UAB Blazers
Overall Rank: #82
Conference Rank: #5 Conference USA
UAB Team Page
2010-11: 22-9, 12-4
2010-11 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Mike Davis (107-57 at UAB, 222-136 overall)
UAB snuck into the NCAA Tournament last year, and if they have any hope of returning it will be on the shoulders of Cameron Moore and Ovie Soko. The frontcourt duo will have to carry this team while the backcourt readjusts. Moore is a fine interior scorer who can also step outside and hit the long ball. After averaging 14.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a year ago, Moore is in for a huge senior season. Soko proved to be a great complimentary player to Moore during the 2010-2011 campaign. At 6-8 and 222 pounds, Soko emerged as a tough rebounder and a decent shot blocker and interior scorer.
Who’s Out:
The backcourt has a lot of rebuilding to do with the departure of Aaron Johnson, Jamarr Sanders and Dexter Fields. Johnson ran the Blazers on both ends of the floor, totaling 11.8 points, 7.7 assists and 1.5 steals. His leadership will be greatly missed…probably even more so than the dynamic scoring of Sanders. The guard averaged an impressive 17.8 points per game and was one of the most dangerous shooters in Conference USA. Fields could have stepped into a starting role, but he opted to transfer. Anthony Criswell is another transfer. The 6-9 forward could have played a big role off of the bench behind Moore and Soko.
Who’s In:
The newcomers will have to play a big role on this team. The frontcourt needs depth and this group should provide it. Alexander Scotland-Williamson, a junior college transfer, is an experienced option who should be a fine player at the four or five spot. Todd O’Brien, a transfer from St. Joseph’s, will not be a productive player, but he is a big 7-0, 250 pound senior who can eat up some space and some minutes. Herb Harrison will get an opportunity to contribute as a freshman. The wings will get a couple experienced players as well. Jekore Tyler is another junior college transfer who will likely battle for a starting job. Jordan Swing spent one relatively uneventful year at Western Kentucky before heading back to his home state. At 6-6 he has good size, but he still needs to prove a few things before he can make a big impact. Isiah Jones and K.C. Whitaker are the freshmen joining the perimeter. Whitaker is good combo guard and the best incoming freshmen in this class. He should be the backup point guard right away and could contribute as a shooting guard as well.
Who to Watch:
Replacing Sanders, Johnson and Fields will not be easy. However, Coach Mike Davis has some returning options. Quincy Taylor is first in line to take over the point guard duties. The 6-1 sophomore averaged 18.0 minutes per game as a freshman and that little bit of experience will have to go a long way. Taylor is a decent outside shooter, but his ability to run the team will be more important than his scoring potential. The scoring can be done by Robert Williams and Preston Purifoy. Williams started a dozen games as a freshman and is a decent rebounder on the wing. He will need to be more effective of a scorer if he hopes to help replace the numbers lost with Sanders. Purifoy is yet another sophomore who worked his way into the regular rotation as a freshman. Purifoy is a good shooter who, at 6-5, has the size to attack the basket and emerge as a dynamic scoring threat. The depth on the perimeter will have to be almost exclusively handled by the newcomers.
Final Projection:
The depth on this team, mostly in the frontcourt could turn into a problem. Beas Hamga has been around the block a few times, but has failed to live up to expectations. If healthy and available, Hamga has the size and experience to play a big role off of the bench backing up Moore and Soko. Yet, the key to UAB this season will be on the perimeter where Taylor, Williams and Purifoy better be ready to build off of their freshmen campaigns and emerge as leaders as sophomores.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Quincy Taylor, Sophomore, Guard, 2.4 points per game
Robert Williams, Sophomore, Guard, 1.7 points per game
Preston Purifoy, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 points per game
Ovie Soko, Junior, Forward, 9.1 points per game
Cameron Moore, Senior, Forward, 14.0 points per game
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