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

HellBlazer Wrote:

jaymay2525 Wrote:We need a "Debbie Downer" Blazertalk award so Memphis can win it. I can't remember the last positive UAB comment he has made on this board

You can give it to me during football season....then I can mail it to MB

+1

You guys want a positive post. Here is what I posted on empty.org regarding their doubts about UAB being better next year with Vaden returning. They were citing the facts that Z, Sharpe and Huffman not returning would offset the return of Vaden.

Quote:A couple of comments.
1. To say Walter Sharpe is not returning is somewhat misleading, since he was hardly at UAB at all. He played 12 games pre conference and then was ineligible. His impact on last season was negligible.

2. Paul Delaney did not play last year, but the year before, he was 1st team All CUSA. He will be playing his natural position at the 2 guard, rather than at point guard.

3. Losing Frank Holmes is not as big a deal as it should be because Mike Davis always underused Holmes. He played about 10 minutes per game and averaged about 5.

4. Last season, by the time Memphis and UAB played, both Huffman and Vaden were playing with injured backs. Remember Vaden missed the game before the Memphis game, just to be rested enough to play against Memphis. Hopefully he will be in better health next season.

5. Lastly, I don't know what the season holds, but to discount a team that finished second to you guys last season and has four starters returning (Vaden, Toney, Kinnard, Aaron Johnson - The only starter we lose is Huffman) plus their best player from two years ago (Delaney), may be misguided.

There....positive.

:clap2:

That is very positive, in a guarded fashion, from you. Good post, sir.

Well, frankly, at this point this is something of a guarded season. We might still be pretty good... or we might get killed by teams with good bigs. That looked like a pretty accurate assessment.

UAB Band Dad Wrote:Well, frankly, at this point this is something of a guarded season. We might still be pretty good... or we might get killed by teams with good bigs. That looked like a pretty accurate assessment.

Speed, good shooting, and FTs will overcome size.

Didn't work for Houston.

bigpoppablazer Wrote:

UAB Band Dad Wrote:Well, frankly, at this point this is something of a guarded season. We might still be pretty good... or we might get killed by teams with good bigs. That looked like a pretty accurate assessment.

Speed, good shooting, and FTs will overcome size.

Not always. Especially if the other team has those three things as well.

Don't mistake me, I'm by no means writing the season off. I'm just saying that if we go into the season without Sharpe, Z, and Mayfield (and Huffman) then I'm concerned. Some teams with bigs we'll still whip... and others are going to beat us up inside.

UAB Band Dad Wrote:

bigpoppablazer Wrote:

UAB Band Dad Wrote:Well, frankly, at this point this is something of a guarded season. We might still be pretty good... or we might get killed by teams with good bigs. That looked like a pretty accurate assessment.

Speed, good shooting, and FTs will overcome size.

Not always. Especially if the other team has those three things as well.

Don't mistake me, I'm by no means writing the season off. I'm just saying that if we go into the season without Sharpe, Z, and Mayfield (and Huffman) then I'm concerned. Some teams with bigs we'll still whip... and others are going to beat us up inside.

For every action ther is an equal opposite reaction. Kinard is 6'8" but a little light to be center. He is quick and has good range. Whatever big the other team uses has to chase him on offense. As, long as you have multiple offensive threats you can dictate how a team covers you on defense. Over the course of a game you can wear larger players down, and force a team to play at your size. Also, we may be small on the blocks but at guard we have excellent size. Our shooting will force teams to play Man. With quicker versatile post players, you can always float them out to a wing and elect to post up a guard.

Defensively through trapping, and changing defenses you can keep a team out of it's rythem, until you wear down the larger players.

Suede27 Wrote:Didn't work for Houston.

I agree with the Houston analogy, but Houston not only had no inside game, they ONLY had a outside shooting guard game. While we will be suspect at the 5 position, Crawford should be a serviceable big for a good number of minutes. He can be a decent rebounder, and Kinnard can get a 8-10 a game.
It's not like we have NO inside game (like houston) we have some who can play there, just not enough or one that will dominate there.

Will can be successful this year with a more up tempo game than we've played the last couple of years. We have the guards to play that way for 40 minutes, not just in certain spots. AJ and Ed have both shown they can handle the ball at the point at what ever pace we play. We can rotate Paul, Robert, Channing, and Roderick in at the 2 and 3 guard spots. Kinnard should be able to dominate in this league at the 4. With an effective "run and execute" style of offense AND defense we might be able to cover our shortcomings down low.....not in very game, but in enough that we still have a successful year.

No other team in this league, except the "northern blue menace" will have as much talent on the floor as we do. Some will have better "bigs", but they can't match up with our outside guys.

IMHO, the key factor is PDIII. First, his leadership. We didn't have a floor leader last year after he went down. AJ was too young and Vaden too quiet. Paul will be that vocal leader we need. Second if teams double Vaden, or pay too much attention to him on the perimeter, Paul Delaney will have a monster year. No one player, I mean NO ONE (and that includes the above mentioned "NBM") in this league can stay between Paul and the basket. He looks just as quick if not quicker than last year, and TRod looks almost as quick to the basket as Paul.

ShelbyCoBlazer Wrote:

Suede27 Wrote:Didn't work for Houston.

I agree with the Houston analogy, but Houston not only had no inside game, they ONLY had a outside shooting guard game. While we will be suspect at the 5 position, Crawford should be a serviceable big for a good number of minutes. He can be a decent rebounder, and Kinnard can get a 8-10 a game.
It's not like we have NO inside game (like houston) we have some who can play there, just not enough or one that will dominate there.

Will can be successful this year with a more up tempo game than we've played the last couple of years. We have the guards to play that way for 40 minutes, not just in certain spots. AJ and Ed have both shown they can handle the ball at the point at what ever pace we play. We can rotate Paul, Robert, Channing, and Roderick in at the 2 and 3 guard spots. Kinnard should be able to dominate in this league at the 4. With an effective "run and execute" style of offense AND defense we might be able to cover our shortcomings down low.....not in very game, but in enough that we still have a successful year.

No other team in this league, except the "northern blue menace" will have as much talent on the floor as we do. Some will have better "bigs", but they can't match up with our outside guys.

IMHO, the key factor is PDIII. First, his leadership. We didn't have a floor leader last year after he went down. AJ was too young and Vaden too quiet. Paul will be that vocal leader we need. Second if teams double Vaden, or pay too much attention to him on the perimeter, Paul Delaney will have a monster year. No one player, I mean NO ONE (and that includes the above mentioned "NBM") in this league can stay between Paul and the basket. He looks just as quick if not quicker than last year, and TRod looks almost as quick to the basket as Paul.

Houston was small everywhere. We have good size everywhere but the five. We have the ability to post up guards.

ShelbyCoBlazer Wrote:

Suede27 Wrote:Didn't work for Houston.

I agree with the Houston analogy, but Houston not only had no inside game, they ONLY had a outside shooting guard game. While we will be suspect at the 5 position, Crawford should be a serviceable big for a good number of minutes. He can be a decent rebounder, and Kinnard can get a 8-10 a game.
It's not like we have NO inside game (like houston) we have some who can play there, just not enough or one that will dominate there.

Will can be successful this year with a more up tempo game than we've played the last couple of years. We have the guards to play that way for 40 minutes, not just in certain spots. AJ and Ed have both shown they can handle the ball at the point at what ever pace we play. We can rotate Paul, Robert, Channing, and Roderick in at the 2 and 3 guard spots. Kinnard should be able to dominate in this league at the 4. With an effective "run and execute" style of offense AND defense we might be able to cover our shortcomings down low.....not in very game, but in enough that we still have a successful year.

No other team in this league, except the "northern blue menace" will have as much talent on the floor as we do. Some will have better "bigs", but they can't match up with our outside guys.

IMHO, the key factor is PDIII. First, his leadership. We didn't have a floor leader last year after he went down. AJ was too young and Vaden too quiet. Paul will be that vocal leader we need. Second if teams double Vaden, or pay too much attention to him on the perimeter, Paul Delaney will have a monster year. No one player, I mean NO ONE (and that includes the above mentioned "NBM") in this league can stay between Paul and the basket. He looks just as quick if not quicker than last year, and TRod looks almost as quick to the basket as Paul.

You are right, what I SHOULD have said is Houston with an inside game or somewhat of one. Kinnard & Crawford are miles better than the stiffs that Topple Down Tom had......

You are dead on with your analysis IMHO.

The key factor is PDIII but the X factor will be T-Rod He will give some folks fits on matchups.

We will be a dangerous team especially running and gunning. While we might have trouble against some bigger teams we will also cause trouble and some mismatches running that style. We have won before that way and I'm sure we can again.