March 5, 2007

Conference USA Tournament Notes
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team will open play in the 2007 Conference USA Tournament when it takes on the Marshall Thundering Herd on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. The two teams split the season series, with each team winning on its home floor. The Herd took a 61-54 decision back on Feb. 3 in Huntington, W.Va. The Blazers returned the favor on Feb. 24, capturing a 70-57 victory at Bartow Arena. This game marks the first time the two teams have battled one another in postseason play.

Scouting UAB
UAB will enter the conference tournament against Marshall with an overall record of 15-15, finishing league play with a 7-9 mark. Despite dropping their final two contests entering tournament play, the Blazers have still captured victories in four of their last seven games. More importantly, the Blazers have not lost an opening round contest since a 65-62 loss to USF back in the 2002 tournament.

First-Team All-Conference USA performer in guard Paul Delaney III, who is also a two-time recipient of the Conference USA Player of the Week this season, leads the Blazers in points (15.7) and assists (5.1) per game, while also ranking fourth on the team with 4.9 boards a contest. Delaney also earned a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive Team, leading the team and ranking second in C-USA in steals per game (1.9).

Along with Delaney, senior guard Wen Mukubu and sophomore forward Lawrence Kinnard are also threats on offense. Mukubu, who nabbed third-team all-conference accolades, averages 14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest, while also shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. Each of those numbers rank second on the team, while he also ranks eighth in the league in scoring, and 15th in rebounding. Kinnard ranks third on the team with 12.8 points per game, and also leads the team with 6.1rebounds a game and an average of 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.

UAB head coach Mike Davis enters his first C-USA Tournament game sporting an overall record of 130-94 (.584) in his seventh season as a head coach, and is 15-15 (.500) in his first season at the helm of UAB.

Scouting Teams In UAB's Bracket
Of the five other teams in UAB's bracket, the Blazers only have a losing record to No. 1 seed Memphis. The Blazers dropped both contests against the Tigers during the season. UAB defeated fifth-seed Tulsa, 62-57, at Tulsa, Okla. back on Feb. 21, and also won at 12th-seed East Carolina (58-42) on Jan. 27. The Blazers split their games against No. 4 seed Tulane and their immediate opponent, No. 8 seed Marshall this season. Overall, the Blazers are a combined 4-4 (.500) against teams in their bracket.

UAB As A Nine Seed
UAB will enter the 2007 Conference USA Tournament as a nine seed, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is the third time the Blazers have been a No. 9 seed in the C-USA Tourney, and UAB boasts a record of 3-2 in the two previous times as a nine seed. In fact, all three wins came during the 2003 C-USA Tournament in Louisville, Ky., allowing UAB to reach the championship game against No. 3 seed and tournament host Louisville. Ironically, 2003 marked the first year at the helm for former UAB head coach Mike Anderson, while head coach Mike Davis in his first season this year.

All-Conference Blazers
For the second consecutive season, the UAB backcourt earned a nod to the Conference USA All-Conference teams, announced league officials on Monday. Junior guard Paul Delaney III earned first team accolades, while senior guard/forward Wen Mukubu got the nod as a member of the third team. It marked the first such awards for both players in their careers. Delaney earns a spot on the first team after earning two C-USA Player of the Week awards and ranking among the league leaders in points, assists, steals and minutes. Delaney enters the Conference USA Tournament with averages of 15.7 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game, while also shooting 46.2 percent from the floor. He currently ranks second in the league in assists and steals, fifth in scoring and 14th in field goal percentage. What makes his numbers even more impressive is the fact that Delaney switched to the point guard position prior to the start of the season, even though he had never played the position before.

Mukubu is averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals a game, while also shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. Mukubu has really stepped his play up towards the end of the season, and is a main reason why the Blazers have captured wins in four of their last seven contests heading into the conference tournament. During that span, the Miami, Fla. native has reset his career-high scoring mark on two separate occasions, going for 24 at Houston (2/17) and a career-high mark of 26 against Southern Miss (2/28). Over UAB's last five contests, Mukubu is averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, which leads the Blazers in both categories.

Defensive Specialist
In addition to his first team all-conference recognition, Paul Delaney III also earned a spot on the league's all-defensive team, announced league officials on Tuesday. Delaney was tenacious on defense throughout the season, leading the team with 57 steals on the campaign. His 1.91 steals per game ranks second in the league entering tournament play.

UAB-Marshall Earlier This Year
The Blazers and Thundering Herd split the two games this season, with both teams winning on their home floor. Marshall drew first blood as Travis Aikens scored 16 points to lead the Herd to a 61-54 win over UAB on Feb. 3. 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. UAB returned the favor three weeks later, as Paul Delaney III scored a game-high 20 points to lead UAB to a 70-57 victory over Marshall on Feb. 24. Delaney scored six early points to stake UAB to a 12-3 lead and the Blazers never relinquished control. Marshall was held to 29.3 percent shooting and the Blazers forced 18 turnovers, which helped them overcome the Thundering Herd's 46-27 rebounding advantage.

Series History And Notes
This game will mark seventh game played between the two schools, with UAB holding a 4-2 advantage in the series history. This game marks the first time the two squads have met on a neutral court. The Blazers have captured wins in four of the last five meetings heading into the contest, with the lone Marshall win coming earlier this season in Huntington, W.Va. (Marshall 61, UAB 54 on Feb. 3). Below is a breakdown of the series history:
UAB's All-Time series record vs MAR 4-2

Last five Meetings UAB leads 4-1

Last meeting Feb. 24, 2007

UAB at Home 2-1

UAB at MAR 2-1

UAB vs. MAR on Neutral Court 0-0

First meeting Dec. 30, 2002

Last UAB win 2/24/07 (70-57)

Last MAR win 2/3/07 (61-54)

Current overall streak UAB W1

Last Time Out
Matt Wheaton hit a three-pointer from deep in the right corner with 10.7 seconds left to give Tulane a 76-74 victory over UAB in the regular-season finale last Saturday. UAB got two good looks at the basket on its final possession. Paul Delaney III missed on a drive down the lane. The rebound kicked out to UAB's Lawrence Kinnard, who fired up an 18-foot jumper that would have tied it. But the shot bounced off the rim, and Tulane's Robinson Louisme grabbed the rebound in heavy traffic as the horn sounded. Chris Moore scored 20 points and David Gomez had 14 to lead Tulane. Lawrence Kinnard scored 18 points and Frank Holmes had 15 for UAB. UAB has struggled at the free-throw line lately, and the problem plagued the Blazers again. UAB outrebounded Tulane 39-32 and committed only nine turnovers, but the Blazers went 20 for 39 from the foul line. The game was tied 10 times in the first half, and the scored was 33-33 at halftime. Moore hit a three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play to give Tulane a 62-54 lead with 8:40 left in the game. UAB chipped away and took a 74-73 lead when Delaney fed Holmes for a layup with 1:59 left. The Blazers held that lead into the final minute. But Wheaton stole an errant UAB pass with 25 seconds left to set up his game-winning shot.

Davis In The Month Of March
UAB head coach Mike Davis has typically played its best basketball during the month of March. Davis enters the Conference USA Tournament sporting a record of 21-11 (.656) in games played in March, including a 7-4 record in NCAA Tournament contests during his head coaching tenure.

`Wen'ing Ways
Senior guard/forward Wen Mukubu has been a main reason why the Blazers have captured wins in four of their last seven contests heading into the conference tournament. During that span, the Miami, Fla. native has reset his career-high scoring mark on two separate occasions, going for 24 at Houston (2/17) and a career-high mark of 26 against Southern Miss (2/28). Ironically, those games were two UAB's three losses during the stretch of games. Over UAB's last five contests, Mukubu is averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, which leads the Blazers in both categories.