Feb. 23, 2007
UAB-Marshall Game Notes
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of Bartow Arena, where it will take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall, on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on CSS, with Matt Stewart and Tom Herrion on the call. The radio broadcast can be heard on the Blazers ISP Sports Network, beginning with the pre-game show at 5:30 p.m. CT. Birmingham and Huntsville listeners can follow all the action on WYDE 101.1 FM. The broadcast can also be heard on WIQR 1410 AM in Montgomery/Prattville and 98.3 FM WTRB in Ashland/Talladega.
The Blazers and Thundering Herd will meet for the second time this season and sixth time in the series history. Earlier this season, UAB dropped a 61-54 decision on Feb. 3 in Huntingtion, W.Va. This marks the third time the Thundering Herd will make an appearance at Bartow Arena, with the two teams splitting the two previous contests. Most recently, the Blazers one-upped Marshall, 82-61, in Birmingham on March 4, 2006.
Scouting Marshall
Marshall enters Saturday's contest sporting an 11-16 overall record, and is tied with UAB for sixth in the C-USA standings at 6-7 in league play. The Thundering Herd enter the game with victories in two of its last three contests, including a 54-51 win at East Carolina last Wednesday. The Herd enter this weekend's contest sporing a 2-4 record on the road and are 3-7 overall in road games this season. Marshall defeated UAB earlier this year in Huntington, W.Va., 62-57.
The Thundering Herd is led on the year by sophomore forward Markel Humphrey's 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Junior guard Mark Dorris and senior guard/forward Travis Aikens also average double figures, with 12.7 and 10.6 points a game, respectively. Senior guard Chris Ross leads the team in assists, averaging 4.0 helpers a game, while also contributing 7.2 ppg. Junior forward/center Jean Francois Bro-Grebe is among the nation's leaders in blocks, with 2.3 swats a game (27th in the nation).
Head coach Ron Jirsa is in his fourth year at the helm of the Marshall basketball program and sixth season as a head coach. Jirsa enters the game against UAB sporting a 41-71 (.366) record with the Thundering Herd, and a 76-101 (.429) overall record.
Scouting UAB
UAB will enter its contest against Marshall with an overall record of 14-13, and a 6-7 mark in league play. The Blazers have won three of their last four games entering the game against the Thundering Herd, but have dropped six of their last 10 contests overall.
Junior guard Paul Delaney III, a two-time recipient of the Conference USA Player of the Week this season, leads the Blazers in points (15.8) and assists (5.2) per game, while also ranking fourth on the team with 4.8 boards a contest.
Along with Delaney, senior guard Wen Mukubu and sophomore forward Lawrence Kinnard are also threats on offense. Mukubu averages 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while also shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc. Kinnard ranks third on the team with 13.1 points per game, and also leads the team with 6.1 rebounds a game and a team-leading average of 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
UAB head coach Mike Davis enters the game against Marshall with an overall record of 129-92 (.584) in his seventh season as a head coach, and is 14-13 (.519) in his first season at UAB.
Last Time Out
Lawrence Kinnard scored 17 points and keyed a 12-3 second-half run with two 3-pointers and a put-back as UAB outlasted Tulsa 62-57. The run turned a 38-36 deficit into a 48-41 lead for UAB with 7:33 left. Tulsa, which shot just 37.9 percent, could not generate enough offense to get back in the basketball game, even though the Blazers provided ample opportunities by making just 9-of-16 free throws in the final two minutes. Wen Mukubu scored 16 points and Maurice Gibbs added 12 for the Blazers. Darold Crow had 14 points for Tulsa. UAB connected on its first six 3-point attempts and 8-of-11 shots overall in jumping out to a 23-13 lead. The Blazers cooled off and made just three baskets in the final 11:37 of the first half, but still led 31-23 at halftime. The margin would have been greater but for a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer by Tulsa's Brett McDade. Tulsa began the second half in more energetic fashion, scoring the first 11 points to take a 34-31 lead. Calvin Walls gave Tulsa its first lead of the game at 32-31 with a slam dunk and a drive by Mark Hill gave Tulsa its final lead at 38-36. Kinnard took over from there, making a 3-pointer then a rebound basket to put UAB ahead 41-38. He capped the run with another 3-pointer to make it 48-41.
UAB-Marshall Earlier This Year
Travis Aikens scored 16 points to lead Marshall to a 61-54 win over UAB. UAB trailed by 14 early in the second half before going on a 12-0 run to close within 38-36 with 14:08 left in the game. But the Blazers never retook the lead. Mark Dorris' 3-pointer put Marshall ahead 55-46 with four minutes left. Paul Delaney III made two free throws and a layup to cut UAB's deficit to 57-53 with 51 seconds left but Marshall sank 4-of-6 free throws in the final minute. UAB scored the game's first eight points. Marshall bounced back for a 16-13 lead with nine minutes left in the half. Chris Ross' 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer put Marshall ahead 30-24. Dorris finished with 12 points and Markel Humphrey had 11 for Marshall (9-13, 4-4 Conference USA). Jean Francois Bro-Grebe had six blocked shots. Wen Mukubu and Mike Davis Jr. had 11 points apiece for UAB.
Late-Season Surge
There are several reasons why the UAB men's basketball team has turned things around by capturing wins in three of its last four games. First and foremost would be the way the Blazers are shooting the ball. As a team, UAB is shooting 48.0 percent from the floor during the stretch, and scoring an average of 70.8 ppg. Furthermore, the Blazers' defensive intensity has stepped up as well, allowing opponents to shoot 37.8 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Individually, senior guard Wen Mukubu and sophomore forward Lawrence Kinnard have stepped their games up over the last four contests. During that time, Mukubu is nearly averaging a double-double, collecting 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds a contest, which leads the team in both categories. Like Mukubu, Kinnard has stepped his game up on both ends, contributing 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds during the streak.
1,000 Minute Men
Three Blazers enter Saturday's contest against Marshall at, or nearing, the 1,000 minute mark for the season. Junior Paul Delaney III has already accomplished the feat, playing 1,003 minutes on the season (37.1 minutes per game). Senior Wen Mukubu needs to play 49 minutes to reach the mark (enters the game with 951 minutes on the season), while sophomore forward Lawrence Kinnard has 66 minutes left to play before hitting 1,000 minutes on the season (has played 934 minutes). If the trio al reach 1,000 minutes, it will mark the first time in 14 years that three UAB players on the same team will have accomplished the feat. During the 1992-93 campaign, Corey Jackson (1,047), Stanley Jackson (1,043) and Robert Shannon (1,035) all eclipsed the 1,000-minute plateau.
"Frank"ly Speaking
Junior forward Frank Holmes has been a force to reckon with recently. For the first time in his career, the Somerville, Tenn. native recorded back-to-back double-double games, with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Memphis (2/8), followed by 13 points and 10 boards against UTEP (2/10). In fact, Holmes has been one of the top players in the league over his last seven contests. Over that stretch, Holmes is averaging 8.0 points and 6.5 rebounds a game, while also shooting a torrid 69.2 percent from the floor (27-of-39).
