The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Face No. 2 Wisconsin To Open Battle 4 Atlantis
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (2-2, 0-0 C-USA) vs. No. 2 Wisconsin (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014 - 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT
Imperial Arena | Paradise Island, Bahamas
Watch: AXS TV Information
Radio: WUHT-FM 107.7 |
UAB Game Notes | Wisconsin Game Notes
2014 Battle 4 Atlantis Bracket
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- UAB's men's basketball team opens the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis with a matchup against No. 2 Wisconsin on Wednesday at Imperial Arena. Tip time between the Blazers and Badgers is set for 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.
Wednesday's game will be carried nationally on AXS TV, with Kenny Rice, Seth Davis and Tom Walsh on the call. For information on how you can watch Wednesday's contest, follow this link: http://www.axs.tv/subscribe/
Fans can listen to the game on the Blazer IMG Sports Network with Cabell Philpott (play-by-play) on the call. The game will be broadcast locally on WUHT-FM 107.7.
For more information on the UAB men's basketball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter @UAB_MBB. For more on all Blazer sports teams, follow @UABAthletics.
UAB vs. Wisconsin Quick Hits
» UAB meets No. 2 Wisconsin for the first time in school history on Wednesday. It will also be the first time UAB has faced a ranked opponent since Dec. 1, 2013, when the Blazers knocked off then No. 16 North Carolina, 63-59, at Bartow Arena. The last time UAB won a game against a ranked opponent on a neutral court was March 21, 2004, when the Blazers defeated then No. 1 Kentucky, 76-75, in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The Blazers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 that year, before falling to Kansas.
» The Blazers are coming off a 58-50 win against Jackson State on Sunday. In that contest, the Blazers ended the game on an 11-0 run and forced 27 turnovers -- the highest number of turnovers by a Blazer opponent since 2006, when UAB forced 27 miscues against Radford.
» Highly-touted freshman William Lee has played in back-to-back games after missing the first two games of the season due to injury. Lee, Alabama's 2014 High School Mr. Basketball and 2014 Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year, has played 26 minutes and recorded five rebounds in the last two games.
» Each UAB player will wear different colored shoes -- a green shoe and a white shoe -- during every game this season. UAB's shoe combination is part of the Blazers Committed To A Cure initiative, which was created by coach Jerod Haase and his staff to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. The Blazers are encouraging fans to make donations to the Alabama Center For Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's of Alabama by visiting www.childrensal.org.
UAB vs. Wisconsin Notes
UAB Faces Tough Field At Battle 4 Atlantis
» UAB faces some of the top teams in college basketball at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. The eight teams that will participate in Atlantis have a combined 195 NCAA tournament appearances, as well as 53 Final Four appearances and 20 NCAA national championships. Currently, four of UAB's possible seven opponents are ranked in either the AP or USA Today Coaches polls. UAB is 4-9 all-time against teams that are participating in this year's Battle 4 Atlantis.
First Time Opponent For Blazers In First Game
» When UAB and Wisconsin tip off at 7 p.m. ET in Nassau, Bahamas, it will mark the first meeting between the two programs. It marks the first time UAB has faced a member of the Big Ten Conference since knocking off Nebraska, 87-74, in last season's Charleston Classic.
Blazers Challenging Atlantis To Join Committed To A Cure
» UAB is challenging the field at Battle 4 Atlantis, as well as each opponent they play this season, to wear opposite colored shoes to raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer. Each player on the Blazers' roster will wear one green shoe and one white shoe in honor of adopted teammate Elijah Serritt -- a 5-year old young boy who is battling pediatric brain cancer. UAB is asking fans to donate to childhood cancer by visiting www. childrensal.org.
UAB Getting Strong Bench Production
» UAB has relied on its bench through the first four games of the season. The Blazers' bench has outscored opponents 103-53 in the first four games, including a 23-8 advantage against ULM and 35-5 advantage vs. Young Harris. Sophomore guard Tyler Madison, who is not a usual starter for the Blazers, leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game.
Defense Has Carried Blazers
» UAB's defense has led the Blazers through the first four games, forcing 74 opponent turnovers so far this season. Blazer opponents average 18.5 turnovers per contest, while UAB averages 13.8, for a +4.8 turnover margin. UAB has forced 20-plus turnovers in the last two games, including 27 against Jackson State -- the highest turnover output by a Blazer opponent since 2006.
Freshmen Seeing Early Playing Time
» UAB put together one of the top recruiting classes in school history this past year, and it has paid off for the Blazers this season. The five freshmen have played a combined 282 minutes this season, with Nick Norton, UAB's point guard, leading the way with 29.8 minutes per game. Forward Chris Cokley has also made an impact, averaging 7.8 points per game -- the highest average among the freshman class.
Washington Named Preseason All-Conference USA
» UAB senior forward C.J. Washington was named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-Conference USA Team, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Washington was one of just 10 players from the conference to earn the honor. A native of Augusta, Ga., Washington had an impressive season with the Blazers during the 2013-14 campaign. The 6-foot-8 forward topped the 20-point mark in scoring six times, including a season-high 28-point output against Temple in the Charleston Classic that earned him Conference USA Player of the Week honors. Washington was second on the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game to go along with 6.9 rebounds per contest.
Seven Years Combined Experience On UAB's Roster
» With 10 players who are either freshmen or sophomores on UAB's roster, the Blazers have one of the youngest teams in college basketball. There is a combined seven years of NCAA Division 1 basketball experience on UAB's roster and only four years of experience at UAB combined. Senior forward C.J. Washington and redshirt junior guard Robert Brown are the veterans on the team with Brown's two years of experience at Virginia Tech and Washington's one year at UAB last season.
Mehinti Starts Strong For The Blazers
» Sophomore forward Tosin Mehinti, who played in each of UAB's 31 games last season, put together perhaps the two best performances of his young UAB career in back-to-back games to begin the 2014-15 season. Mehinti scored career highs in each contest with 15 points against ULM followed by 19 vs. Young Harris. He added 10 rebounds against the Warhawks to give him the first double-double of his career.
Newcomers Already Making Impact
»Including the exhibition game against UNC Pembroke, Blazer newcomers have accounted for 53 percent of the Blazers' scoring, amassing 189 of UAB's 359 total points this season. Redshirt junior Robert Brown is coming off two-straight double-digit scoring efforts with 14 vs. USF and 12 against Jackson State, while fellow newcomer Nick Norton leads Conference USA in assists with 6.5 per game and Hakeem Baxter is averaging 8.0 points per game through four contests.
