The UAB Blazers for only the third time in their history have now started the season 4-0. The first time since the 2004-2005 season. What is most impressive about the fast start is that none of the games have been played at Bartow Arena where UAB has an all time .822 winning percentage.
The four wins have came at Troy, vs Santa Clara in Tucson, at Arizona and at Old Dominion. After the two wins at Arizona in the Pre-Season NIT, UAB will face Oklahoma on Wednesday night and either Purdue or Boston College on Friday. If UAB can manage to get two wins in New York this week this would really help out on the tournament resume, as playing in C-USA big time wins are hard to come by besides Memphis.
Another factor in the fast start for UAB is they are getting scoring from more than one player. Where Robert Vaden, Paul Delaney, and Lawrence Kinnard are all averaging double digit points a game. Newcomer to the Blazers Terrence Rodderick is playing a huge role as the team's sixth man where he is getting 8.3 points and five rebounds a game.
The lack of size down low has not hurt UAB as much as most thought it would early on with the great guard play and being able to double team down low and still covering the perimeter. That all could change this week, with probably the best big man in the country waiting on them at the Garden in Blake Griffin where in four games he is averaging 26 points and 20 rebounds a game.
For UAB to come home from New York 6-0, its pretty simple on what has to be done they must contain the big man from Oklahoma and make their outside shots. Its going to be impossible to stop him, Griffin will get his. The question is how many will he get?
Oklahoma is not very deep on the bench so getting OU in foul trouble early and into the Sooner bench could help UAB take advantage of the mismatches there. Kinnard and Delaney could cause fits for Oklahoma players trying to go man against them. If Vaden can continue his hot shooting from Saturdays game UAB could earn a huge victory and a real boost in the national scene and an early big time RPI win.
2 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
I went to a rival high school of Terrence Rodderick and he was incredible to watch. He single handily took my school out of the state playoffs. He was so talented and then he screwed up in school before his time at UAB. The Blazers have something special in Rodderick. When I was paging through a preview magazine and I saw his name surfaced with UAB I was so excited because I love Vaden so it gives me another reason to follow UAB.
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Kile Evans 7 months ago
Terrence is a beast i went to school with him any UAB fans that want to see this kids potential shoot me a message or comment i'll post a video of him in high school
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