UAB

2008 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:24:19 -0700

CollegeHoops.net High Major Player of the Year: Gary Forbes (UMASS)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-American
G: Drew Lavender (Xavier)
G: Robert Vaden (UAB)
F: Gary Forbes (UMass)
F: Reggie Larry (Boise State)
F: Trent Plaisted (BYU)

CollegeHoops.net Second Team High-Major All-American
G: Eric Maynor (VCU)
G: Adam Emmenecker (Drake)
G: Jaycee Carroll (Utah State)
F: Will Thomas (George Mason )
F: Will Daniels (Rhode Island)

CollegeHoops.net Third Team High-Major All-American
G: Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga)
G: Rob McKiver (Houston)
G: Dionte Christmas (Temple)
F: J.R. Giddens (New Mexico)
F: Pat Calathes (St. Joseph's)

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team High-Major All-American
G: Brian Robers (Dayton)
G: Josh Young (Drake)
G: Stefon Jackson (UTEP)
G: Lee Cummard (BYU)
F: Josh Duncan (Xavier)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Honorable Mention:
Wink Adams (UNLV), Antoine Agudio (Hofstra), Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga), Bryant Dunston (Fordham), Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State), Randal Falker (Southern Illinois), Leemire Goldwire (Charlotte), Justin Hawkins (New Mexico State), Marcelus Kemp (Nevada) Jermaine Taylor (Central Florida), Jeremy Wise (Southern Miss)

The CollegeHoops.net All-American teams are voted on by staff writers. Up tomorrow are the Mid-Major All-American teams.

CHN 2007-08 Postseason Awards

All-Americans, All-Rookie, Top Coaches & more!

2008 NIT Capsule: UAB

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:50:24 -0700

UAB Blazers

Conference USA (22-10, 12-4)

Big Wins: 12/15 vs Kentucky (79-76), 2/20 Houston (101-99), 2/27 at UTEP (88-81)

Bad Losses: 12/8 at South Florida (56-68), 12/22 at Wichita State (52-61), 1/19 at Marshall (57-62)

Coach: Mike Davis

Probable Starters:

Aaron Johnson, Freshman, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 4.1 apg

Channing Toney, Junior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Robert Vaden, Junior, Guard, 21.6 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.5 rpg

Frank Holmes, Senior, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Reggie Huffman, Junior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Ed Berrios, Junior, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 2.8 apg

Mike Davis, Jr., Junior, Guard, 2.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Lawrence Kinnard, Junior, Forward, 11.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Howard Crawford, Sophomore, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Jeremy Mayfield, Sophomore, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

After a slow start, UAB has quietly played themselves into the post season. Some injuries and suspensions have hindered their progress throughout the year, but one constant has been the play of wing Robert Vaden. The former Hoosier averages 21.6 points per game and when he is on, UAB can look very impressive. Vaden scored 41 points in late February at UTEP and any time he can take over a game to that magnitude, UAB can win.

The Blazers need some scorers besides Vaden and since Channing Toney has been around, he has shown promise. The transfer from Georgia had to sit out the first semester of the season due to transfer rules, but since then he has been a pretty consistent double-digit scorer. UAB really needs a secondary scorer from the perimeter and Toney is the only option.

Why They Can Disappoint:

There is nothing UAB is that bad at doing. They will not grab a lot of steals, but that is because they would rather play solid defense than take risks on getting turnovers. The turnovers could be considered a little high, but it is nothing to get worried about for a team that will run. Most of the turnovers are not Aaron Johnson’s fault, but the point guard still might be a concern in March. It is not because he is lightning quick and a great athlete, or even that he is 5-7. The only problem is that he is a freshman. Toney and Vaden are the leaders, but every team needs an experienced player to bring the ball up the floor during tournament time.

Who To Watch:

Thirteen players have at least started a game this year at UAB. Once the dust started to settle, a handful of forwards have found their way into the regular rotation. Lawrence Kinnard is the most dynamic of the group. The 6-8 junior can score inside and out and is the best rebounder on the team. Reggie Huffman is a little undersized, but he will do the dirty work in the paint. Frank Holmes, Howard Crawford and Jeremy Mayfield are a diverse group of experienced big men who Coach Mike Davis can throw into the game whenever they are needed.

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Team of the Moment: UAB

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:47:08 -0700

UAB 22-10 (12-4 Conference USA) Computer numbers (courtesy of kenpom.com; not including today's results): RPI 49, SOS 95 Result today: Tulsa 78, UAB 68 in overtime in a Conference USA quarterfinal. General consensus seemed to be that if the Blazers, led by high-scoring guard Robert Vaden, could get to the final of their conference tournament and put up a solid showing (assuming the opponent was Memphis) they could get an at-large bid. But with this afternoon's loss to Tulsa, UAB may find themselves on the outside looking in come Sunday. Their best non-conference win was against Kentucky in Louisville back on December 15th, but other than that the resume lacks meat. And losses to the likes of South Florida, Wichita State and Georgia Southern won't help their cause either. But with losses by fellow bubble inhabitants Dayton and Villanova, maybe there's still hope. But those two lost to the top seed in their respective tournaments, so maybe not. On the clock: West Virginia. The Mountaineers currently lead UConn 42-36 at the half in the second Big East quarterfinal of the day. A win here, especially when they were 0-4 against the top four Big East teams in the regular season, would leave no doubt in regards to their at-large candidacy.

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Robert Vaden

Jeff Borzello — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:05:52 -0800

Rob McKiver scored 52 points in one game. Tyrese Rice scored 46 points against North Carolina. Sean Singletary scored 41 points at Miami (Fl.). Michael Beasley had 69 points and 26 rebounds in his two games this week. And none of them are this week’s Collegehoops.net Player of the Week. The list of impressive and standout performances gets bigger as the season winds down as the star players step-up and attempt to lead their teams to victory. However, many of those big-time games are done in losing efforts. Therefore, this week’s honor goes to UAB’s Robert Vaden, who had an outstanding week, and – get this – his team actually won two games.

UAB struggled earlier in the season as the Blazers’ plethora of transfers and newcomers were taking time to mesh with the returnees and with each other. However, they have made their way into the at-large mix on the strength of their 13-3 record in the last 16 games, and on the back of Vaden. This week was no different. The Blazers picked up a road win over UTEP and a home victory against Tulane, pushing them into second in Conference-USA. Vaden was the main reason for the wins – he finished with 41 points, six rebounds and three assists against UTEP, and 30 points and four rebounds vs. Tulane. He also shot 14 for 25 from three-point range and 19 of 21 from the foul line in the two games. The 6-5 junior is now averaging 22.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on the season.

With just two games left in the season, UAB needs to finish strong to garner consideration for an NCAA Tournament berth. Unfortunately, one of those games is at Memphis in a rematch of their epic 79-78 Tigers’ win two weeks ago. In that game, Vaden had 27 points and five assists. He needs to come through with another huge performance if UAB is to win on the road. As the past week showed, though, he is certainly capable of it.

2007-08 Collegehoops.net Players of the Week
February 25th - Al Fisher, Kent State

February 18th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
February 11th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
February 4th - Ryan Anderson, California
January 27th - Jerryd Bayless, FR, Arizona
January 20th – Davon Jefferson, FR, USC
January 13th – Michael Beasley, FR, Kansas State
January 6th - Shan Foster, SR, Vanderbilt
December 30th - Brian Butch, SR, Wisconsin
December 23rd - Dwayne Curtis, SR, F, Mississippi
December 16th - Gary Forbes, SR, F, UMASS
December 9th - Joe Alexander, JR, F, West Virginia
December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, FR, G, Arizona
November 25th - DJ Augustin, SO, G, Texas
November 18th - Jon Brockman, JR, F, Washington
November 11th - Michael Beasley, FR, F, Kansas State

Three Stars of the Day: McKiver, Vaden, Egerson

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:31:08 -0800

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Rob McKiver - Houston

A no-brainer pick today. A week after hitting 40 against UAB, McKiver exploded for 52 (the most be anyone all year) in a win over USM

Robert Vaden - UAB

In a key win at CUSA rival UTEP, Vaden scored 41 points behind 9 of 14 3-point shooting

Marc Egerson - Delaware

The 6-6 wing made a run at a triple-double with 24 points, 11 boards, and 9 assists

Other Top Performers

Dan Geriot - Richmond - Had the game of his life against lowly St. Bonaventure with 35 points and 13 rebounds

AZ Reid - High Point - His 18th double-double included 34 &14 in an easy win over Radford

Charles Rhodes - Mississippi State - Thanks to Rhodes and his 30 points, the Bulldogs are quietly locking up a tourney bid

Previous Stars of the Day

February 26th - Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

February 25th - DJ Augustin, Texas

February 20th - OJ Mayo, USC

February 19th - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

February 18th - John Bryant, Santa Clara

February 17th - Johnson/Teague, Wake Forest

February 15th - Tyrese Rice, Boston College

February 12th - J'Nathan Bullock, Cleveland State

February 10th - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

February 9th - Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN

February 7th - Ronald Ramon, Pittsburgh

February 6th - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

February 4th - Todd Golden, Saint Mary's

February 3rd - Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

Daily Dribble: Top 10 Players in the CUSA

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:51:21 -0800

Continuing with the best players in the high-major conferences, I move on to the CUSA. There was a danger of this becoming simply a copy of Memphis' roster, but there are underrated players scattered across the league. Conference USA 1. Chris Douglas-Roberts, G, Memphis 2. Derrick Rose, G, Memphis 3. Rob McKiver, G, Houston 4. Jeremy Wise, G, Southern Miss 5. Robert Vaden, F, UAB 6. Joey Dorsey, F, Memphis 7. Stefon Jackson, F, UTEP 8. Robert Dozier, F, Memphis 9. Paul Delaney, G, UAB 10. David Gomez, F, Tulane Next In Line Antonio Anderson, G, Memphis Dion Dowell, G/F, Houston Rod Earls, G, Tulsa Markel Humphrey, G, Marshall Willie Kemp, G, Memphis Lanny Smith, G, Houston Check back over the weekend for the Top 10 players in the MVC.

Daily Poll: Who Will Win Conference USA?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:56:20 -0700

2007-08 UAB Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:08:05 -0700

UAB Blazers

Overall Rank: #57

Conference Rank: #3 C-USA

2006-07: 15-16, 7-9, 8^th (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

The first year at UAB was not exactly successful for Coach Mike Davis, but year two is guaranteed to be much better. With a trio of impact transfers and a recruiting class that looks like it belongs in Memphis, not Birmingham, the Blazers will soon be back amongst the conference elite. Paul Delaney III was the leader last year and will be again this year. The 6-2 senior guard averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds on the season. He is not the greatest shooter on the team, but he will get to the basket and do plenty of scoring. Delaney ran the point last year out of necessity and will likely do so this season as well, at least early on.

Who’s Out:

The perimeter group has lost a couple starters in Wen Mukubu and Maurice Gibbs. Mukubu did a little bit of everything, or in some cases a lot, from the wing. He averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals on the season. Like Mukubu, Gibbs was a decent shooter. However, Gibbs did not do much else besides hit the long ball. Taurus Dortch and Andre White will not be suiting up for the Blazers this year after playing minimal roles off the bench last season.

Who’s In:

The transfers are big and will be seeing quality minutes right away, but the questions at point guard are more vital to the team’s success. While Delaney has proven to be a fine point guard, he is better off at the shooting guard spot and that puts some pressure on Ed Berrios and Aaron Johnson to take over the starting job, or at least be able to occasionally move Delaney to the two. Berrios, a junior college transfer, will not put up a big numbers, but he is a true point guard and a great floor leader. With his experience, the 5-11 Bronx, New York product is expected to compete for the starting job. Johnson has some work to do before he becomes the next ‘Squeaky’ but the 5-7 point guard is a good defender and can rack up the assists. The big name guards are Channing Toney and Robert Vaden. Toney, a transfer from Georgia, will be eligible after the first semester. Toney averaged 9.8 points per game as a freshman with the Bulldogs and will instantly add some athleticism and scoring prowess off the bench once he is eligible. Vaden followed Coach Davis from Indiana and the versatile wing will do what Mukubu did last year, but maybe even a little more. Vaden is a prolific scorer, a solid rebounder and can dish out the assists and be a menace on the defensive end. Terrence Roderick often gets lost among the transfers, but the incoming freshman has his own mark to make on the program. The 6-6 guard is a solid scorer and a smart player who will use his size to his advantage on the wing. It is not just the perimeter that gets a major lift, the frontcourt adds three players who will be vying for playing time this year. Walter Sharpe, a 6-9 forward who transferred from Mississippi State, has a great physical gift. When he wants to be, Sharpe can be a dominating player in the paint and he has plenty of potential if Coach Davis can keep his head in the game. Reggie Huffman was named a NJCAA second team All-American last season and the 6-7 forward will build off that success at UAB. He is strong, athletic and deceptively quick. Incoming freshman Keenan Ellis may have the most talent of the newcomers, but his lack of experience may keep him on the bench at times this year. The 6-11, 200 pound power forward needs to add some muscle and continue to work on his post scoring, but he is a versatile athlete who can play facing the basket. Late addition Zisis Sarikopoulos is a seven-footer who has surprising quickness. At 258 pounds, the Greek native is big and strong and can dominate the paint in time. Berrios, Ellis, Sharpe, Toney and Vaden were arrested during the offseason and Coach Davis says they are being disciplined, although how they will be disciplined is unknown.

Who to Watch:

The returning frontcourt is led by Frank Holmes who averaged 6.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks last season. Jeremy Mayfield showed plenty of promise during his freshman campaign and proved to be a monster on the glass, but the 6-10, 240 pound Dallas, Texas native will have more competition for his minutes this year. Lawrence Kinnard started at power forward last season and led the team with 6.2 rebounds per game. He is a good scorer and can step outside and hit the long ball. It is his flexibility that may move him to the small forward spot, especially when Delaney is running the point.

Final Projection:

Depth will not be a problem for the Blazers this season and probably will not be for a long, long time. Coach Davis almost always has a team that looks great on paper, but what he does with them on the court is another story. On paper this is an NCAA team. But that might not happen come game time. Even if the team does not come together on the court, they are a talented bunch who should be able to beat most C-USA teams on talent and athleticism alone.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Paul Delaney III, Senior, Guard, 15.5 points per game

Robert Vaden, Junior, Guard, DNP last season

Lawrence Kinnard, Junior, Forward, 13.0 points per game

Walter Sharpe, Sophomore, Forward, DNP last season

Frank Holmes, Senior, Forward, 6.6 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | College Basketball Schedule | Discuss the Preview

Best Non-BCS Freshmen: Part One

Kevin McNeill — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:58:55 -0700

The NBA Draft is finally behind us, where half of this year’s top dozen picks were freshmen. 2008 looks to be no different, with the likes of one-and-doners Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley in all likelihood hearing their names called early.

But of course, not all incoming freshmen are already fielding calls from would-be agents. In fact, not every member of the stellar Class of 2007 is even going to the so-called “Big Six” power conferences. Many are going to be thrilling fans at the mid-major level as well.

On a side note, just for the purposes of this column, I will not classify either Gonzaga or Memphis as “mid-major” programs. The two schools have become perennial Top 25 stalwarts, have consistently been a top 3 seed or better in the Tournament in recent years (with the notable exception of last season for the Zags) and have run roughshod over their respective conferences. Memphis has the fourth ranked incoming class of 2007 according to scout.com, while Gonzaga is in the top 20 as rated by rivals.com.

These are not the normal recruiting traits of so called “non-BCS” schools.

With that said, here are some of the best prospects coming to a mid-major school near you this fall.

Manuel Cass, UTEP

Cass is one of the premier talents in this class to come out of Illinois. He lead Carbondale to the Class AA state title game in 2005, went on to star at Boys to Men across town, and averaged 15.7 points and seven rebounds last season on a South Kent (CT) team that had eight players offered scholarships at the Division I level.

At the same time, Cass was kicked off the team at Carbondale for unspecified reasons and has reportedly had academic and discipline issues throughout his prep career. He de-committed from DePaul, despite the fact that Coach Jerry Wainwright was one of the first coaches to show interest in the prospect. Cass claimed he simply no longer wanted to play in an urban environment. However, possible NCAA penalties against the Blue Demons as a result of Wainwright allegedly visiting Cass during a no-contact period might have played a larger role in the decision.

Regardless, Coach Tony Barbee’s first recruiting class has been impressive, with Cass joining big men Claude Britton and Wayne Portalat as well as guard Randy Culpepper. Should Cass continue to develop, and mature, he should emerge as the dominant scorer of a newly dangerous Miner team.

Keenan Ellis, UAB

The lanky 6-10 power forward needs to add a few pounds, but has all the traits of a future superstar who will have an instant impact on his team next year.

Ellis will also be a part of something of a resurgence by the disappointing Blazers, as Coach Mike Davis will compliment Ellis with a freshman class that includes Terrence Roderick and Aaron Johnson. This is in addition to the arrival of transfers Robert Vaden, who followed Davis from Indiana, Walter Sharpe from Mississippi State and guard Channing Toney from Georgia. Davis will also have star guard Paul Delaney back in the lineup, who had a breakout year last season.

But Ellis should have no trouble fitting in with all the new talent. After all, he did play alongside OJ Mayo and Bill Walker at North College Hill (Ohio) High. With his help, UAB just might be the only team with a chance of preventing a possible top-ranked Memphis team from running the table in the conference once again.

Beas Hamga, UNLV

Coach Lon Kruger is definitely making a name for himself in Sin City. Coming off an improbable MWC Championship and Sweet Sixteen run in just his third season, Kruger and his staff should continue their success in 2007 thanks to a first-rate recruiting class, anchored by 7-footer Beas Hamga.

Hamga, originally from Cameroon, averaged a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) his senior year. However, more impressive is his shot blocking ability, using his standing reach of 9 feet, 6 inches to swat away seven shots a game.

Originally committed to Iowa, Hamga rescinded it when Coach Steve Alford left for New Mexico. He chose the Running Rebels over New Mexico (where his high school teammate Darrington Hobson committed) as well as the likes of UConn, Indiana, Kentucky and Georgetown.

Darrington Hobson, New Mexico

There is no doubt Hobson is a premier talent with a world of potential. When he transferred to Decatur Christian in Chicago - his third school in three years - the Chicago Sun Times gushed that he was “the most highly touted out-of-state transfer since Kevin Garnett left South Carolina and landed at Farragut in 1994.”

Well, that might be a bit much. Still, the 6-7 self-proclaimed “triple-double threat” has shown he can dominate, scoring nearly 20 points and pulling down a dozen rebounds a game during his final year at Decatur. He should immediately have an impact on the Lobos, who will also add Dairese Gary to the backcourt, a highly touted guard who backed away from his commitment to Iowa to follow Coach Steve Alford to Albuquerque.

However, there’s a question as to how long he may stick around – possibly jumping to either the NBA or to another program. In addition to his frequent stops during his prep career, Hobson also had verbally committed to both Wyoming and Pepperdine before finally signing with the Lobos.

In a revealing interview with rivals.com he explained why he seems to have trouble sticking to one team: "I hate sitting on the bench. I want to play. If I don't start, I'd like to go somewhere that I can get some good minutes.” He also added that “I don't think a lot of people know what I can do. That's why I want to go somewhere that I can play as much as possible."

Of course, every player wants minutes. You don’t bust your hump every day in practice to get a courtside seat during the games. Still, players that put such an emphasis on their “PT” that they will bounce around from school to school have had a tendency to not put the interests of the team ahead of their own. Hopefully that won’t be the case here.

Matt Howard, Butler

Thanks for the dream season, Bulldogs. Can we have another one?

That seems to sum up the sentiment of Butler fans as newly hired Coach Brad Stevens looks to continue their remarkable success from last season, where they made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and set a conference record for having 16 consecutive weeks in the Top 25.

That will largely depend on 6-7 forward Matt Howard, a leave-it-all-on-the-floor bruiser who will look to start immediately for the Bulldogs. Despite his relatively small size for a forward, Howard recently held his own among some of the top recruits from the region, putting up 12 points and 9 boards in 18 minutes in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star game, which features the best high school players from both states.

With Howard joining the returning backcourt of Mike Green and potential All-American AJ Graves, as well as fellow freshman Zach Hahn, Butler basketball fans should be able to look forward to another great season, and a possible return to the NCAA Tournament.

Check Back Tomorrow For Part Two of the Nation's Diamonds in the Rough.. including Xavier's Dante Jackson and NMSU's Herb Pope.

UAB to Be Most Improved in 07-08?

Jeff Borzello — Mon, 07 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700