UAB Basketball: Looking at Blazers 2022-23 offseason transfer additions

Eric Gaines

A former four-star prospect out of high school, Gaines has spent the last two seasons at LSU where the 6-foot-3 guard has primarily played in a reserve role. Having appeared in a total of 63 games with the Tigers during that span (9 starts), Gaines however enjoyed a breakout season a year ago as a sophomore that included 9 PPG on 39.1% shooting, as well as an impressive 2.1 SPG through 26.9 MPG.

While Gaines isn’t necessarily the biggest outside shooting threat at a career 22.9%, the talented guard makes his impact offensively through getting to the rim, as well as a player who excels in transition with the ball in his hands. An elite defending guard as well, Gaines certainly has the potential to be one of the top players in all of C-USA in 2022-23, along with potentially one-half of one of college basketball’s most-exciting backcourt duos should the previously mentioned Walker return to UAB next season.

Javian Davis

A former three-star out of high school, Davis originally began his collegiate career back in 2019-20 at Alabama where he averaged a career-high 6 PPG and 3.8 RPG while starting in nearly half of the Crimson Tides games. Davis however would transfer to Mississippi State at the conclusion of that season, where he would go on to average a combined 3.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG across 11.7 minutes per game the last two years almost entirely off the Bulldogs bench.

An experienced frontcourt player in the SEC, if you were to potentially label a member of UAB’s current transfer class that could take the biggest jump in their game next season, Davis could be the answer. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward will certainly be a key piece of the Blazers 2022-23 frontcourt (potentially in a starting role), as well as a potential breakout candidate in C-USA next season just waiting to happen.