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

UMES transfer Hakeem Baxter hearing from UAB, Niagara, Colorado St., Southern Miss, Cal St. Fullerton. He's on an official to UAB today.

From tweet. Cannot copy from my phone, though...

Averaged 14.5pts as a freshman

I guess would be a shooter for 15-16 after sitting out.

He'd be a guy that could replace Frazier's numbers after he graduates. But he would be again, in the same class as the other 5 freshman that we have coming in.

I think the five freshman coming in are all better than this guy. I'd rather blow the extra schollies on some speculative junior college guys. If they don't pan out, they graduate/leave, and we have two schollies for freshman the next season.

(05-19-2014 10:00 PM)jthrashr Wrote:  I think the five freshman coming in are all better than this guy. I'd rather blow the extra schollies on some speculative junior college guys. If they don't pan out, they graduate/leave, and we have two schollies for freshman the next season.

I will predict that none of our freshmen will score 14.5 PPG or above next year. 14.5 as a freshman is very impressive. Outside of parker, wiggins, the guy from cuse, etc., who scored 14.5 or more a game as a freshman last year? What in the world makes you think that he's not as least as good as most of our incoming recruits (I'd be reluctant to say he'd be better than Lee or Sullivan). Seems very short sighted and silly to write someone off who played so well as a freshman, when you haven't even seen any of our guys play yet.

It was 14.5 for Maryland Eastern Shore. How impressive 14.5 is depends on how good the other players were. Also, he averaged 14.5. How many games did he play. How many minutes. Before we put him in the same category as Parker and Wiggins, we need more info.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketba...eem-baxter

I wasn't placing him in that category of player, and I know he played for a very low end d1 team. However, you can't overlook 14 ppg as a freshman in d1. You certainly can't say all of our freshman would be better than him. That's just silly.

Maybe he can be our version of Damian Lillard

Look at his big games.

(05-20-2014 02:11 AM)Big Dee Wrote:  Look at his big games.

Bingo. He'd be facing that type of competition much more regularly at UAB as well. If we do get him, I hope we have plans for redshirting at least one player. 6 in one class is too many. We'll be right back in the boat we're going to be in this upcoming season.

(05-19-2014 10:15 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  

(05-19-2014 10:00 PM)jthrashr Wrote:  I think the five freshman coming in are all better than this guy. I'd rather blow the extra schollies on some speculative junior college guys. If they don't pan out, they graduate/leave, and we have two schollies for freshman the next season.

I will predict that none of our freshmen will score 14.5 PPG or above next year. 14.5 as a freshman is very impressive. Outside of parker, wiggins, the guy from cuse, etc., who scored 14.5 or more a game as a freshman last year? What in the world makes you think that he's not as least as good as most of our incoming recruits (I'd be reluctant to say he'd be better than Lee or Sullivan). Seems very short sighted and silly to write someone off who played so well as a freshman, when you haven't even seen any of our guys play yet.

I would agree that none of our freshman average 14.5 points a game next year, but they all play in a better conference, which says a lot about the MEAC.

25 freshman averaged 14 points or more last year, and interestingly enough, the leading freshman was also from the MEAC. James Daniel from Howard averaged 21 ppg while shooting 40% from three. I would give him a scholarship in a heart beat.

Baxter seems like he's an undersized forward, and I've grown rather tired of watching those.

I'm just saying if we're going to give the scholarship to someone who has to sit out a year, I want it to be a sure thing that he's going to be a big time contributor.

Also, this guy will be competing for playing time in 2015-16 when the incoming class will be sophomores.

Sitting out a year allows a player and coaches to work on and improve the player's game. Deficiencies, position changes, increase in strength, and other little adjustments, including speed of game, can be made towards the player being (more) ready when the time comes. Coaches look for certain things in players and it seems the coaches like what they see in Baxter. I think this points our coaches' views on players - get the best fit regardless of class (or position?). I think, with that in mind, we can expect 1 or 2 redshirts. Depends on who shows they are ready...