Kennedy Adds Birmingham Native Justin Brown and Elijah Tate to Roster

BIRMINGHAM – UAB head men’s basketball coach Andy Kennedy has announced the additions Justin Brown and Elijah Tate to the roster.

JUSTIN BROWN:
Brown, a Birmingham native, returns home after playing the last three seasons at USF. The 6-6 guard/forward is coming off a 2020-21 year where he averaged 8.1 points per game and led the Bulls with 37 3-pointers.

For his career, he ranks fourth all-time in USF history with 192 3-pointers made and his 123 games played is third all-time. Brown recorded 39 double figure games and has 951 career points.

Prior to USF, Brown played one season at Hargrave Military Academy and was a member of a team that finished 43-2 and was ranked No. 1 for the majority of the season.

Before attending Hargrave, Brown went to Spain Park High School in Birmingham, where he was a teammate of recent UAB signee Jamal Johnson. Brown earned All-State honors three times and was a four-time All-Birmingham Metro selection.

“Justin is a big, strong, versatile wing capable of impacting the game in a variety of ways,” Kennedy said. “He has made over 35% of his 3-pointers over his four years at USF and at 6-6 that strength will bolster our perimeter attack.”

ELIJAH TATE:
Tate comes to the Magic City from Odessa Junior College where he averages 9.3 points per game while leading the Wranglers to a 20-2 overall record and the National Junior College Athletic Association District 5 regular season title with a 13-1 record.

The Wranglers finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA and are the No. 7 seed in the upcoming NJCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Championship. Odessa has received a first round bye and will take on the winner of No. 10 Coffeyville and No. 23 Southwest Tennessee on April 20.

Prior to Odessa, Tate played at Madison Prep in Baton Rouge, La. where he led the Chargers to three state championships. As a senior, he was named First Team All-District 7-4A and was the District Defensive MVP after averaging 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game.

“Elijah is a playmaking guard who is equally effective on or off the ball,” Kennedy said. “His year of experience at Odessa, who is in contention for a Junior College National Championship, will be invaluable for him as he transitions to D1 next season.”

The duo joins Johnson, KJ Buffen and Tyreke Locure as the newcomers on the roster.


MEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET INFORMATION 
Men’s basketball season tickets for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Current basketball season ticket holders can click here to renew their original 2020-21 seat locations prior to social distancing adjustments. Click here to purchase new 2021-22 season which start as low as $100 with the Blaze’s Corner season ticket.

Fans interested in season tickets can fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 to receive additional information.

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