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In 2009, when I did my picks for UAB's top 30 players for the 30th anniversary of Blazer basketball, Torrey was my 25th pick.

I am heartsick. Too young to die.

25. Torrey Ward (1996-2000)



Torrey Ward is my pick as the 25th best Blazer. He was a versatile player during his four years at UAB from 1996-2000. Ward played his high school basketball at Phillips High School in Birmingham and was ranked #4 on the Birmingham Post Herald’s Ten Most Wanted list in 1996. He averaged 19.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds as a senior and won the ASHAA Final Four Slam Dunk Contest in 1996. He chose to stay home and play for Murry Bartow who was beginning his coaching career at UAB.

Ward played in 22 games as a freshman and averaged 2.8 points. He was not called upon often because the 1996-97 team had six seniors, including Carlos Williams. His most interesting game was when he scored a season high 13 points against Tulane on January 5. Ward was the leading scorer in that victory, but was almost didn’t play. Coach Murry Bartow had instituted a No Facial Hair policy prior to the game, and Ward had to go to the locker room and shave before the game started in order to play. Ward began making an impact toward the end of the season. On February 23, he scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Charlotte. Over the last two regular season games, he averaged 9.5 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds, and shot 8 of 13 overall from the field.

Torrey played a much bigger role on the team during his sophomore year. He started 24 of the 32 games he played in. He had 17 points against Auburn including 13 second half points. He was injured in the second half of a game against Florida with a right leg sprain and had to sit out a game. His greatest game of the season was against Louisville on January 15 when he scored a team high 15 points including seven of UAB’s last ten points. He clinched the win over the Cardinals with a monsterous dunk in the game’s final seconds. Ward averaged 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 rebounds a game in his sophomore year.

Ward’s junior year (1998-99) was the most successful one of his career. It was the only season in his career that the Blazers made it to the NCAA tournament. Ward had a career high 16 rebounds against Auburn and proved to be the team’s second best rebounder. Torrey showed his athletic versatility when both point guards Leandrew Bass and Eric Holmes were injured in the Marquette game on January 6, and Ward took over point guard duties, and passed out 8 assists. Ward averaged 8.5 points a game and had a career high of 25 points in a victory at Memphis. The importance that Ward played on this team was apparent as the season wound down. UAB needed to play well in the conference tournament to have a shot at an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Prior to the first round game against DePaul, it was learned that Ward would be unable to play because of an intestinal virus. UAB won the game and faced off in the next round against Louisville. Ward played only eleven minutes but was ineffective due to his illness and the Blazers lost the game. In the NCAA tournament game against Iowa, he struggled in his shooting, going 0-7, but grabbed four rebounds and had six assists.

In his senior year, Ward averaged 9.4 points per game and was the third leading scorer on the team behind Eric Holmes and Myron Ransom. He averaged 5.8 rebounds per game. His best game was against South Florida on January 15, when he hit six of seven free throws in overtime and led the Blazers to victory. Toward the end of the season, Ward injured his ankle and missed two games. He was bothered by the injury for the rest of the season and was unable to play in the last regular season game when he reinjured the ankle during warm-ups against Charlotte. At the end of the year, he was voted the runner up CUSA defensive Player of the Year, losing out to Kenyon Martin of Cincinnati.

Torrey Ward does not have the flashy numbers that many of the other Blazers on this list have. He never averaged over 10 points a game and he only appeared in one NCAA tournament game. However, he is considered one of the top Blazers because of his attitude, his leadership and his desire to win. Although he was only 6’3” he was an excellent leaper and rebounder. In his career he grabbed 483 rebounds, good for #13 on the all time Rebounding list. He ranks #25 on the all time Assists list and his 796 points ranks him #27 on the all time scoring list. He graduated from UAB in 2001 with a degree in Justice Sciences.

After graduation, Ward played professionally in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Shanghai Sharks, where he was a teammate of the NBA's Yao Ming. As a member of the Shandong in 2002, Ward helped the Bulls win the conference championship before falling in the CBA finals. He finished fourth in the league in scoring and also won the league's slam dunk contest.

He returned to the United States in 2003 and was an assistant coach at Jacksonville State for three years. In 2006 when Andy Kennedy was named head coach at the University of Mississippi, he called on Ward to be an assistant. Kennedy had been an assistant coach at UAB during Ward’s career. Ward is in his third year as an assistant and has helped the Rebels reach postseason for the past two years, including last year’s appearance in the NIT semifinals. In addition to working with UAB alum Kennedy, he also works alongside former fellow UAB teammate Bill Armstrong.

Torrey was my favorite player of the Murry Bartow era, and my opinion of him only grew after getting to know him over the past decade through his mother, a longtime UAB employee and NAS member. I'm heartbroken for her, his family, his players...there just aren't any words for something this tragic.

He was always one of my favorites...no doubt

One of the classiest Blazers ever! Hard to hear about today at work.

I'm sick right now. Torrey's grandmother lived right next door to my grandmother while I was growing up. I still remember him and "Big George" having their own dunk contest at the Fountain Heights rec when I was younger. During his years at Phillips I was a water boy at Parker and I can still remember him taking Coach Cap's team apart. I ran into Torrey a few years back at the annual Phillips reunion and he told me how well he was doing. Such a tragedy that he's gone so soon.