Rested UAB takes on UTSA to start Big Week of AAC Play
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - January 21, 2025
The UAB basketball players are well aware that this week will conclude in Memphis. However, that’s not something that Andy Kennedy has talked to his team about. His focus, as well as his team’s focus, according to Kennedy, is firmly on Tuesday night’s home matchup with UTSA.
“We just try to stay process driven,” said Kennedy, whose team sits in a four-way tie for first place in the American Athletic Conference play heading into tonight’s 6:30 p.m. game at Bartow Arena. “I mean, for us, it's just been all about UTSA, protecting home floor, understanding the importance of the game. UTSA scares you because of their ability to score. They lost on Saturday to North Texas because North Texas just doesn't allow the game to be free and easy as you well know. But the two prior games they were playing their best basketball of the year.”
UTSA (8-9 overall, 2-3 AAC) was coming off wins over Wichita State and Rice, scoring a combined 178 points in the two games, before dropping a 72-57 decision to North Texas. The Roadrunners hit 164 3-pointers in their first 17 games, which is a conference-leading average of 9.6 per game. In the two conference wins, the Roadrunners were a combined 28-of-61 on 3-pointers. In the three conference losses, the Roadrunners were a combined 21-of-73.
Primo Spears, a 6-foot-3 senior, is third in the conference at 20.8 points per game. He had 40 points, with five 3-pointers against Tulsa and nine other games with at least 20 points. In the loss to North Texas, Spears was 1-of-14 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Spears played at Duquesne and Georgetown before playing last season at Florida State.
UTSA has four other double-digit scorers, including 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Marcus Millender (11.9 ppg) and 6-foot-6 senior guard Damari Monsanto (10 ppg, 48 3-pointers). Monsanto is leading the conference in 3-pointers made per game (3) and is third in overall 3-pointers.
As a team, UTSA is fourth in scoring offense (78.88 ppg) and last in scoring defense (78.41 ppg). The Blazers not only lead the conference in scoring offense (85 ppg) but also are perhaps the hottest team in The American with four consecutive wins, including a pair last week in Florida.
“I thought it did wonders for our relief,” Kennedy said of road wins over FAU and South Florida. “I don't want to necessarily say confidence, because I don't think we have lost confidence. But you have to have tangible results in order for the belief to grow. So I thought it was good for our belief.”
Kennedy has settled in on a playing rotation that goes eight deep with point guards Ja’Borri McGhee and Tyren Moore, wings Tony Toney, Efrem “Butta” Johnson and Alejandro Vasquez and the frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Christian Coleman and Bradley Ezewiro. Kennedy said there could be opportunities for others to get some minutes, but the roster took another hit with 6-foot-10, 260-pound sophomore forward Will Shaver leaving the team for personal reasons. Shaver played in 18 games last year, averaging 1.1 points and one rebound while playing 4.9 minutes per game. This year, he played in nine games with one field goal and 10 total rebounds while playing 4.6 minutes per game. He is the second UAB player, joining Greg Gordon, to leave the team this season.
UAB hasn’t played since the win over USF last Wednesday. Kennedy said that was an advantage for his team.
“It's given us an opportunity to get some rest, but also work on some things,” said Kennedy, whose team is in a first-place tie with Memphis, North Texas and Temple. “I think now we have a pretty good idea of our path to success. Sometimes coaches identify quicker than players, but I think our players are starting to identify. Then we have to develop the discipline, the state of that path. And, so, this week has been a good week to work on those things.”