Steve IRvine talks to Andy Kennedy About Team’s Progress This Summer
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - June 26, 2026
Andy Kennedy and his UAB men’s basketball team is finishing the fourth week of summer practice sessions. It’s been a successful process thus far for Kennedy and his staff as they try to put the pieces together of a roster that might include one returning player in Salim London.
The Blazers have 13 players practicing this summer, including KyeRon Lindsay-Martin, who filed a waiver for one more season of eligibility. As of now, Salim London is the lone returning player for the Blazers. Jakobi Sharp, a recent Gadsden City High graduate, is not with the team this summer but all of the other signees are working with the team.
UAB will take a break next week before coming back together to finish off summer work. Kennedy took a few moments after Thursday’s practice to give his early impression of his team.
On what he’s learned about his team in the first four weeks of summer practice: “It's been so valuable when you've got so many new guys. Obviously with Salim out here, he's been through this before. Him taking that next step from a leadership, from a voice standpoint, has been very important for us. And then KyeRon, even though we still don't know where his eligibility status lies, while we're in this appeal process, he has the opportunity to practice with us, which thankfully he's chosen to do. He's been great because he's always shown great voice for our team. And now he has a much better understanding, he's given these young guys some guidance (and) some new guys some guidance. So I like our competitive spirit. I like our physical makeup. You know, we've been banged up a little bit. Deuce (Jones) has been out a little while (with a sprained ankle). And Kye (also) with an ankle. We always try to be super precautious in the summer. But I like the way the group competes. I think we've got a number of different guys that can do a number of different things.”
On what is says about KyeRon Lindsay-Martin that he chose to practice during the waiver process: “Well, it tells you he wants to be here. He's never wavered in that. And we've never wavered in that. We're going to do everything in our power to help him as much as we can because I think he deserves the year. This is not a clock extension thing. This is not the new five for five. We're just trying to get back one of the years from a hardship, medical hardship standpoint that he played early in his career where he played less than the rules, just some technicalities that have to be worked through. I love Kye. I think he hasn't been at one place for two straight years. I think it would do wonders for him. He's a UAB graduate already. He could easily say, ‘Hey, you know, forget this. I'm going to go and start my professional career, wherever that may be.’ But he hasn't. He stayed true to it and we're going to stay true to him.”
On having a roster that includes size in the frontcourt: “I think it'll help. Our front court was very, very productive last year. We just weren't as big as we needed to be at the basket. So now we're just trying to incorporate these new guys into how we do things. Some of them are coming from junior college. Some of them are coming from high school. Some of them are coming from four-year schools where maybe they haven't played as much. So it's more of a teaching, timing thing that we're trying to get down the summer.”
On if there have been any surprises this summer: “I've been really pleased with all of them, honestly. I'm getting to know them and how to coach them best and all of them have strengths and weaknesses. But I've been really pleased with all of their receptibility. They've just been really receptive to the things that we're trying to teach them. Right now they're still thinking as opposed to playing. We're still trying to formulate the habits that I think we're going to have to have in order for us to be the team that I believe we're capable of being.”
On the team’s shooting ability: “I think we've got weapons. You know, some days I look at it and I'm like, man, this team can really shoot the ball. And then some days, obviously, you don't make as many. When you're at this stage, you think, is that because you're not as good offensively as you need to be or maybe you're better defensively or vice versa? So you play that game in your mind all the way through until next October until you play somebody else. I think this team's got the ability. One thing that I think we're better at, we've got usually four guys on the floor at one time that can stretch you to the 3-point line. That also is going to allow spacing opportunities for Elijah Duvall, for Deuce Jones, for Salim to really, really attack and try to get a piece of that paint off the dribble.”
On Elijah Duval, Deuce Jones and Salim London filling the point guard role: “I would think right now those are the guys that we brought here to kind of be the head of the snake. Those are our initiators. Many times two, maybe all three of them will be on the floor at the same time. I call them primary ball handlers. You typically like to have three primary ball handlers on the court. Sometimes, just based on roster or situation, you could only have two. You've got to have two but most of the time you want three. I think with this team, we can have the opportunities to have three or four on the court for the majority of the game.”
On the possibility of this being a good shot blocking team: “I think we've got more size. You know, Matt Mbole is a huge presence. He's legit 6-11. He's 280 pounds right now. We'd like to get him maybe to 275. He's got a 7-6 wingspan. And he was second in junior college basketball last year in block shots per game. Different speed, different understanding, but he's going to give us a physical presence. And then Kaleb Davis, the kid that we took out of high school late is a natural shot blocker. He was on the highest level of AAU basketball circuit-wise, and he was third on that circuit in blocked shots and we've seen that. He's got great timing. Aleks Alston. Aleks is a 6-foot-10 guy with a 7-foot wingspan. He floats a little bit on the perimeter at times, but around the basket he's got the ability to block a shot. Jeremy Elyzee, who came in taller than we expected, because everybody's listed him 6-7 but he's legitimately closer to 6-8. He's got the ability to maneuver around the basket as well. So I think we've got more size and versatility in a number of different guys. Now it's just a matter of them understanding what we're trying to do so that the habits kick in and they're not thinking, they're reacting.”
On the shooting ability of big guys Aleks Alston and Antallah Sandlin-El: “Spacing is vital. Spacing is basketball. Spacing is offense and offense is spacing. The late great Chuck Daly said that. He's 100 percent right. If you've got four guys on the floor that can stretch you, it creates spacing opportunities for the guys that we brought here to really get downhill to do what they can do. So everybody's got a piece of this, and everybody's got a role in this puzzle that we're trying to put together. If we could get shooting out of four spots on the court, I think it would change the dynamic of what we can do offensively.”
On the possibility of adding another player to the roster: “Yes, there is (a possibility). You know, 15 (scholarships) is the number. We're at 13 right now counting Kye. What I can't have happen is what happened last year by my choice, which was a mistake. We chose to stay at 12 just for the finances. Then when (Joao Das Chagas) got hurt early, it really threw us at 11. Then we had a plethora of other things, but our front line was just deficient. I think it was productive, Kye, Daniel (Rivera) and Evan (Chatman) did a tremendous job, but you got to have four guys in there at least. So you have to protect yourself. We'll explore. We're not going to just add somebody to add somebody. It's got to be a productive piece, but if that piece shows itself available and it's the right fit for us, we'll certainly explore it.”
On his thoughts about the new eligibility rules that include players having five years of eligibility instead of the traditional four years: “I am all for player opportunity. I hope this is just step one of a number of different things that can bring some structure back to intercollegiate athletics. I'm in favor of it as it relates to the age requirement. I think it'll provide opportunities. But just being honest and I'm leaving this interview right now about to drive to a recruiting period which starts tomorrow for high school kids. Man, it's going to pinch the class of 27 and 28 because it's like COVID. It's going to recycle a whole nother class of kids. So, it's going to limit opportunities for guys trying to find those opportunities wherever they may be, high school or junior college. So I hate that, but I do think it's a step in the right direction of giving us some structure nationally that we all have to apply by. Hopefully it's just step one of many things coming.”