NCAA Basketball: Preseason top-25 mid-major power rankings for 2021-22 season
13. UAB Blazers
In the first year of head coach Andy Kennedy’s tenure at UAB, the team won 22 games and was third in the standings of Conference USA. And in the second year, he may run a 15-man rotation thanks to the many transfers brought in this offseason.
That may seem like a stretch but Coach Kennedy and the Blazers definitely did well in the transfer portal, adding seven newcomers to the roster. That includes Tulane transfer Jordan Walker, who averaged 13.0 ppg as a starter, KJ Buffen, a 6’7 combo forward who’s a great athlete and versatile defender, LSU big man Josh LeBlanc, Auburn forward Jamal Johnson, and Tyreke Locure, a 6’0 combo guard transfer from South Alabama, coming off a year of averaging 13.5 ppg and 3.1 apg.
Related Story. In-depth look at UAB senior Michael Ertel. light
What’s interesting is that UAB returns four starters from last season, including its top three scorers overall. One of them is Michael Ertel, who led the Blazers with 13.2 ppg. Double-digit contributors Quan Jackson and Tavin Lovan are back as well in the backcourt, along with 7’0 center Trey Jemison, who led the team with 6.9 rpg last season.
The core of the Blazers’ elite defensive unit is back, 4th in NCAA Basketball in scoring defense (60.3 ppg). And I would argue that they got better in that department, adding versatile forwards Buffen and Johnson on the wing to take care of opposing frontcourt players. There’s so much depth that UAB doesn’t even need all of the transfers to work out, just as long as there aren’t any chemistry issues in the locker room with playing time having to be divided up.
But if things gel between everyone, the Blazers could become a national threat.