NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 mid-major power rankings for 2022-23 season
5. UAB Blazers
2021-22 record: 27-8 (14-4 in Conference USA)
The Blazers finished second to North Texas in the regular season title race but were the conference tournament winners and made the Big Dance. And despite there being a good amount of roster turnover, including losing a pair of double-digit scorers, arguably got better for this year.
It helps that they were able to return their best player and Conference USA Player of the Year guard Jordan “Jelly” Walker. After transferring in from Tulane, the senior playmaker blossomed into an NCAA Basketball star, averaging 20.3 ppg and 4.9 apg. That involved a pair of 40-point efforts last season, including 40 points against Middle Tennessee in the conference tournament double-overtime win.
Among the three key returning players are starting forwards, KJ Buffen and Trey Jamison, as well as 6th Man Tavin Lovan. And UAB added a bunch of impact transfers this offseason as well, starting with LSU transfer Eric Gaines. The 6’5 guard was basically a double-digit scorer at the SEC level and could be a star in the way that Walker became when he arrived. Tyler Bertram is a 40% three-point shooter from Binghamton, while Javian Davis is another SEC import that adds to the frontcourt depth.
And that doesn’t even include Ty and Ledarrius Brewer, a pair of transfer brothers from East Tennessee State that combined to produce over 25 ppg and 11 rpg. These guys might not even start for the Blazers, which shows how elite the depth will be this season.
Western Kentucky may have the most pro prospects and North Texas may have the best defense but on paper, the best overall team from 1-13 is UAB, who should be the preseason favorite for what will be a very competitive CUSA season.