BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB men's basketball team is set to host its first postseason home game since 2003, when the Blazers take on Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night in the opening round of the 2010 National Invitation Tournament. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Bartow Arena.
The Blazers earned a No. 2 seed in the Mississippi State region and will take on the seventh-seeded Chanticleers. The two teams will meet for the first time in series history.
Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased by going online (uabsports.com/tickets) or by calling the UAB ticket office at 205-975-8221. All reserve seats (lower and upper sections) will cost $15 per ticket.
UAB enters the 2010 National Invitation Tournament with an overall record of 23-8. The Blazers earned the No. 2 seed in this year's tournament, which marks the third consecutive year and the seventh time over the last eight seasons that UAB has earned a trip to either the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
The Blazers are carrying a season-long, three-game losing streak entering this year's NIT. UAB's most recent setback came in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament when it dropped a 58-44 decision to Southern Miss. The Blazers were led by junior guard Jamarr Sanders' 10 points, while junior Elijah Millsap added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds in the losing effort.
The Blazers continue to be led by Millsap, a first-team all-conference performer, who leads the team in scoring (15.7 ppg), rebounding (9.4 rpg), steals (1.6 spg) and free throws made (152) and attempted (217). He also ranks in sole possession of second place of single-season double-doubles with 15 on the year. That number not only leads the league, but ranks 24th nationally. Additionally, he is the only guard ranked among the top-35 rebounders in the nation, coming in at 33rd nationally. The Louisiana-Lafayette transfer has led the Blazers in scoring and/or rebounding in 26 of their 31 games this season.
Senior forward Howard Crawford is second on the team with 12.0 points per contest, while Sanders adds 10.4 ppg and leads the team in three-pointers made (63) and attempted (169). Junior guard Aaron Johnson, who earned a spot on the C-USA third team and all-defensive squad, collects 9.9 points per game and leads the team and ranks third in the conference with 4.9 assists per game.
As a team, the Blazers are shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc this year. UAB also boasts a +4.8 advantage on the boards (36.5-31.7). Furthermore, the Blazers hold the opposition to 61.0 points a game, which is second in C-USA and ranks 27th nationally (as of 3/14), and have held 23 of their 31 opponents to 66 points or below.
Head coach Mike Davis is in his fourth season at the helm of the UAB basketball program and his 10th season as a head coach. He boasts a record of 83-47 (.638) at UAB and a 198-126 (.611) mark overall. He now owns a record of 68-31 (.687) over his last three seasons in Birmingham.
Coastal Carolina will make its first postseason appearance since 1993 and its third overall as a Division I member when it takes the floor at Bartow Arena in the opening round of the 2010 National Invitation Tournament Tuesday night. The Chanticleers captured the Big South regular season title after finishing the year with a 28-6 overall record and a 15-3 mark in league play. Coastal Carolina hosted the 2010 Big South Tournament where it reached the championship game, before falling to Winthrop, 64-53.
The Chanticleers are led by first-team All-Big South performers senior forward Joseph Harris and junior forward Chad Gray. Harris has been a monster this season, leading the team and with 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. He has recorded 16 double-doubles on the year and also leads the squad in field goal percentage at 52.4 percent.
Meanwhile, Gray is equally as impressive with 14.4 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds per contest. He is second on the team in field goal percentage, shooting 52.1 percent from the floor.
Senior guard Mario Edwards is the third player to average double-figures at 12.1 points per contest and leads the team in three point shooting (39.6 percent), marking 55-of-139 shots from deep. Freshman guard Kierre Greenwood leads the team with 3.3 assists per game, while also contributing 9.1 points a contest.
As a team, the Chanticleers have put up some impressive numbers on the year, as they outscore their competition by 14.6 points a game (74.6-59.9), which ranks fifth-best in the country. Coastal Carolina ranks second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.6 percent), are sixth among the NCAA in field goal percentage defense (38.1 percent) and 14th in the country in scoring defense (59.9). Furthermore, the Chanticleers own a +6.2 advantage on the glass (39.7-33.5), which is 17th-best in the nation, and their 48.0 percent shooting from the floor also ranks No. 17 in the country.
Former Auburn, Clemson and South Alabama head coach Cliff Ellis will make a return to Birmingham, which marks his first trip to Alabama since becoming the head coach at Coastal Carolina three years ago. This is also Ellis' 20th postseason tournament appearance with his fourth different team. He owns an overall record of 634-390 (.619) during his 34 seasons as a head coach, while he owns a 52-41 (.559) record in three seasons at Coastal Carolina.
