Birmingham wants a winner. It's a great sports town and will support a team that wins. UAB was so close this year. Last night was a reflection of the end of the season. They were so close in so many games. They looked like a lock in early to mid-January to make the NCAA tournament. Still the NIT was exciting and 8,889 fans were there to try and cheer the Blazers on to the Final Four of the NIT in Madison Square Garden. They played a Carolina team that isn't up to the standards of previous Carolina teams–I'm talking about the last 30 years. But a lot of it had to do with youth and injuries. I didn't watch UNC that closely this year, but they had trouble with the injuries. Still have some talented young players on the floor. They should be better next year, maybe in the NCAA tournament if these guys can develop. That's where they expect to be.
There is no reason that UAB can't expect to be in the NCAA tourney most years. It happened with Gene Bartow until his latter years when he just got older and more tired. Mike Anderson proved it could happen. Mike Davis really knocked on the door this year.
But it was the same story that has plagued the team since mid-January. Shooting the basketball. Twenty nine percent from the field, 31% from trifecta (1-of-9 in the second half), the shots just didn't fall. The defense wasn't as good in the second half either as Carolina shot 50 percent from the field. The Blazers did force 15 turnovers.
Mike Davis had it right when he said that his team was not a good shooting team, not a good passing team; that they won with defense and hustle.
Still finished 25-9, though the end of the season, at least the regular season, was a disappointment. For the seniors, Howard Crawford, George Drake and Kenneth Cooper, it's a tough way to go out. They played hard all year and they were great kids; they went to class, worked hard in school and gave Davis everything he wanted. Drake is getting his graduate degree at UAB (he already has an undergraduate degree from Vandy) and Cooper and Crawford should get their degrees as well.
The thing that stood out to me was the fan support. The crowd wanted it so bad for this team. It was North Carolina, maybe the most storied program in basketball history. A victory would have been treated like Fat Tuesday at Mardis Gras. It would have been huge. The tickets sold out in 48 hours. People wanted to see the Blazers get it done and move on to the Final Four. There was a buzz in the air around the campus. A booster bought 1,000 tickets for students. It was so exciting. The fans did their best to help this team be the best they could be in that game last night. It just wasn't to be even though the effort was there in the crowd. They wanted it almost as bad as the players did.
Still the future looks good. Eli Millsap, who had another great night with 18 points and seven rebounds, is coming back most likely. Jamarr Sanders and Aaron Johnson, both very good players, will be back. Young players like Dexter Fields, Cam Moore and Ovie Soko show promise. Davis has added a small forward, Preston Purifoy, 6'5", 21o, out of Arkansas to the freshman class for next year. He's a small forward and a three-star player. Maybe with this exposure in the NIT, he can add two or three more guys for next year's squad.
Good season, not a great season. There is no reason this group should not be playing in the NCAA tournament most years. Next year could be an opportunity to do that. The players on the team just really need to get into the gym and shoot 500-1,000 shots a day when they get back to work. That will be the key to this squad next year.
They shot 19-of-26 from the line and 13-of-14 in the second half, which was very good. This team will hustle again next year. They need Cam Moore and Soko to hit the boards. Millsap, of course, will. This team can be good next year. It's a long wait, but they can get to work as soon as possible and make a run next year. They've got the talent.
The fans of Birmingham should be applauded the most. Who said this city doesn't support their teams? If they get a good product they will come and support it with everything they've got. Great job B'ham.