The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(01-25-2014 06:08 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  1-1 on the road trip. Wasn't the way I expected it to happen

+1

(01-25-2014 06:42 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Swing didn't contribute much again, but we got good minutes from Rucker and Washington (which was not really the case against UNT).

Kinda disagree on Washington. He was 3-9 for six points in 27 minutes. He did have 10 rebounds.

This game was pretty much the Ruck and Fraze show.

The previous 2 games were the Fruck & Raze Show.

Caught the last part of Rucker's postgame interview. He talked about the team having a meeting which seemed to have a positive impact on their effort and tenacity in this game. After the North Texas game, they certainly needed a talking to.

(01-25-2014 07:33 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-25-2014 06:42 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Swing didn't contribute much again, but we got good minutes from Rucker and Washington (which was not really the case against UNT).

Kinda disagree on Washington. He was 3-9 for six points in 27 minutes. He did have 10 rebounds.

This game was pretty much the Ruck and Fraze show.

Frazier has been pretty consistent. Yes some games he's on more than others, but you can usually count on him for 15+pts.

I'm talking about the next guys in points production like Rucker, Washington, and Swing. Swing has been MIA lately. Rucker and Washington have games where they go off and others where they are MIA.

I feel like Rucker stepped it up today and that Washington got some key points and rebounds as well. Swing is the one of the 3 that hasn't really done a whole lot recently in pretty much any aspect.

(01-25-2014 06:07 PM)FNblazer Wrote:  Four very winnable games ahead.

+1. Time to get back into the top half of the conference standings.

UAB finished with 2, count them, assists in the game, and 17 turnovers. However, the Blazers shot well from the free throw line, 19-24, and pulled down 50 rebounds.

Very nice 70-63 win at Tulsa.

Williams played 27 minutes and Watts played 21 minutes, both off the bench. Swing started and played 19 minutes. Who starts is not that important. If you are playing well, you will get your minutes.

(01-25-2014 07:51 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  UAB finished with 2, count them, assists in the game,

I find that almost impossible to believe. That is more the result of a stat crew who doesn't know what they are doing.

Bobby Frasor said there were more assists, but the stat crew were tough.

(01-25-2014 08:19 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-25-2014 07:51 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  UAB finished with 2, count them, assists in the game,

I find that almost impossible to believe. That is more the result of a stat crew who doesn't know what they are doing.

Bobby Frasor said they were more assists, but the stat crew were tough.

Tulsa was credited with 8 assists.

UAB committed 3 more fouls than Tulsa, 22-19, but made 6 more free throws than Tulsa, 19-24 vs. 13-21.

I didn't hear or see the game.

Looking at the play-by-play summary for the second half, three things stand out to me over the final nine minutes.

1) Chad Frazier made three 3-pointers from the 8:59 mark to the 4:43 mark. Nobody else scored for UAB during that period, and Tulsa only scored four points to UAB's nine.

2) At the 1:06 mark and the score 65-61, Frazier missed a layup but UAB got the offensive rebound. Then Rucker missed a shot, but UAB got another offensive rebound. Then Frazier missed a 3-pointer, but Faz got the rebound. With 44 seconds left, Faz was fouled and made one of two free throws.

3) During the last 18 seconds of the game, Watts was 4-4 from the charity stripe.

(01-25-2014 08:19 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-25-2014 07:51 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  UAB finished with 2, count them, assists in the game,

I find that almost impossible to believe. That is more the result of a stat crew who doesn't know what they are doing.

Bobby Frasor said there were more assists, but the stat crew were tough.

The two assists is pretty believable. It was a lot of one-on-one.

(01-25-2014 07:51 PM)KevMo4UAB Wrote:  UAB finished with 2, count them, assists in the game, and 17 turnovers. However, the Blazers shot well from the free throw line, 19-24, and pulled down 50 rebounds.

Very nice 70-63 win at Tulsa.

Fifty rebounds, two assists. That fifty rebounds should propell UAB back to 1st place in rebounding past Quinnipaic, who was leading by one tenth of a rebound. Two assists has to be an all time record low in thirty six years of UAB Basketball games.

(01-25-2014 07:40 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  

(01-25-2014 07:33 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(01-25-2014 06:42 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Swing didn't contribute much again, but we got good minutes from Rucker and Washington (which was not really the case against UNT).

Kinda disagree on Washington. He was 3-9 for six points in 27 minutes. He did have 10 rebounds.

This game was pretty much the Ruck and Fraze show.

Frazier has been pretty consistent. Yes some games he's on more than others, but you can usually count on him for 15+pts.

I'm talking about the next guys in points production like Rucker, Washington, and Swing. Swing has been MIA lately. Rucker and Washington have games where they go off and others where they are MIA.

I feel like Rucker stepped it up today and that Washington got some key points and rebounds as well. Swing is the one of the 3 that hasn't really done a whole lot recently in pretty much any aspect.

I feel like I'm the lone Swing apologists here.

Swing isn't scoring as much because he doesn't shoot as much nor play as many minutes as those other guys, but he contributes in other ways.

He is second on the team in assists, first in steals, and if you pay attention to per minute efficiency ratings, he's top three on the team.

If you look at some of the advanced basketball metrics, he is the leader or near the top in offensive and defensive categories.

For better or worse, Swing's role is different this year, and he isn't asked to score.

Quite frankly, I think he should be asked to shoot more as I don't see this team making a deep run in conference play without a consistent shooter and secondary scorer. Swing leads the team in effective and true shooting percentages, but it doesn't feel like it because he takes so few shots now.

Rucker isn't a dependable scorer. He is a volume shooter, so when he's off, it really hurts the team because he never stops shooting which effectively takes away possessions. You can thank him for padding those offensive rebounding stats though. With that said, if he plays every game like he did at Tulsa, I'll gladly welcome it.

Washington could be that second guy, and we need a low post presence as badly as we need a three point shooter.

Since I'm playing arm chair coach, here's my version of the best five:

PG Watts
SG Frazier
SF Swing
F Williams
F Washington

Swing will go off next week in one of the two home games. My prediction.