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This is about depth. Dazon as a 6-5 guard, averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists this season. If we don't give him a second chance to join the good guys, somebody deserves to be punched in the face. UAB was his 1st offer.

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 4h4 hours ago

Recent Alabama decommit Dazon Ingram has already heard from USC, Tennessee, UAB, Butler, Houston, NC State, Murray State, Troy and WKU.

I'm sorry, but you don't pass on a 6'5" guard who is rated the #2 prospect in the state.

(03-16-2015 05:07 PM)BlazintheATL Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 04:29 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 04:14 PM)Big Dee Wrote:  Baxter will come off the bench next year, and Ingram would definitely cut into Baxter or Watts minutes if I had to pick it would be Baxter's. I think Ingram would backup Norton leaving Watts and Baxter fighting for minutes and Calhoun waiting another year for top nine minutes behind Williams.

There are too many imponderables around the UAB BB program right now to "assume" any specific players will return for next season, much less the roles they will play.

Does every thread on this board need to be derailed by someone making a depressing a$$ statement?

As a fan with no decision making powers whatsoever, I hope every underclassman returns and has a wonderful year and next season will end in the NCAA tournament. As a pragmatist, I realize that may not be the case under the best of conditions and UAB is not in that "best of conditions" shape. Too many decisions about UAB athletics are to be made by nonUAB people.

I don't think JC transfer due to his injury in HS he needs more time and he's a local. Lewis is the tenth guy right now for next year depends on how he responds to the offseason training program he could move up. Baxter just transferred to the southside. Pretty sure most would be patient and wait a year or two before playing at a NCAA tournament quality program.

(03-16-2015 07:23 PM)Big Dee Wrote:  I don't think JC transfer due to his injury in HS he needs more time and he's a local. Lewis is the tenth guy right now for next year depends on how he responds to the offseason training program he could move up. Baxter just transferred to the southside. Pretty sure most would be patient and wait a year or two before playing at a NCAA tournament quality program.

Right now, UAB IS an NCAA tournament quality program and based on our returning guys and potential new recruits, I cant imagine that UAB would be anything other than a strong contender for a return to the big Dance next year, even if it has to be as an At Large.

I don't expect many to leave over possibly losing conference affiliation. Now if we were to lose Haase then I could see us losing some folks. But I don't see it from changing conferences. If we were to drop to a lower tier conference, we would have a good shot at being a perennial host site for their conference tournament and a perennial NCAA team. If we somehow lucked up and found our way into an even better conference (less likely and would be purely accidental if Watts managed to maneuver that since he wants us to fail), then our at-large chances go up.

Either way, I think our current state of basketball is strong. If Haase remains, I expect us to grow stronger in the coming years.

(03-16-2015 08:17 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  I don't expect many to leave over possibly losing conference affiliation. Now if we were to lose Haase then I could see us losing some folks. But I don't see it from changing conferences. If we were to drop to a lower tier conference, we would have a good shot at being a perennial host site for their conference tournament and a perennial NCAA team. If we somehow lucked up and found our way into an even better conference (less likely and would be purely accidental if Watts managed to maneuver that since he wants us to fail), then our at-large chances go up.

Either way, I think our current state of basketball is strong. If Haase remains, I expect us to grow stronger in the coming years.

As much as I hate to say it I would beg the AAC.

Yeah. With the exception of the Atlantic Sun, any of our potential landing spots really isn't that bad. OVC, Southern, and Colonial all have some decent basketball schools. So does the Southland. Not saying I prefer any of these over CUSA thought.

(03-16-2015 08:21 PM)Big Dee Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 08:17 PM)Blazer85 Wrote:  I don't expect many to leave over possibly losing conference affiliation. Now if we were to lose Haase then I could see us losing some folks. But I don't see it from changing conferences. If we were to drop to a lower tier conference, we would have a good shot at being a perennial host site for their conference tournament and a perennial NCAA team. If we somehow lucked up and found our way into an even better conference (less likely and would be purely accidental if Watts managed to maneuver that since he wants us to fail), then our at-large chances go up.

Either way, I think our current state of basketball is strong. If Haase remains, I expect us to grow stronger in the coming years.

As much as I hate to say it I would beg the AAC.

Requires FBS football. The non-FBS football schools left and took the Big East name with them...

I cannot imagine Haase leaving right now. He just signed an extension, which should have increased his buyout, and he has all his guys in place now. He could potentially go to the tournament 4 years in a row with what he has in place. He just got through figuring out how to turn a program around. I'm not sure he would want to do that again right now even if an offer came his way.

(03-16-2015 04:29 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(03-16-2015 04:14 PM)Big Dee Wrote:  Baxter will come off the bench next year, and Ingram would definitely cut into Baxter or Watts minutes if I had to pick it would be Baxter's. I think Ingram would backup Norton leaving Watts and Baxter fighting for minutes and Calhoun waiting another year for top nine minutes behind Williams.

There are too many imponderables around the UAB BB program right now to "assume" any specific players will return for next season, much less the roles they will play.

For something imponderable, you sure do ponder them a lot.

(03-16-2015 08:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I cannot imagine Haase leaving right now. He just signed an extension, which should have increased his buyout, and he has all his guys in place now. He could potentially go to the tournament 4 years in a row with what he has in place. He just got through figuring out how to turn a program around. I'm not sure he would want to do that again right now even if an offer came his way.

If we pull the upset Thursday, and possibly win another game, Haase is going to be the hottest name out there. That's the way the coaching carousel works. It's not about what you have done during the regular season, but who gets hot in the tournament.

I agree. If we made a sweet 16 run this year he will become a hot name. I still believe he will return next year regardless.

I agree that would make him a hot name. I listed reasons that I thought might keep him here. Also, the coaching market has been fairly tame so far, hasn't it? Anthony grant is seriously the biggest firing so far.

It has been quiet to this point. Gary Parrish tweeted out the other day that Bama and DePaul were the biggest jobs open right now.

(03-16-2015 08:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I cannot imagine Haase leaving right now. He just signed an extension, which should have increased his buyout, and he has all his guys in place now. He could potentially go to the tournament 4 years in a row with what he has in place. He just got through figuring out how to turn a program around. I'm not sure he would want to do that again right now even if an offer came his way.

You can't see Haase leaving when you work for this guy:

(03-16-2015 08:27 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I cannot imagine Haase leaving right now. He just signed an extension, which should have increased his buyout, and he has all his guys in place now. He could potentially go to the tournament 4 years in a row with what he has in place. He just got through figuring out how to turn a program around. I'm not sure he would want to do that again right now even if an offer came his way.

I think Haase has long-term vision.

Which mean I don't see him leaving UAB for just any other coaching job. I think it'd take Kansas or UNC to pull him away. I think that's his long term vision-- make UAB a perennial NCAA contenter, build the program over years, and when one of those marque jobs becomes available his name is at the top of the short list.

At least, that's what I hope.

I could see him leaving or staying. The trend is to get the good season and then move up. I won't fool myself by thinking Haase is so in love with his situation here that he would stay longer than he has to.

Like any new head coach, he is driven and has a dream to be in the big time. He,s been there as an assistant and a player, and you have to think he misses it.

I also don't think he would want to leave, but he probably didn't want to leave NC. Sometimes you have to do what's important long term.

I won't fault him whenever he leaves. We are a better program because of him.

If you want Jerod Haase to stay - and I do - there's one simple answer:

Fire Ray Watts.