The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Trio Blocking Shots at Record Pace
12/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Steve Irvine, UABSports.com
The three most accomplished shot blockers on one of the top shot blocking teams in the country sat next to one another inside Bartow Arena earlier this week. Each UAB big man was asked about the same scenario.
“If you had the choice,” each was asked, “would you prefer a spectacular blocked shot or a spectacular dunk?”
William Lee quickly answered.
“I’m going for the block, no doubt,” Lee said.
Tosin Mehinti was a little reluctant. He mentioned how exciting it is to dunk over two or three defenders, but he didn’t make a final decision until it was clarified that the spectacular block would be followed by a UAB bucket at the other end.
“I guess I’ll go with the block,” Mehinti said.
Chris Cokley laughed at his teammates, shook his head and used just one word for his answer.
“Dunk,” Cokley said.
Three players. One question. Three different responses.
With non-conference play quickly coming to a conclusion, there is little debate, however, that the blocked shot has become a key ingredient in what the Blazers have accomplished.
“It helps a lot,” said UAB point guard Nick Norton. “We always try to guard our yard, but every now and then we get a blow-by and Tosin, Chris and Ha-Ha (Lee) are there to clean it up. You just say thank you and go on our way.”
If so, then thank you has been a popular phrase around the UAB men’s basketball program thus far. The Blazers swatted 15 shots Tuesday in a win over Hiwassee to record the second highest output in school history. That effort was only one blocked shot shy of tying the 1983-84 team for the most in program history.
Stats offer an accurate measure on how successful the Blazer shot blockers have been thus far. Nationally, UAB is tied with Memphis for third with 7.0 blocks per game. Washington is the national leader at 7.2 and Nevada checks in next at 7.1. The Blazers lead C-USA by nearly two blocks per game and have 19 more than the nearest conference foe.
The Blazers tallied more than six blocks in each of the first seven games, becoming the first UAB team since joining C-USA in 1995 to accomplish that feat.
Individually, Lee ranks seventh nationally in blocked shots per game with 3.3 and stands tied for fifth with 39 total rejections. Mehinti hasn’t blocked shots at the same pace as a year ago, when he led the team with 68, but he has a pair of five-block games over the past three outings. Mehinti has 15 blocks overall and Cokley has 11.
Both Mehinti and Lee are steadily moving up the career blocked shot list at UAB. Mehinti, who is a year ahead of Lee, is currently fifth on the chart with 113 career rejections while Lee is seventh with 90. This season, both have an excellent opportunity at reaching second on the list, which is occupied by Cameron Moore with 137 blocks. Alan Ogg holds the record with 266.
So how did the Blazers reach this point as premier shot blockers? How did this team become so adept at blocking shots that UAB Associate Athletics Communication Director Jay D’Abramo affixed a #Blockingham moniker to the Blazers?
It began with the recruitment of Mehinti and Lee.
“One reason we recruited Tosin and Ha-Ha was their ability to block shots,” said UAB head coach Jerod Haase.
Obviously, other reasons were involved in the recruitment of Mehinti and Lee by the UAB coaching staff, but shot blocking was certainly one of the most prominent. Mehinti had plenty of double-digit block performances at Greenforest McCalep Christian Academy in Lithonia, Ga., while Lee holds the national prep record with 26 blocks in a game and had more than 1,000 during his high school career.
Both are tall – Mehinti is 6-foot-9, Lee is 6-foot-8 – with wing spans that help them play much taller. Most importantly, though, both have the natural instincts that are vital to being a great shot blocker.
“It’s just natural athletic ability and timing,” Lee said. “I don’t think you can teach blocking shots because you have to have perfect timing. It’s not like shooting, like something you can teach.”
Mehinti also said it’s not a learned skill.
“For me, it just kind of happened,” Mehinti said. “Growing up, I was always athletic and could jump. It just came naturally with the game.”
Both acknowledged that they watched great shot blockers closely while learning the game. Lee said his favorite shot blocker as a youngster was Alabama native Ben Wallace, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Mehinti’s list is a little longer and includes Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutumbo and Dwight Howard.
Having Lee and Mehinti inside helps Haase follow what he believes in on the defensive end.
“Coach Haase follows the tradition of playing defense with a lot of pressure,” said UAB assistant coach Turner Battle. “Pressure the passer, pressure the ball handler. If we’re too aggressive with our defensive pressure and we happen to be out of place, we can rely on those guys to help us recover and block shots. Their presence alone creates a lot of hesitation in the other team and sometimes changes shots all together.”
Haase and his staff do not hesitate in setting the shot blocking duo free.
“We certainly give them the freedom to go chase shots that a lot of other coaches would say to avoid,” Haase said. “When they’re getting three or four or five blocks a game, there are at least four, five or six additional shots that they’re changing as well.”
At times, the approach does lead to offensive rebounds for the opposition. Not much went right for Hiwassee on Tuesday night, but the Tigers were able to corral 22 offensive rebounds. Part of that was the Tigers missed a lot of shots – 69 – but part of that was also a clearer path to the boards.
So is there ever a thought of asking the shot blockers to back off at times?
“A little bit but, right now, I want to err on the side of aggression,” Haase said.
Being aggressive has certainly led to spectacular moments. Battle said there are generally “two or three ‘Oh, wow’ moments” when the staff watches film of the Blazers. Lee said his most memorable block this year was when he grabbed the ball out of mid-air in the win over USC Upstate. He also pointed out Cokley’s fantastic block of an Auburn player on a fast break layup attempt in the season opener. Mehinti didn’t have a favorite block from this year, but one of his more memorable games was last season against Louisiana Tech shot blocker Michale Kyser, who led C-USA in rejections last year.
“When you see somebody ahead of you, it motivates you,” Mehinti said. “You think ‘I can do this too.’ When we played Louisiana Tech, Kyser was ahead of me in blocks. I was like ‘OK, let’s do this.’”
The final tally in the first meeting of last year was decidedly in Mehinti’s favor. He blocked five shots, including one on a Bulldog guard that both Lee and Cokley said was one of the most impressive ever by Mehinti. Kyser ended up with just one blocked shot that evening. Both Mehinti and Kyser had two blocked shots in the team’s second meeting.
Another motivation is to avoid being on the other side of a blocked shot. So what does it feel like when a shot blocker gets blocked?
“It’s kind of embarrassing,” said Lee, drawing laughter from the other two.
Fortunately for UAB, the embarrassment is generally on the other side.
The Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are set to return to Birmingham for the second consecutive year, marking the third time the Blazers will host the event. The men's tournament, as well as the women's semifinals and championship, will be played at Legacy Arena in downtown Birmingham, while the women's first round and quarterfinal action will take place at UAB's Bartow Arena.
UAB ticket mini plans are now on sale and in high demand. The Holiday 3-Pointer includes games against Hiwassee College (Dec. 22), 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 29) and the Blazers' Conference USA home opener against Middle Tennessee (Jan 3). Lower level seats can be purchased for $36 ($60 value), or $24 in the upper level ($45 value). The Conference USA Season Pass is available for $119 in the lower level, (a savings of over $60) and only $79 in the upper level, ($56 off the regular price).
For more information on UAB men's basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
