Oct. 21, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's and women's basketball held their annual Preseason Basketball Media Day on Tuesday, as the start of the 2008-09 season draws closer.
Men's basketball head coach Mike Davis and women's head coach Audra Smith were on hand, along with a number of players, to discuss the upcoming season and the expectations that they have for their squads.
The men's basketball team is coming off the biggest single-season turnaround in program history, going 23-11 with an appearance in the 2008 NIT. The 23 victories are tied for the fifth most wins in a season, while the 12 Conference USA wins tied for the most all-time conference victories. The Blazers are picked to finish second in the league, with senior guard/forward Robert Vaden, being picked as the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year.
"They picked us second in our league," said Davis. "There are about four or five teams in our league I think are pretty good, so it's going to be a challenge for us to compete for a conference championship this year. We have six seniors on this basketball team with a lot of experience, so we're further along now than we were last year at this time, offensively.
"We're going to play small ball a lot this year. Lawrence Kinnard will be playing the five at times. Paul Delaney will be playing the four, Robert Vaden playing the four and Channing Toney will play the four. We only have one true post, and that's Howard Crawford. Howard is playing well in practice."
UAB's women's basketball team concluded the 2007-08 season in third place in C-USA with a 10-6 record and an overall mark of 14-16. Three Blazers were named as all-conference selections including sophomore guard Amanda Peterson, who was named the league's Sixth Player of the Year. The Blazers who are picked eight in the preseason poll, will be led by a pair of seniors in guard Britney Jones and forward Brianna Berry.
"I know we were predicted to finish eighth in the conference," said Smith. "I'm not concerned about that. It's just a prediction. We've been predicted to finish low every year and we've surprised a lot of people and ended up finishing in the top five.
"We're a young team this season in terms of the fact that we have a lot of players with a lack of playing experience. There are some names that I'm sure a lot of people haven't heard and don't even know about.
"I'm really excited about this team for a variety of reasons. Number one, this is the biggest team I've ever coached in terms of size. We now have true size on the low block, which is really exciting. We have 6-5 Meagan Brown and 6-3 TaRonda Randall in addition to a returner in 6-3 Amanda Scott."
The men's basketball team kicks off its season Nov. 15 at Troy. The first home game will be on Dec. 3 as the Blazers take on South Florida.
The UAB women's squad will open its season on Nov. 14 against Stetson at Bartow Arena.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Audra Smith
On her team's size:
"I'm really excited about this team for a variety of reasons. Number one, this is the biggest team I've ever coached in terms of size. We now have true size on the low block, which is really exciting. We have 6-5 Meagan Brown and 6-3 TaRonda Randall in addition to a returner in 6-3 Amanda Scott."
On her team's youth:
"We're a young team this season in terms of the fact that we have a lot of players with a lack of playing experience. There are some names that I'm sure a lot of people haven't heard and don't even know about. Ashlee Jackson is a perimeter player who has come on really strong. She's a sophomore that did not get an opportunity to play last year, so we decided to redshirt her. Tamika Dukes is a junior college transfer who is a really strong, active perimeter player who can get to the basket, shoot the outside shot and create off the bounce. We'll need those young ladies step up along with Brianna Berry, who we've converted within the last two-and-a-half practices from a post player to a perimeter player. She has really impressed me with her comfort level on the perimeter, which will take a lot of pressure off our two most experienced players coming back in Britney Jones and Amanda Peterson."
On her team's camaraderie:
"This team is also very special in that I feel like it has the best team spirit, the best team camaraderie, and the best team unity. They're doing a lot of things in practice, a lot of intangibles that a lot of coaches have to encourage their players to do, and I don't have to do that. This is something they've taken upon themselves. It started in the summer with them taking the initiative to decide that they were going to take ownership of this team, and they were going to make it their team. Every day they've got a special celebration whether it be a chest bump or a high five or whatever it may be. So, that's been very rewarding for me and very easy for me in terms of coaching."
On preseason expectations:
"I feel like this team is going to be a very good team once we get to the point where we understand the concepts offensively and we're able to set screens rather than just exchange with each other, once we get better defensively, once we get down to understanding the fact that we have to be a better rebounding team and a better defensive team. The more we play together, the better we'll be. I know we were predicted to finish eighth in the conference. I'm not concerned about that. It's just a prediction. We've been predicted to finish low every year and we've surprised a lot of people and ended up finishing in the top five."
Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Davis
On the hiring of Richard Smith as Director of Basketball Operations:
"We have a new addition to our staff. We just hired coach Richard Williams, the former coach at Mississippi State who has been to the Final Four. I think he's going to be a great addition to our program and a big help to me as a basketball coach."
On his team's lack of size:
"We're going to play small ball a lot this year. Lawrence Kinnard will be playing the five at times. Paul Delaney will be playing the four, Robert Vaden playing the four and Channing Toney will play the four. We only have one true post, and that's Howard Crawford. Howard is playing well in practice."
On preseason predictions:
"They picked us second in our league. There are about four or five teams in our league I think are pretty good, so it's going to be a challenge for us to compete for a conference championship this year. We have six seniors on this basketball team with a lot of experience, so we're further along now than we were last year at this time, offensively."
On playing defense with a small lineup:
"Coach Donnie Marsh is our defensive coach, and we've put a different defensive package together because of our size. We've only had five practices so far, but, as I watch practice tape, I really see our defense improving every day. Coach Marsh is one of the best defensive coaches in the country."
Senior guard Paul Delaney III
On having a lot of guards and not as many big men this season:
"I don't think it's too much of a concern. I think that every guy that we have down low can hold their own. It's also going to be a group effort. The guards have to go in there and help rebound. It's going to be a collective team effort."
On being picked second in the C-USA Preseason polls:
"It was a little bit of a surprise. We can't really worry about that. We have to go out there, play our game and try to do the best that we can."
On having six seniors on the team:
"Everybody on the floor is like a floor general. We look to everybody for guidance in certain situations. I think we are very experienced and we have a lot of depth. I think that will take us far this year."
Senior forward Lawrence Kinnard
On the tough schedule:
"We are looking forward to it. We are playing a lot of great teams and if we can knock some of those teams out, it will really boost our confidence and we will be really strong this year. Hopefully we will be able to get into the NCAA tournament."
On the expectations for this year:
"My expectations are just like Coach Davis'. We are all in this together and we want to move forward from what we did last year. We have been preparing ourselves since day one. Practice the other day was one of the best practices coach said he had seen. If we keep going, then hopefully we can be strong going into the season."
Differences from last year:
"We are going harder than ever. Coach Davis said his theme for this year is toughness and I think we are going to do that. Toughness is one of the things that you need in the game."
Senior guard Britney Jones
On carrying the torch this year as a senior leader on the team:
"I'm carrying the torch a little bit this year, but I don't feel like I have to carry the whole load. We have a lot of people on the perimeter that are stepping up, along with post players that are really getting it done. It feels good to know that I can depend on some other guards to pick up the slack on some nights if I'm not having my best game. It's also a great feeling to know that we have post players that can get in there and put the ball in the basket for us."
On the expectations of this year's team:
"I expect great things out of this team. It kind of hurt me that we were picked to finish eighth in the conference, but that has put a fire under us. We feel like we have something to prove now, in both non-conference and conference games. We have a goal to win the first game and just take it one game at a time."
Sophomore guard Amanda Peterson
On being picked eighth in Conference USA's preseason poll:
"Our league is so balanced from the top to the bottom. The last place team could beat the first place team on any given night. You never know who is going to win. For instance, Tulane was picked first in the preseason poll last year and finished 10th."
On Head Coach Audra Smith:
"She has set the standards high for us, both on and off the court. She really expects a lot out of us in the classroom and with our morals. She is a great leader."
On the unity of the team:
"We are like 15 sisters. We are best friends and we help each other both on and off the court. There are no riffs in the team and it is great to have that kind of chemistry. There is a lot of teaching going on now because of so many new faces. The veterans are really helping out the newcomers a lot."
