BIRMINGHAM – The new normal. We have all heard this term used frequently since the landscape of college athletics – and the world – changed in March.
But what about the old normal? The UAB Men’s Basketball’s old normal. Conference championships. NCAA tournaments. Sellout crowds. This is what head coach Andy Kennedy has been tasked with and that is his expectation.
Thursday afternoon marked the first official day of practice for the 2020-21 Blazers team. The first step closer to bringing the program back to the “Bartow Standard.”
“We’re excited to get started,” said Kennedy. “We’ve tried to figure out what is in the team’s best interest in order to be successful, and now we are trying to implement those rules both offensively and defensively. The more they can play together, the more the on-court chemistry can develop.”
And the chemistry in there – on and off the court – and will continue to grow. Although there are nine players who have never worn the Green and Gold before in Michael Ertel, Quan Jackson, Trey Jemison, Simeon Kirkland, Tony Toney, Terrell Ard, Jr., Rongie Gordon, Tobias Rotegaard and Koby Jeffries, the team has meshed well with returners Tyreek Scott-Grayson, Kassim Nicholson, Tavin Lovan, Jalen Benjamin and Jon Coleman.
With under six weeks until the opening tip, Kennedy anticipates the first game at Bartow Arena. “Opening night will be the first time we’ve played anybody other than our brothers in the Green and Gold. No scrimmages, no exhibition games. We just have to prepare to get ready for that.”
“I had the privilege of playing for the late, great Gene Bartow and when the fans would come into the building, they had an expectation of winning. You knew the team was going to be prepared and you knew you were going to be proud of their effort. Those are our goals for this team. I know what a decisive home court advantage Bartow Arena can be. It is going to be our goal to get it back to that,” added Kennedy.
And that is the “Bartow Standard”.
2020-21 UAB men’s basketball season tickets are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their seats for the upcoming season. Fans interested in purchasing new season tickets can do so starting as low as $100 with the Blaze’s Corner season ticket.
For questions regarding your 2020-21 UAB Basketball season ticket order, email the UAB Athletics Ticket Sales and Service team at tickets@uab.edu or call (205) 975-UAB1. Ticket representatives can be contacted during normal business hours of 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Fans can also request more information on ticket options for the upcoming season here.
For more information on the UAB men’s basketball program, follow @UAB_MBB on Twitter and Instagram. Also be sure to follow @CoachAK13 on Twitter.
