BIRMINGHAM – First year head coach Andy Kennedy and the UAB men’s basketball team have announced the compete 2020-21 schedule, featuring 27 regular season games.
The Blazers will play nine non-conference games with eight coming at Bartow Arena. Conference USA play will be 18 games.
“We are excited to finally be able to have our schedule set for this season,” said Kennedy. “This pandemic has forced us all to adjust and our schedule was no exception. We lost a number of previously scheduled non-conference games that we were looking forward to, but we feel the nine games on our schedule will prepare our team for the challenges of conference play.”
The season begins Nov. 25 against Alcorn State at Bartow Arena. UAB is 29-13 all-time in season-openers and 35-7 in home-openers. This starts a five-game home stand that also features Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 28), Kennesaw State (Dec. 2), Troy (Dec. 6) and Mobile (Dec. 9).
The lone road non-conference contest is Dec. 12 against East Tennessee State. The Buccaneers are coming off a record-setting 2019-20 season in which they were Southern Conference regular season and tournament champions with a 30-4 record. This will mark the first matchup between the two teams since 2009.
UAB returns to Bartow on Dec. 16 to host Southern. The Jaguars finished 2019-20 in second place in the SWAC. Next up is Chattanooga on Dec. 19. The Mocs are coming off their first 20-win season since 2016-17. The Blazers are a perfect 8-0 against Chattanooga at home including a 6-0 record at Bartow Arena.
The non-conference schedule wraps up Dec. 23 when UAB hosts Georgia Tech at Bartow Arena. The Yellow Jackets finished in fifth place in the ACC and return five of their top six scorers from last year.
This game will mark the first time since Dec. 1, 2013, that the Blazers will host an ACC team. On that date, UAB defeated No. 16 North Carolina, 63-59, in front of 8,313 fans at Bartow Arena.
Conference USA will be adjusting its regular season conference scheduling and Championship formats for the 2020-21 season. The league will continue an 18-game regular season, however to focus on the health and safety of student-athletes, the schools will play two games per visit at four select C-USA schools and host four select teams for a two-game series, while playing a rival opponent one time home and away. The final week of the regular season may be utilized to reschedule any postponed games.
“Conference USA took a unique approach in their scheduling parameters for this season. The structure of playing the same opponent two times in three days is certainly challenging, but we look forward to any and all opportunities given,” added Kennedy.
The Blazers will start off C-USA play in Denton to take on North Texas on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. The Mean Green finished 2019-20 in first place with a 14-4 league record and return senior guard Javion Hamlet, the reigning C-USA Player of the Year.
UAB returns home for a pair of games against Southern Miss on Jan. 7 and Jan. 9. The Blazers have won eight of the last 10 contests against the Golden Eagles and hold a 32-19 all-time series record.
The Blazers travel to Charlotte on Jan. 14 and Jan. 16. The 49ers finished in fourth place last season and return Freshman of the Year Jahmir Young and All-Conference selection Jordan Shepherd.
Rice comes to Bartow on Jan. 21 and Jan. 23. UAB owns a 14-2 all-time mark against the Owls.
The next weekend will see a home-and-home against Middle Tennessee. The first game will be in Murfreesboro on Jan. 28. UAB will then host Middle Tennessee on Jan. 30. The Blazers swept the series against the Blue Raiders last season.
UAB will remain at home the next weekend to host UTEP on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6. The Miners return First Team All-Conference selection Bryson Williams from last year’s squad.
The Blazers head to Ruston, La. to visit Louisiana Tech on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13. The Bulldogs are coming off a 22-win season in which they finished in second place in C-USA.
The final home stand of the season is Feb. 18 and Feb. 20 against Old Dominion.
The regular season concludes in San Antonio on Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 when the Blazers visit UTSA. The teams played each other three times last season, with the Blazers winning two of the contests – including the First Round of the C-USA Championship right before the tournament was canceled. The Roadrunners return the league’s top two scorers in First Team All-Conference selection Jhivvan Jackson (28.8 ppg) and Second Team All-Conference performer Keaton Wallace (18.8 ppg). Jackson was the NCAA leader with 856 total points last season
The 2021 C-USA Championship will see the top 12 teams based off conference record qualify for the Championship. The event is scheduled for March 10-13 at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
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UAB Athletics is currently re-allocating fans who have completed their purchase of UAB men’s basketball season tickets for the 2020-21 season to adhere to a socially distanced seating model. Original season ticket locations from the men’s basketball priority seat allocation will be utilized for 2021-22 renewals or if capacity restrictions change during the 2020-21 season. For those interested in season tickets, please fill out the season ticket request form or contact the UAB Ticket Office at 205-975-8221. Once social distancing seating adjustments are completed, a member of the UAB Athletics Ticket Sales and Service team will follow up with you regarding available seating options.
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.
