCO Impact
Donell Taylor
Athlon Sports
Top-10 Shooters
4. Morris Finley
Honorable Mention All-America
Morris Finley
2003-04 UAB Men’s Basketball
Lindy’s Basketball
Top JUCO Transfer
5. Donell Taylor
Heard of ‘em? You Will Now
1. Morris Finley
Top Shooting Guards
14. Morris Finley
TWO EXHIBITION GAMES FOR UAB: UAB
will play two exhibition games prior to the
start of the regular season. The Blazers will
open the exhibition season when they face
a familiar foe in VASDA USA on Nov. 6.
UAB will then play its final exhibition
game of the season on Nov. 17 against
Arkansas Angels.
UAB BASKETBALL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS:
The 2003-04 season marks the 25th
anniversary
of
UAB basketball.
Throughout the years, the Blazers have created and maintained a rich tradition of basketball. The Blazers have accomplished
many feats in the program’s short history.
UAB has appeared in 10 NCAA tournaments – advancing to two Sweet 16 and
one Elite Eight – eight NIT appearances,
two NIT Final Four appearances, six conference championships, 21 winning seasons, 14 20+-win seasons and three allamericans.
UAB WAS RUNNER UP AT C-USA
TOURNEY: UAB ended its impressive run at
the C-USA tournament, dropping an 83-78
decision to Louisville in the championship
game. The Blazers defeated Charlotte (8561), No. 8 Marquette (83-76) and Saint
Louis (63-62) en route to making it to the
championship game for the first time in
school history. For their efforts, Mo Finley
and Eric Bush were named to the all-tournament team.
2003 KELLY TIRES CONFERENCE USA
TOURNAMENT NOTES: Below are a few notes
concerning UAB’s run in the 2003 C-USA
tournament:
w After finishing the regular season with a
1-4 record against the American Division,
the Blazers had a 3-1 tournament record vs.
the American Division.
w With the three wins in four games at the
conference tournament, UAB assured itself
of a spot in postseason play for the first
time since the 1999 campaign.
w The Blazers captured two single-game
records: steals by a team (20) and steals by
an individual player (Eric Bush, six), both
vs. Marquette. As a team, UAB has set
records for individual steals in tournament
play (Eric Bush, 13) and team steals in tournament play (48). UAB scored 308 points in
the tournament to break the tournament
scoring mark of 293 points held by
Marquette (four games) in 1997.
w The Blazers snapped Marquette’s five-
game win streak and Saint Louis’ eightgame win streak en route to making it to
the championship game.
w UAB reached the C-USA championship
game for the first time in school history.
UAB IN THE
2002-03 NCAA STATS
INDIVIDUAL
Steals Per Game
4. E. Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.1
TEAM
Steals Per Game
1. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.6
Scoring Offense
29. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77.9
SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCES
Steals In A Game
t3. E. Bush . . . .8 vs. Texas A&M-CC
(12/19/02)
UAB IN THE
2002-03 C-USA STATS
INDIVIDUAL
Scoring
2. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18.3
FG Percentage
5. G. Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . ..533
Free Throw Pct.
8. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..816
Assists
11. E. Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.61
Steals
1. E. Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.16
5. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.03
8. D. Eddins . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.55
3-point FG Pct.
7. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..412
3-point FG Made
3. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.87
Assist/Turnover Ratio
11. M. Finley . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.62
12. E. Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.51
TEAM*
Scoring Offense
3. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77.6
Scoring Margin
5. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+5.2
Free Throw Percentage
t7. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..681
FG Percentage
4. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..445
Turnover Margin
1. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .+7.10
Steals
1. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11.6
Assists
6. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15.10
3-Point FG Made
6. UAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.35
UAB REACHES THE 20-WIN MARK: With its
win over UL Lafayette in the first round of
the National Invitation Tournament, UAB
reached the 20-win plateau for the first
time since the 1998-99 campaign. That season, UAB finished 20-12 and made its last
trip to postseason play when it made the
NCAA tournament. With the victory, the
Blazers reached the 20-win mark for the
14th time in the school’s 25th season of
play.
THEFT OF A SCHOOL RECORD: The Blazers
were one of the top defensive teams in the
nation last season as proven by the amount
of steals they have compiled. With 395
steals, UAB has shattered a 23-year-old
team record for steals in a season and both
the C-USA for overall steals in a season
and steals in conference play only. Below is
a breakdown of the records UAB captured
last season:
C-USA Record
Steals/regular season
Steals a game/reg. season
Steals/C-USA only
Steals a game/C-USA only
UAB final numbers
Steals/regular season
Steals a game/regular season
Steals/C-USA only
Steals a game/C-USA only
No.
395
11.6
181
11.3
Team (Games)
UAB 2002-03 (34)
UAB 2002-03 (34)
UAB 2002-03 (16)
UAB 2002-03 (16)
395
11.6
181
11.3
UAB IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: The
Blazers found themselves ranked in several categories in the 2002-03 final NCAA
stats. As a team, the Blazers led the nation
in steals per game (11.6), while Eric Bush
finished fourth in the nation in steals per
game (3.1). In the column on the left is a
complete listing of how UAB ranked in the
NCAA last season.
UAB IN THE C-USA STATISTICS: The
Blazers were well represented in the final
Conference USA statistics. As a team, UAB
led the league in turnover margin (+7.10)
*Team rankings are only listed if
UAB is in top eight
4
2003-04 UAB Men’s Basketball
and steals per game (11.6). The Blazers also
ranked third in scoring offense (77.6) and
fourth in field goal percentage (.445). In the
column on the left is a complete listing of
where the Blazers rank in Conference USA
team and individual statistics.
STEALING THE SHOW: Last season, guard
Eric Bush had arguably one of UAB’s
greatest defensive years in school history.
Bush captured the Conference USA and the
UAB school record for steals in a season
with 105. Below is a graph of the other
school and C-USA records that Bush
eclipsed:
Records
No.
UAB single-season 105
C-USA regular season 101
C-USA play only
57
Record holder (Games)
Eric Bush, 2003 (34)
Eric Bush, 2003 (34)
Willie Coleman DePaul,
1998 (16)
UAB Leader - Eric Bush (Final Stats)
Regular season
105
Conference only
50
DEFENSE THE NAME OF THE GAME: Mike
Anderson is stressed defense to last year’s
team and that was evident in last season’s
statistics. The Blazers forced opponents
into 723 turnovers, for an average of 21.3
per game, while collecting a school record
395 steals (11.6 per game) to lead the
nation.
REBOUNDING DIFFERENCE: Despite winning
21 of its 34 contests last season, UAB has
been outrebounded in every game except
six. For the year, UAB opponents had a
1375-1189 advantage on the boards which
equates to a -5.5 difference (40.4 - 35.0 per
game) in the rebounding department. The
team was led by Sidney Ball who averaged
5.4 rpg.
FINLEY/EDDINS EARN C-USA HONORS:
Morris Finley and Demario Eddins both
received Conference USA postseason honors. Finley was named to the Conference
USA second team – the highest such honor
since Carlos Williams made first-team allconference in 1997. Eddins was also honored when he was named to the C-USA
All-Freshman team.
TURNOVERS WERE THE ‘X’ FACTOR: In
UAB’s 21 victories last season, the Blazers
had a turnover difference of +8.7 (21.9 13.2). However, in the 13 losses, the Blazers
only had a +2.8 (18.9 - 16.1) advantage in
the turnover department. UAB committed
20 or more turnovers in only three games
last season, two of which were losses (at
UNLV - 23 and at Southern Miss - 20).
ANOTHER ‘X’ FACTOR: There were three
other key stats in forecasting whether the
Blazers would win or lose. UAB was 15-3
in games in which it shot better than 45
percent from the floor in a game, while the
Blazers were also 13-3 when holding opponents to less than 45 percent shooting from
the floor. UAB was also 18-2 when leading
at the half.
WORKING OVERTIME: The Blazers played
back-to-back overtime games on Jan. 29
and Feb. 4, marking the first in school history UAB has played back-to-back overtime games. The Blazers beat TCU, 84-82,
in overtime on Jan. 29, then followed that
performance with a 82-80 double overtime
loss at Southern Miss on Feb. 4. The Blazers
played three overtime games last year, and
have never played more than four overtime games in a single-season (1983-84).
THE VOICE OF THE BLAZERS: Entering his
25th season as the voice of the Blazers,
Gary Sanders reached a milestone on Feb.
18 in broadcasting. That game against TCU
marked the 750th UAB basketball broadcast by Sanders. Sanders will also reach
another milestone when he calls his 900th
UAB basketball and football game on Nov.
24 when the UAB basketball team opens
the regular season at home against Georgia
Southern.
Six-times named Alabama
Sportscaster of the Year, Sanders has called
757 of the 782 UAB basketball games. He
has also called all 130 UAB football games.
Combined, the legendary broadcaster has
called 887 games while with the Blazers.
VA S D A U S A - G O L D T E A M
G
G
G
F
F
F
F
F
C
C
10
12
24
30
33
35
42
45
50
54
Shawn Hall
Rashaon Brown
Antoine Knighton
Ali Thompson
Joe hamilton
Kenny Zeigler
Patrick Binion
Kendrick Alloway
Daryl Hamilton
Damian Burke
5-8
6-1
6-2
6-5
6-6
6-6
6-8
6-8
6-9
6-9
155
175
180
210
215
220
210
215
230
260
Appalachian State
Akron
Talladega
Arkansas
Virginia Tech
Furman
Talladega
Georgia State
Huston-Tillotson
Colorado State
Head Coach: Reni Mason
UAB BLAZERS
Pos.
G
G
G
F
F
G
G
G
F
G/F
F
F
G
G/F
G
F
No.
0
1
2
3
4
5
10
12
15
21
23
25
31
32
42
44
Name
Carldell Johnson
Donell Taylor
Ronell Taylor
Marques Lewis
Gabe Kennedy
DeAndre’ Carroll
Morris Finley
Reed Davis
Lee Cobb
Tony Johnson
Demario Eddins
Ernest Little
Richard Jones
Sidney Ball
Derrick Broom
Brandon Tobias
Ht.
5-10
6-6
6-5
6-8
6-9
6-4
5-11
6-1
6-7
6-4
6-7
6-9
6-5
6-6
6-5
6-7
Wt.
180
180
180
285
255
190
175
180
230
200
190
230
210
220
200
220
Cl./Exp. Hometown/Last School
So./JC New Orleans, La./Salt Lake CC
Jr./JC Montgomery, Ala./Okaloosa-Walton
Jr./JC Montgomery, Ala./Okaloosa-Walton
Jr./JC Milwaukee, Wisc./Wabash Valley
Sr./1L Lower Peachtree, Ala./Wilcox Central HS 10.1 4.8
Fr-R/HS Birmingham, Ala./Minor HS
Sr./3L LaFayette, Ala./LaFayette HS
18.3 3.2
So./1L Birmingham, Ala./Altamont HS
0.9 0.0
Sr./2L Decatur, Ala./Birmingham-Southern
1.2 0.5
Sr./3L Morganfield, Ky./Union County HS
1.3 1.6
So./1L Chicago, Ill./Winchendon Prep
10.3 4.4
Fr./HS Monroeville, Ala./Monroe County HS
So./1L Oklahoma City, Okla./Douglass HS
7.1 1.9
Sr./3L Duncanville, Ala./Hillcrest HS
5.5 5.4
So./1L Cartersville, Ga./Woodland HS
2.8 0.8
So./1L Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard HS
2.6 2.1
Averaged 8.0 ppg and 8.0 apg at SLCC
NJCAA All-America
First team all-conference
Averaged 16.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg at Wabash
Expected to be main man inside the paint
Redshirted 2002-03 season
Preseason all-conference
Expected to play limited role off bench
Good outside shooter, can see more time
Healthy and looking for increased role
Broke UAB’s freshman scoring record
Named all-region out of high school
Second-most points by freshman at UAB
Team captain, led team in rebounds
Good outside shooter, will see more time
Strong inside presence
Head Coach: Mike Anderson (Tulsa, ‘82)
Assistant Coaches: Scott Edgar (Pittsburgh-Johnstown, ‘78), Chris Giles (UAB, ‘84), Matt Zimmerman (Arkansas, ‘90)
Trainer: Bryan Koch, ATC
5
2003-04 UAB Men’s Basketball