The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Meets SEC Foe LSU On Thursday
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UAB (4-6, 0-0 Conference USA) vs. LSU (7-2, 0-0 SEC)
8 p.m. CT | Bartow Arena | Birmingham, Ala.
TV: CBS Sports Network | Radio: WUHT FM 107.7 | Live Stats
UAB Game Notes| LSU Game Notes
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Winners of two of its last three games, the UAB men's basketball team returns to Bartow Arena on Thursday to host LSU at 8 p.m. CT.
Thursday night's contest between UAB and LSU is a Green Out, and fans are asked to wear green to support the Blazers as they take on the Tigers.
Ticket information can be found by calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at 205-975-8221.
Thursday's game will air on the CBS Sports Network with Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Pete Gillen (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Blazer IMG Sports Network. The contest will air locally on WUHT-FM 107.7.
UAB vs. LSU Quick Hits
» UAB and LSU meet for the fourth time in school history and for the second consecutive season on Thursday night. LSU won last year's meeting between the two teams, 86-63, on Dec. 21, 2013, in Baton Rouge, La.
» Thursday's game marks the second matchup against a Southeastern Conference foe this season for the Blazers. UAB fell to then-No. 16 Florida, 56-47, on Nov. 27 at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. The Blazers led by seven, but an 11-0 game-ending run by the Gators gave Florida the win. Florida was picked to finish second in the SEC in the preseason media poll, while LSU was picked fourth.
» Of UAB's six losses this season, four have come by nine points or less and two have been by four points or fewer. The Blazers faced three-straight ranked teams in three consecutive days at the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. It marked the first time in school history UAB has faced three-straight ranked opponents and the first time a team in NCAA Division I men's basketball has played a trio of ranked teams in consecutive days during the regular season since VCU accomplished that feat at the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis (played No. 19 Memphis, No. 5 Duke and No. 13 Missouri).
» UAB redshirt junior guard Robert Brown has led the Blazers in scoring in a team-high five games this season. Brown has played particularly well in the last two games, scoring a career-high 27 points vs. Illinois State and 19 against UNC Asheville.
» 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.
UAB vs. LSU Notes
Charity Stripe The Difference Vs. UNC Asheville
» UAB finished its last outing of the season against UNC Asheville with clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch. The Blazers were a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final 2:49 against the Bulldogs. Sophomore guard Denzell Watts hit a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final three minutes to seal the victory.
Lee Makes First Start
» Highly-touted freshman forward William Lee, who has been recovering from a knee injury, drew the first start of his Blazer career during UAB's last outing vs. UNC Asheville on Sunday. Lee, the 2014 High School Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, finished with six points to go along with five rebounds against the Bulldogs.
Blazers Depending On Youth
» Entering Thursday's game against LSU, Blazer underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) have accounted for 65.9 percent of UAB's scoring total this season. The 10 underclassmen have scored 438 of the Blazers' 665 points this season. Of UAB's top five leading scorers, three are sophomores and four are in their first season at UAB.
Brown Has Career Day Against Illinois State
» UAB junior guard Robert Brown had a career day against Illinois State on Dec. 7. The Clermont, Fla., native scored a career-high 27 points off of a 9-of-13 shooting performance from the field. Brown nailed 7-of-9 from 3-point range, which was just two shy of the school record nine made 3-point baskets set by Robert Vaden in 2008.
» Brown is currently UAB's leading scorer with 12.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in six of UAB's 10 games this season.
UAB Switches Starting Five In Last Three Games
» UAB has changed its lineup in its last three games this season. The Blazers inserted guards Denzell Watts and Tyler Madison into the lineup in the last three games in place of Nick Norton and Hakeem Baxter. Freshman forward William Lee took the place of senior forward C.J. Washington in the starting rotation against UNC Asheville.
First True Road Test Comes In Late December
» UAB will not play its first true road game this season until the Blazers travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., to face the Chattanooga Mocs on Dec. 22. It is the latest UAB has had its first true road game of the season since the 1992-93 campaign, when the Blazers traveled to face Minnesota on Jan. 2, 1993 -- the 14th game of the season.
All In The Family
» UAB freshman point guard Nick Norton is the son of UAB women's basketball head coach Randy Norton. The Norton family has a strong basketball background. In addition to Randy's years as a basketball and baseball player at Iowa from 1983-86, Nick's sister Allie is currently a senior on the Truman State women's basketball team. Nick's oldest brother Tom (Truman State) and oldest sister Carly (St. Ambrose) each played college basketball as well.
