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

Works best with my diabetes. :-)

If anyone wants tickets to the game tomorrow, I've got two I won't be using.

(02-22-2023 11:45 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  With my twins being born the week the season started, I havent been able to come to the games this year, but will be at the Rice game! I'm sure that the failure to mention the motivation the team will get from my presence as a Key to Victory in the article was just was just an oversight

Congrats on the twins! Our twin 16 month olds love UAB Basketball. Hopefully we can meet up during Football season.

(02-22-2023 10:17 PM)Blazer4Life14 Wrote:  If anyone wants tickets to the game tomorrow, I've got two I won't be using.

I'll take them. I've got a couple friends trying to come. My number is (205) 913-7779.

(02-23-2023 11:05 AM)Slushey51 Wrote:  

(02-22-2023 10:17 PM)Blazer4Life14 Wrote:  If anyone wants tickets to the game tomorrow, I've got two I won't be using.

I'll take them. I've got a couple friends trying to come. My number is (205) 913-7779.

Received! Thanks! Go Blazers!

Wish I could go to this game tonight. The road game at Rice was where I felt like we really turned the season around (and the 2nd half performance vs La Tech at home in the previous game). It hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we are playing our best basketball to end the season. I am cautiously optimistic that we continue to build more momentum with these last three winnable, but challenging, games. Last year's team coalesced at the end of the year and rode that momentum into a conference tournament victory - hopefully this team can do the same.

(02-23-2023 11:55 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Wish I could go to this game tonight. The road game at Rice was where I felt like we really turned the season around (and the 2nd half performance vs La Tech at home in the previous game). It hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we are playing our best basketball to end the season. I am cautiously optimistic that we continue to build more momentum with these last three winnable, but challenging, games. Last year's team coalesced at the end of the year and rode that momentum into a conference tournament victory - hopefully this team can do the same.

AK's record through his short UAB coaching history so far:
20-21: 22-7
21-22: 27-8
22-23: 20-8 (with 3 reg games left)

If we win out the rest of the regular season or win 2 and win a few in the conference tournament, this would be the 2nd most wins in his UAB coaching career. If we win out and win the tournament, we would be 26-8 going into the NCAA Tournament.

Pretty great turnaround from what seemed to be a terrible season at the start of the New Year and Jelly's injury after. Still, there is some disappointment that we aren't having the year FAU is, but it's a much better season than Football had with their talent and expectations.

The reality is that every single goal for this team is still possible. There was never *really* much of a chance at an at large bid once loss 4 hit the books and it was mostly non-existent when the record was 0-0.

I will go down with the ship saying that this team should have been in the conversation for an at-large bid and to win the conference. We really weren’t close with either. Neither was last year‘s team. We were actually quite a bit further away from winning the conference this year versus last.
Disappointing regular seasons back to back. The preseason expectations were very high, and deservedly so. We just weren’t up to the task two years in a row. We have three great opportunities to continue playing well, building momentum, and hopefully can ride that into the postseason.

I agree, The biggest of the teams goals are still achievable. That doesn’t excuse a disappointing regular season two years in a row in my book though.

FAU is 24–3. They are still solidly an at-large team. I think if they win out until the conference tournament final, they are still solidly in. If they lose another one before that, they’re in serious jeopardy.

That’s the type of season we should have had. If we had their record, we would also solidly be in as an at large. It doesn’t leave a lot of margin for error, but this team was talented and experienced enough to have those expectations.

Really hope LA can come back before the conference tournament. Both brewer brothers were playing very well and were finally integrated into the lineup as key cogs in our machine. Luckily we have toney, Johnson, and Lovan to mix in, but none of them brings the shooting and mid range scoring that LA brought.

(02-23-2023 12:16 PM)blazerblazer Wrote:  

(02-23-2023 11:55 AM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Wish I could go to this game tonight. The road game at Rice was where I felt like we really turned the season around (and the 2nd half performance vs La Tech at home in the previous game). It hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we are playing our best basketball to end the season. I am cautiously optimistic that we continue to build more momentum with these last three winnable, but challenging, games. Last year's team coalesced at the end of the year and rode that momentum into a conference tournament victory - hopefully this team can do the same.

AK's record through his short UAB coaching history so far:
20-21: 22-7
21-22: 27-8
22-23: 20-8 (with 3 reg games left)

If we win out the rest of the regular season or win 2 and win a few in the conference tournament, this would be the 2nd most wins in his UAB coaching career. If we win out and win the tournament, we would be 26-8 going into the NCAA Tournament.

Pretty great turnaround from what seemed to be a terrible season at the start of the New Year and Jelly's injury after. Still, there is some disappointment that we aren't having the year FAU is, but it's a much better season than Football had with their talent and expectations.

I agree it was a great turn around. I have been hard on AK at some points, and this has not been his best year coaching by far. But you can’t deny that we have made a remarkable turn around. It would’ve been super easy for this team to completely implode, and we didn’t.

It would be nice to see one of his teams actually live up to regular season expectations and play well earlier in the season, rather than relying on a late season turn around and coalescence from the team at the last minute.

FAU is hanging on by a thread with 3 losses. A forth and they better win in Frisco to be safe.

They will get in if they lose in the conference finals and that is their 4th loss.

I agree - very small margin of error, especially with the atrocious OOC schedule crafted by AK and the AD. But this team should've been experienced, talented, and good enough to meet that standard. They weren't - two years in a row. UAB can make the tournament this year for the 2nd year in a row, and that will be a huge accomplishment. That doesn't take away the fact that AK's teams have disappointed pretty badly in the regular season two years in a row.

Like I said before, it would be nice to see a team that plays well from day one, and doesn't require a dramatic mid-to-end of year turnaround. No - I don't expect teams to be perfect on day one, and yes teams always improve (usually) as the season goes on. But AK's teams have struggled a good bit and taken a lot of bad losses during the regular season. We should not be doing that with the coaching, the experience, and the talent that we have had. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. It would be nice to see a team that plays with more discipline and with a higher basketball IQ too..

Two games behind UNT last year. Four games behind FAU this year (with FAU having played one less game so far, as well).

(02-23-2023 02:41 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  FAU is hanging on by a thread with 3 losses. A forth and they better win in Frisco to be safe.

I honestly hope we both win out and we beat them in the Finals. I would love for us and FAU to go to the tourney. One last FU to CUSA as we both leave for AAC.

Outside shot of CUSA getting 3 teams in...

UAB wins the conference, FAU loses in the finals or 3rd round to a decent team by a close margin, and UNT loses to us in the 2nd round in a close game.

UNT is a bubble team right now. If they were to win every other game until losing to us handily, they may have a shot at an at large. FAU losing to us in the in the finals in a close game would still have them in too, IMO.

That is of course assuming the committee takes out all bias. But they will throw in UNC for the name brand, even though they are 0-million in quad one games.

Dude, you said the magic words: remove the bias.

That ain’t happening

I can't see UNT getting an at-large: http://www.bracketmatrix.com/

Three isn't' happening period and we would be fortunate to get two. FAU is last four in with four losses at best. Not convinced they will be in.

(02-23-2023 03:06 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Dude, you said the magic words: remove the bias.

That ain’t happening

I look at it from the mathematical, numbers standpoint first when making my statements. I try to have hope that the committee will pick the best teams based on their resumes, but I understand that does not happen in real life.

But I honestly do think that CUSA has 3 NCAA-quality teams this year.

FAU is much better than last year, and their record and resume show that.

UNT is better than last year, and they have a good resume as well.

We have all seen how good our team is when we play our best, even though we haven't lived up to expectations for the entirety of the season.

(02-23-2023 02:09 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  The reality is that every single goal for this team is still possible. There was never *really* much of a chance at an at large bid once loss 4 hit the books and it was mostly non-existent when the record was 0-0.

And just how can we still win the regular season conference championship? Weren't we picked to finish first? I really thought that was a goal.