March 22, 2008

• UAB-Virginia Tech Game Notes
• Live Stats
• NIT Website

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team will travel to Blacksburg, Va. to compete in the second round of the 2008 National Invitation Tournament on Monday night. The Blazers will take on Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Virginia Tech at 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CT) in a contest that will be televised nationally on ESPN.

UAB, a No. 5 seed in the event, enters the NIT contest with a record of 23-10 overall record following a hard-fought 80-77 victory at No. 4 seed VCU last Wednesday. The Blazers finished with a 12-4 mark in Conference USA play. The Blazers enter the game at Virginia Tech having won 15 of their last 19 games and 21 of the last 28 after beginning the year with a 2-3 mark.

Junior guard/forward Robert Vaden currently leads the Blazers in scoring, averaging 21.4 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 (141-of-343, 41.1 percent) and minutes played (35.5).

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 10.8 points and also averages 3.3 rebounds. He is shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Junior forward Reggie Huffman, who leads the squad with six double-doubles on the year, is second in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and fourth in scoring (7.6 ppg).

As a team, the Blazers are connecting on 45.8 percent from the floor, and ranks second Conference USA in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 38.0 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, UAB ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (.333 percent) and rank fourth in field goal percentage defense (.413 percent). The Blazers also rank third in league play by outscoring their opponents by an average of 7.2 points a game (74.3-67.1).

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 153-105 (.593) and has made five postseason appearances, including the 2002 national championship game. He is now 38-26 (.594) at UAB.

Scouting Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is the No. 1 seed in UAB's region and is coming off a 94-62 victory over eighth-seeded Morgan State on March 19. The victory improved the Hokies to 20-13 on the campaign, while as they finished with a 9-7 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Leading the way for the Hokies is 6-6 junior guard/forward A.D. Vassalo with 16.9 points per contest. At 39.5 percent from beyond the arc, Vassalo also leads his squad in three-point shooting, while collecting 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Senior forward Deron Washington and freshman forward Jeff Allen also average double-figure scoring with 12.7 and 12.1 ppg, respectively. The twosome are also the team's leading rebounders, as Allen grabs a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game, with Washington averaging 6.6 boards each outing. Allen's 2.1 steals per game also lead Virginia Tech.

As a team, the Hokies boast of four players averaging at least 9.0 ppg, and nine members averaging double-digit minutes a contest. Virginia Tech is shooting .439 from the floor and .334 from three-point range. The Hokies lead the ACC in points allowed (64.7) and rank second in the league in field goal percentage defense (.406) and third in rebounding advantage, with a +5.0 average (37.6-32.6).

Head coach Seth Greenberg is in his fifth season at the helm of the Virginia Tech men's basketball program, and his 17th season as a head coach. He has a record of 87-69 (.558) during his tenure with the Hokies. Most recently, Greenberg earned his 300th victory in the win over Morgan State, and now holds a 300-239 (.557) overall has a head coach. Greenberg is no stranger to UAB, as he spent seven seasons as the head coach of USF when the Bulls were members of Conference USA.

UAB-Virginia Tech: The Series
Monday's second round NIT game will mark the first time that UAB and Virginia Tech have met on the hardwood.

Last Time Out
Reggie Huffman had 21 points, including a game-saving layup with 5.6 seconds left, as UAB took a commanding second-half lead and held off VCU 80-77 in the first round of the NIT. The Blazers led 62-47 with 6:38 remaining after a layup by Lawrence Kinnard, but the Rams cut it to 66-59 with 3:23 to go. Joey Rodriguez's 3-pointer pulled the Rams to 75-73 with 38.7 seconds left. UAB converted just 8 of 14 free throws in the last 66 seconds, and Jamal Shuler's 3-pointer pulled them to 78-77 with 9 seconds left. On the inbounds play, however, the Rams pressed and Huffman slipped downcourt, where Aaron Johnson hit him with a baseball pass and he went in for an easy layup. Eric Maynor missed a 3-pointer for the Rams just before the buzzer. The Blazers used a 20-2 run ending the first half to lead, 38-27. Johnson finished the contest with 12 points and six assists without a turnover, while Kinnard came off the bench to collect 13 points and eight boards on the night. UAB's leading scorer Robert Vaden collected 16 points and five assists in the victory.

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 in early March. In earning the NABC 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. Meanwhile, Vaden's USBWA award was just the second time in school history a UAB player has been named first-team all district by the organization (Steve Mitchell, 1984-85).

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 21.4 points a game, was named to the league's all-conference 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 sixth in C-USA in rebounds per game and is 23rd in the league in scoring.

One of the Winningest Teams
UAB head coach Mike Davis has lead this year's squad to a successful 23-10 overall record and a 12-4 C-USA mark. The 23 victories rank as a tie for the fifth most wins in a season in school history, while the 12 C-USA wins tied for the most all-time conference victories. The school record is 25 victories in a single-season, set on three separate occasions (1982, `85, `86). UAB's 24 victories during the 2005-06 campaign are the fourth-highest in program history.

Furthermore, this year's .697 winning percentage is the sixth-best in UAB men's basketball history. The all-time record is .806 (25-6) set during the 1981-82 campaign.

Team Records Ready To Shatter
Not only is this year's team shattering single-season individual records, but the Blazers have already broken or is poised to break several team marks. UAB has connected on 251 three-pointers as a team on the year, which broke the old record of 247 treys set during the 1988-89 campaign. Additionally, UAB has attempted 660 treys this season, and is five attempts away from breaking the single-season school record of 664, set back in 2002-03.

Floor General
Freshman guard Aaron Johnson has not been playing like a first-year player over the last six games. During that stretch, Johnson has recorded an average of 9.3 points and 5.0 assists per game. Most recently, in the NIT opening round win at VCU, Johnson was a force all night, collecting 12 points and six assists without a turnover. This season, when Johnson has recorded at least four assists in a game, it has usually been a good thing. UAB holds a 16-2 mark in contests when the Chicago, Ill. native has recorded four or more helpers in a contest.

The Engine That Runs The Team
Junior Reggie Huffman is saving his best for last. In the Blazers win over VCU last Wednesday, the 6-7 forward connected on 10-of-11 field goal attempts, while scoring 21 points and grabbing nine boards in the process. Huffman's 10 made field goals in the contest not only set a career high, but they also tied for the fourth-most single-game baskets in the nation this season.

Huffman is certainly a key cog in the Blazers' success this year. In UAB's 23 wins this year, Huffman is averaging 9.2 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds a game. He also has connected on 96-of-159 shots (60.4 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 11 occasions when Huffman has recorded eight or more rebounds in a game, with the Blazers sporting an impressive 9-2 record when he reaches the mark.

Darth Vaden Feeling The Force
Junior guard Robert Vaden has been a force for opponents to reckon with all season. The All-America candidate has broken many offensive school records this season and is closing in on several others. He is averaging 21.4 ppg (nearing a school record), has hit 141-of-343 three pointers (both school records) and is shooting 86.0 percent from the charity stripe. Vaden also ranks second in the country in total threes made and is second in three-pointers made per game (4.4).

Holmes Ranks Among Top Shooters In School History
Senior forward Frank Holmes has always been a force inside the paint throughout his UAB career. In fact, Holmes will close his career as one of the top shooters in terms of field goal percentage in school history. He has connected on 56.2 percent of his shots throughout his career, which stands as second-best mark in career school history. This season alone, Holmes is poised to shatter the single-season field goal percentage in school history of 59.2 set by Alan Ogg (1989-90). On the campaign, Holmes is connecting on 68.0 percent from the floor, hitting 51-of-75 shots from the floor this season.

Rebounding Difference
This season, UAB's work on the boards has made a big difference in whether the Blazers will win or lose a game. With a 36-35 advantage on the boards in the win over VCU last Wednesday, UAB has now outrebounded 21 of its 33 opponents this season, winning 20 of those contests (20-1). In UAB's 23 wins this season, it owns a +6.1 advantage on the boards (37.7-31.6). However, in the Blazers' 10 losses, they have been outworked on the glass, 40.3-34.7, for a -5.6 disadvantage.