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

Two teams now come into Bartow tied for first. They will come in fired up. La Tech and MTSU are both new members of CUSA and want to win the regular season in their inaugural season.

The Blazers stand in their way.

We may not win the regular season, but we will have a say in who wins it. UAB has an asset that they don't take on Road trips. A raucous Bartow arena. A fired up student section. A loud wooden bleacher stomping Bartow Arena. Both of these teams have played in Bartow Arena before, but those games were in November and December when Birmingham is more interested in pigskin. They have not faced Bartow Arena in its March fury.

Show up Blazer fans. Help the team play spoiler.

I'm there!!!!!!

One of my daughters has a music program on Sunday afternoon so I will have to miss that game.

I'll be there next Thursday though.

Great post, MB. I'm bringing 5 with fury.

I'm in Uganda but I will wake up early and check the scores...

(02-27-2014 10:27 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Two teams now come into Bartow tied for first. They will come in fired up. La Tech and MTSU are both new members of CUSA and want to win the regular season in their inaugural season.

The Blazers stand in their way.

We may not win the regular season, but we will have a say in who wins it. UAB has an asset that they don't take on Road trips. A raucous Bartow arena. A fired up student section. A loud wooden bleacher stomping Bartow Arena. Both of these teams have played in Bartow Arena before, but those games were in November and December when Birmingham is more interested in pigskin. They have not faced Bartow Arena in its March fury.

Show up Blazer fans. Help the team play spoiler.

It is good to read that you are unusually enthusiastic about the remaining two games on the schedule, as well as the conference tournament. It is safe to say that this team has possibilities. They are a scrappy bunch of hard nosed.....rebounders, for sure, and not too shabby on defense, either. I certainly hope that they are on a winning streak that propels them far and beyond our imagination.

This could be one of the best posts by MB ever !!! (picking up some of the "belief" missing since the departure of 58-56)
A raucous Bartow Arena in March would be a great springboard for a tourney run for the Blazers.

Hey, we're actually in decent position. Sure, it doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to, but those last two wins get us a 20 win season.

I think that's even more reason to make sure you get there if you can.

This may be crazy talk, but if we can win these last two, and then maybe get two wins in conference tournament, we will be sitting at 22-11 and having won 7 of the last 8. It won't be good enough to get us on the bubble, but might get us some Nit talk.

...let the NIT-picking begin.

(02-28-2014 11:51 AM)CourtsideBlazer Wrote:  ...let the NIT-picking begin.

NIT is still a longshot at the moment. UAB is going to have to make a serious run in the tourney to get into the NIT.

(02-28-2014 12:07 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  

(02-28-2014 11:51 AM)CourtsideBlazer Wrote:  ...let the NIT-picking begin.

NIT is still a longshot at the moment. UAB is going to have to make a serious run in the tourney to get into the NIT.

Yes, that what I said. Four straight wins, two of which is over league leaders plus two tournament wins to get to the semi finals would be a serious run.

I think the biggest problem with any NIT talk is going to be our conference rank. Southern Miss, La Tech, MTSU, and UTEP will all likely have better records overall and in conference play. As of today, we are still 8th in the conference. It is possible to get as high as 6th, or as low as something I don't even want to think about. I don't think the current NIT is going to take more than 3 C-USA schools, so that's a major hurdle that I don't think we'll overcome. If we win the next two, pus two in the tournament, I do think that'd be enough to get us in one of the postseason tournaments. The question would then become, do we want to play in one of those?

Simply put, I think there is zero chance at us making the NIT this year.

(02-28-2014 12:47 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I think the biggest problem with any NIT talk is going to be our conference rank. Southern Miss, La Tech, MTSU, and UTEP will all likely have better records overall and in conference play. As of today, we are still 8th in the conference. It is possible to get as high as 6th, or as low as something I don't even want to think about. I don't think the current NIT is going to take more than 3 C-USA schools, so that's a major hurdle that I don't think we'll overcome. If we win the next two, pus two in the tournament, I do think that'd be enough to get us in one of the postseason tournaments. The question would then become, do we want to play in one of those?

Simply put, I think there is zero chance at us making the NIT this year.

However, NCAA and NiT committees pay little attention to conference ranking. They look at the body of work, who you beat and who you lost to. It's a long shot, but if we close out strong, I think we will get consideration.

I know they pay little attention to conference ranking, but if things are close, I think La Tech, Southern Miss, MTSU, and UTEP will all get the nod ahead of us. Winning the next two games wouldn't even get our RPI in the top 100. Our first game in the conference tournament likely won't help that any, and our second could be decent depending. I just don't see anyway we get in with a record of 22-11 and an RPI near 100. I hope I'm wrong, I just see us having no chance.

How are the other tournaments after the NCAA and the NIT picked? I don't recall their names, but they take the leftovers from the first two.

Why hope for 2nd fiddle? I'm still hoping for that NCAA bid. Have yet to see any evidence that we can't play with anyone in this league (though we've lost to some of the worst as well). If we keep our sights on that auto bid, even if we fall a little short (say a loss in the semis), I think the NIT is a real option.

Even closing out the regular season with 2 more wins, we would be 20-10 with 6 wins vs the RPI Top 100 (of which either 2 or 3 would be against the RPI Top 50). There will be some NCAA teams with numbers worse than that, especially when you account for the auto bids. Unfortunately our bad losses will keep our RPI around 100 even with 2 more wins. But win another couple games in the CUSA tournament and get into the RPI Top 100, I definitely could see the NIT becoming at least in the realm of possibility.

(02-28-2014 01:14 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Why hope for 2nd fiddle? I'm still hoping for that NCAA bid. Have yet to see any evidence that we can't play with anyone in this league (though we've lost to some of the worst as well). If we keep our sights on that auto bid, even if we fall a little short (say a loss in the semis), I think the NIT is a real option.

Even closing out the regular season with 2 more wins, we would be 20-10 with 6 wins vs the RPI Top 100 (of which either 2 or 3 would be against the RPI Top 50). There will be some NCAA teams with numbers worse than that, especially when you account for the auto bids. Unfortunately our bad losses will keep our RPI around 100 even with 2 more wins. But win another couple games in the CUSA tournament and get into the RPI Top 100, I definitely could see the NIT becoming at least in the realm of possibility.

Well why are you settling for only an NCAA bid. Go all out and expect to win the national Championship,

(02-28-2014 01:20 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(02-28-2014 01:14 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Why hope for 2nd fiddle? I'm still hoping for that NCAA bid. Have yet to see any evidence that we can't play with anyone in this league (though we've lost to some of the worst as well). If we keep our sights on that auto bid, even if we fall a little short (say a loss in the semis), I think the NIT is a real option.

Even closing out the regular season with 2 more wins, we would be 20-10 with 6 wins vs the RPI Top 100 (of which either 2 or 3 would be against the RPI Top 50). There will be some NCAA teams with numbers worse than that, especially when you account for the auto bids. Unfortunately our bad losses will keep our RPI around 100 even with 2 more wins. But win another couple games in the CUSA tournament and get into the RPI Top 100, I definitely could see the NIT becoming at least in the realm of possibility.

Well why are you settling for only an NCAA bid. Go all out and expect to win the national Championship,

I'm in

(02-28-2014 01:20 PM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(02-28-2014 01:14 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  Why hope for 2nd fiddle? I'm still hoping for that NCAA bid. Have yet to see any evidence that we can't play with anyone in this league (though we've lost to some of the worst as well). If we keep our sights on that auto bid, even if we fall a little short (say a loss in the semis), I think the NIT is a real option.

Even closing out the regular season with 2 more wins, we would be 20-10 with 6 wins vs the RPI Top 100 (of which either 2 or 3 would be against the RPI Top 50). There will be some NCAA teams with numbers worse than that, especially when you account for the auto bids. Unfortunately our bad losses will keep our RPI around 100 even with 2 more wins. But win another couple games in the CUSA tournament and get into the RPI Top 100, I definitely could see the NIT becoming at least in the realm of possibility.

Well why are you settling for only an NCAA bid. Go all out and expect to win the national Championship,

Oh, he was serious?