UAB Heads South For Key Conference Game At Tulane

UAB developed a pattern during the first two weeks of American Conference men’s basketball play. Losing a game inside Bartow Arena starts the pattern and salvage the week by winning on the road.

It’s not the formula that Andy Kennedy had planned for his team during conference play. But, at least thus far, it’s been the reality for the Blazers.

“Every game is going to be tight unless we can clean up some of our actions,” Kennedy said after his team’s overtime win at East Carolina on Sunday. “Again, I'm just glad that we were able to continue what we had started. I hope that we can at least continue one more game where we're undefeated on the road. We walked in that locker room (after the ECU win), and you'd be amazed, man. It felt like that we didn't win, which I think is good because the expectation is higher.”

In one way, the pattern changes already for UAB with the first test for the Blazers coming on the road on Wednesday night at Tulane. So, the task this week is to extend the road winning streak to three games before coming back home to play a Tulsa team which had the conference’s best non-conference performance.

First things first. The Blazers need to find a way to cool down Tulane, which is tied with Temple for first place in the American at 3-0 and is riding a five-game winning streak, in a game that tips off on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Fogelman Arena.

Tulane (12-4 overall) is coming off an 85-52 win at UTSA when the Green Wave made a season-high 19 3-pointers. It was the second time in three conference games that Tulane had double-figure 3-pointers. The Green Wave hit 11 3s in a win at East Carolina and had nine in a home victory against FAU. Tulane hit a combined nine 3-pointers in the final three non-conference games but heated up once conference season began.

Rowan Brumbaugh, the American Conference Preseason Player of the Year and a member of the all-conference team last season, has played up to expectations this season. The 6-foot-4 point guard is second in the conference in scoring at 18.9 points per game and steals (2.1 pg) and ninth in assists per game with 3.4. He leads the team with 35 3-pointers. Brumbaugh leads the team with 4.9 rebounds per game. Asher Woods, another returning starter off a team that lost to Memphis by one point in the American Conference Tournament semifinals, is averaging 12.8 points per game and six of his 15 3-pointers this season came in Sunday’s win at UTSA. Curtis Williams Jr., a 6-foot-6 Georgetown transfer, averages 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 30 3-pointers.

On paper, UAB (11-6 overall, 2-2 American Conference) has a rebounding advantage if you look at the entire season. But rebounding has been a struggle for the Blazers, who have lost the battle of the boards in each of the first four conference games. Overall, UAB is fourth in the conference with a rebounding margin of plus-5.8 per game. However, during conference play, UAB is 12th with a rebounding margin of minus-9 per game. Tulane is eighth in all games with a rebounding margin of plus-1.3 per game and ninth in conference play at minus-2.7 per game.

UAB needs another big game from Jacob Meyer in a game against a Tulane team that allowed a conference-low 62.7 points per game in three conference games. Meyer had a season-high 29 points, including the game-winning 15-footer, in the overtime win at East Carolina on Sunday. He is averaging 16 points and is 14-for-14 from the free throw line during conference play.

The UAB frontcourt of KyeRon Lindsay-Martin, Daniel Rivera and Evan Chatman has played well during conference play despite the rebounding struggle. As a group, they combined for 35 points and 19 rebounds per game in each of the first four conference games.