March 17, 2008

• UAB-VCU NIT Notes
• Live Stats
• Official NIT Website

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team is set to make its ninth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament when the Blazers travel to take on the VCU Rams on Wednesday, March 19, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT). The game will be televised live to a national audience on ESPN2.

UAB enters the National Invitation Tournament having been awarded a No. 5 seed in this year's event. The Blazers finished the regular season with a 22-10 overall record and a 12-4 mark in league play. The Blazers enter the game at VCU having won 14 of their last 18 games and 20 of the last 27 after beginning the year with a 2-3 mark.

Junior guard/forward Robert Vaden currently leads the Blazers in scoring, averaging 21.6 points a game, which rank 16th in the nation and just off the school record for scoring average in a season (21.8 by Andy Kennedy in 1990-91). He also leads the team in three-point shooting (139-of-337, 41.2 percent) and minutes played (35.4).

Junior forward Lawrence Kinnard is the team's second-leading scorer at 11.2 points a game, and also leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 boards per contest.

Junior guard Channing Toney, who had to sit out during the first semester due to NCAA transfer rules, is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.1 points and also averages 3.3 rebounds. He is shooting 45.0 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Junior forward Reggie Huffman, who leads the squad with six double-doubles on the year, is second in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and fourth in scoring (7.2 ppg).

As a team, the Blazers are connecting on 45.7 percent from the floor, and ranks second Conference USA in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, UAB ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (32.9 percent) and rank fourth in field goal percentage defense (41.3 percent). The Blazers also rank third in league play by outscoring their opponents by an average of 7.4 points a game (74.1-66.8).

Head coach Mike Davis is in his second season at the helm of the UAB men's basketball program. Davis, who is in his eighth season as a head coach, boasts a career record of 152-105 (.595) and has made five postseason appearances, including the 2002 national championship game. He is now 37-26 (.587) at UAB.

Scouting VCU
VCU is a No. 4 seed following a stellar 24-7 overall record. The Rams captured the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season crown following a 15-3 league mark. VCU boasts an impressive record of 12-1 in games played at the Siegel Center this season, with the lone loss coming to Old Dominion (67-66) on Feb. 16. In their last contest, the Rams fell in the semifinals of the 2008 CAA Tournament to William & Mary, 56-54, on March 9.

Leading the way for the Rams is junior guard Eric Maynor, who was tabbed the 2008 CAA Player of the Year. Maynor leads VCU in scoring (17.8 ppg) and assists (5.4 apg), while also collecting 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He is also second on the team in three-point field goal percentage (40.5 percent).

Senior guard Jamal Shuler is the only other player to average double-figure scoring, collecting 15.4 points a game. He also leads the squad in steals per game (1.5) and three-point field goal percentate (40.6). He is also tied for second on the team with 4.6 rebounds per game.

Senior forward Michael Anderson is third on the team with 7.2 ppg, while leading the Rams with 5.2 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per contest.

As a team, the Rams are averaging 67.1 points a game and outscoring their opponents by 9.0 points per contests (67.1-58.1). However, it is the defense which carries VCU. The Rams are allowing teams to shoot just 37.8 percent from the floor, which ranks third in the country, and 26.6 percent from beyond the arc. Furthermore, VCU ranks eighth in the country in points allowed (58.1).

Head coach Anthony Grant is in his second season at the helm of the VCU men's basketball program. He has a record of 52-14 (.765) during his tenure.

UAB-VCU: The Series
Wednesday's NIT game will mark the fifth straight season that former Sun Belt Conference rivals UAB and VCU have met on the hardwood. It is 37th meeting in series history between the two teams, with the Blazers holding a 20-16 advantage. The Blazers have not fared well in games played between the two teams in Richmond, Va. This marks the 16th appearance at VCU, with the Rams holding a 10-5 record on their home floor against UAB. This is also the third time in series history the two teams will meet in postseason play. The previous two meetings occurred in the Sun Belt Tournament, with the Rams capturing wins in both contests (105-88 on 2/25/80 and 62-61 in overtime on 3/1/81).

Last Time vs. VCU
Virginia Commonwealth's trapping defense forced 22 turnovers and the Rams held UAB to 31.3 percent from the floor en route to a 53-44 win on Dec. 16, 2006 at the Siegel Center. The 44 points scored by the Blazers were the second-fewest in series history. With 8:12 remaining, the Rams led 39-31 following a pair of free throws by the Blazers' Paul Delaney III. Eric Maynor hit a floater to push the margin to 10 and ignite a 12-3 run in which Maynor scored seven. The Rams led 51-34 with four minutes left and the Blazers could get no closer than the final nine points. In the first half, the Rams had a 15-0 run, giving them a 24-13 lead with 4:40 remaining. The Rams did not score the rest of the first half and settled for a 24-20 halftime lead. The Blazers (6-4) were led by Maurice Gibbs' 12 points. Delaney, who averaged 20.6 over the first nine games, was held to 11 and was 2-of-10 from the floor. Maynor led the Rams with 12 points. Wil Fameni and Jesse Pellot-Rosa each had 11.

UAB Earns Ninth NIT Appearance In School History
With this year's invitation, UAB is making its ninth appearance in school history in the National Invitation Tournament. The No. 4 seeded Blazers will travel to Richmond, Va. to take on the No. 5 seed VCU. The two teams have had a tradition-rich series, and will meet for the 37th time in school history. The Blazers hold a 20-16 advantage in the previous meetings, including a record of 5-10 in games played at VCU. UAB has never beaten VCU in postseason games (0-2 in two Sun Belt Conference Tournaments).

Blazers Have 11-8 Record In NIT
The Blazers enter this year's event boasting an 11-8 (.579) record in all-time games played in the previous nine NIT appearances. Twice - in 1989 and 1993 - the Blazers have advanced to the NIT Final Four in New York. On both occasions, UAB was defeated in the NIT semifinals, but came back to win the third-place contest.

NIT Final Four Twice For Blazers
UAB has twice won three games in the NIT to advance to the semifinals in Madison Square Garden. In 1989, UAB advanced to the semifinals in New York where they lost to St. John's (76-65) before coming back to defeat Michigan State (78-76) in the third place game. Then, in 1993, the Blazers also reached the NIT semifinals, falling to Georgetown (45-41). Again, UAB rebounded to win the third place contest, defeating Providence by a 55-52 score for third place overall.

UAB Earns Ninth NIT Appearance, 22nd Postseason Appearance
UAB will make its ninth NIT appearance in school history when it takes the court against on Wednesday night at VCU . Combined with 13 NCAA Tournaments appearances in school history, the Blazers have recorded 22 overall postseason appearances in the 30 years of the men's basketball program.

First Round Record
The Blazers have a 4-4 (.500) record in opening round games in the National Invitation Tournament. UAB holds a 2-0 record in tournament openers played in Bartow Arena. However, the Blazers drop to 2-4 in NIT openers on the road.

Last Time Out
Jerome Jordan scored 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds last Thursday to lead Tulsa to a 78-68 overtime upset over second-seeded UAB in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Conference USA Tournament at Memphis, Tenn. Jordan also added five blocks to his performance as the Golden Hurricane, while Ben Uzoh scored a team-high 21 and Calvin Walls contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Robert Vaden led the Blazers with 15 points, but was just 6-of-22 from the field and 1-of-10 from three-point range. Reggie Huffman finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Channing Toney scored 12 points. The game was tied at 60 in regulation after Vaden hit a 12-footer in the lane with 3.9 seconds remaining. But Tulsa seized its biggest lead of the game in the extra period and the Blazers were left to fire from outside the arc without success. The Blazers were hindered by 40 percent shooting, including only 3-of-20 from 3-point range. The Golden Hurricane converted 45 percent of their shots.

Vaden Named First Team All-District
Junior Robert Vaden was selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and United Stats Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as First Team All District in announcements made last week. In earning the award, the Indianapolis, Ind. native becomes the first UAB player to earn the distinction since former UAB great Andy Kennedy was the recipient of the honor back 1991.

Vaden, Kinnard Earn All-Conference Honors
Juniors Robert Vaden and Lawrence Kinnard have been honored by the league for their performances this season. Vaden, who leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 21.6 points a game, was named to the league's first team. It marks the third consecutive season UAB has had a representative on the C-USA First Team. Squeaky Johnson (2005-06) and Paul Delaney III (2006-07) were both tabbed first team all-conference performers in each of the previous two seasons.

Kinnard, who leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and ranks second in scoring (11.2 ppg) was selected to the league's third team. Kinnard ranks fifth in C-USA in rebounds per game and is 24th in the league in scoring.

Common Opponents
UAB and VCU have played several common opponents this season. Both teams have played Houston, Old Dominion and Georgia State this season. UAB went 3-0 against the trio of teams, as it defeated Houston, 101-99, on Feb. 20, Old Dominion, 73-57, on Dec. 29 and Georgia State, 86-63, on Nov. 10. VCU had a record of 4-1 against the threesome, winning over Houston (73-72 on Nov. 15) and Georgia State (49-47 at VCU on Jan. 10 and 65-60 in overtime at Georgia State on Feb. 6. The Rams split their season series with Old Dominion, winning at ODU, 78-68, on Jan. 19, before falling at home, 67-66, on Feb. 16 in their only home loss.

Rebounding Deficiency
The Blazers have struggled over their last three contests, holding a 1-2 record over that stretch. The back-to-back losses are the first consecutive defeats since losing three games in three days at the Glenn Wilkes Classic to begin the season. A key reason why UAB has struggled may be due to the rebounding deficiency. The Blazers were outrebounded in each of their last three games, and are getting outworked on the glass by an average of 11.0 rpg (42.0-31.0).

Rebounding has been a key to success all season for UAB. The Blazers have outrebounded 20 of their 32 opponents on the year, and hold a 19-1 record in that happens. In UAB's 22 wins this season, it owns a +6.4 advantage on the boards (37.8-31.4). However, in the Blazers' 10 losses, they have been outworked on the glass, 40.3-34.7, for a -5.6 disadvantage.

Becoming Too Familiar?
The UAB men's basketball team will not be in unfamiliar territory in it travels to take on VCU Wednesday night in the opening round of the NIT. This season marks the fifth time over last six years UAB will travel to play a game in Richmond, Va. The only time a UAB team has not travelled to Richmond occurred during the 2005-06 season when the Rams played at Bartow Arena. In fact, this game marks the fifth straight year UAB and VCU will meet on the hardwood. The Blazers hold a 3-1 advantage over the previous four seasons.

Team Records Ready To Shatter
As a team, UAB is approaching several three-point school records. Entering the National Invitation Tournament, the Blazers have made 245 three-pointers as a team. They only need three more threes to surpass the record of 247 made threes set during the 1988-89, 19 years ago. Additionally, UAB has attempted 643 treys on the campaign and is 21 attempts away from breaking the single-season school record of 664, set back in 2002-03.

Nation's Leader
Junior guard/forward Robert Vaden is not only leading his team and Conference USA in three-point shooting, but he is also ranks among the tops in the nation as well. The Indianapolis, Ind. native enters the National Invitation Tournament leading the country in three-pointers made on the year (139) and is second in the nation in three-pointers made per game (4.5) and total three-pointers attempted this season (337). Furthermore, his three-point field goal percentage of 41.2 percent ranks 41st nationally.

Huffman Plays Important Role
Junior forward Reggie Huffman is proving to be a key cog in UAB victories this season. In the 22 wins this year, Huffman is averaging 8.7 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds a game. He also has connected on 86-of-148 shots (58.1 percent). However, those numbers drop significantly during UAB's 10 losses. Huffman averages 4.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the 10 defeats. Additionally, his field goal percentage drops to 47.1 percent (16-of-41).

Furthermore, the junior proved that he doesn't have to score to be a contributing factor in an outcome of a game. There have been 10 occasions when Huffman has recorded eight or more rebounds in a game, with the Blazers sporting an impressive 8-2 record when he reaches the mark. For the season, Huffman ranks second on the team with an average of 6.1 rebounds per game, while also contributing 7.2 points a game, which ranks fourth-best on this year's squad. In fact, over his last seven contests, Huffman is averaging 8.9 points and 7.9 rebounds and has collected three double-doubles over that span.

Sir Lawrence
Junior Lawrence Kinnard performed well during the league slate. In the 84-70 win over Tulsa on March 5, Kinnard may have had his best all-around game of the season, accounting for 15 points, five rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals. Entering league play, the Memphis, Tenn. native was averaging 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. However, in league games only, Kinnard increased his output to 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Furthermore, after shooting only 39.5 percent from the floor in non-conference tilts, Kinnard improved to 43.1 percent shooting from the floor in league games.