Nickname Blazers Away Alternate Arena/Stadium Bartow Arena Division Division I (NCAA) Colors Forest Green, Old Gold | Home Away Head coach Robert Ehsan Mascot Blaze the Dragon | |
Profiles | ||
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the NCAA Division I men's college basketball, and have competed in Conference USA (C-USA) since 1995.
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UAB Blazer History
The UAB Blazers started their athletics program with the creation of men's basketball in 1978. Setting high standards from the start, UAB hired former UCLA head coach Gene Bartow. Known as the "Father of UAB athletics" Coach Bartow led the Blazers to instant success. Since their inaugural season, the Blazers have made 15 appearances in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament including 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance. After 37 years of basketball, UAB has had 32 winning seasons including wins over Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Louisville, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan State, Virginia, Villanova, Connecticut, Memphis, and many others.
Conference affiliations
Retired Jerseys
UAB has retired just 3 jerseys since its inception and they now hang from the rafters of Bartow Arena. This honor is bestowed only on players who earn AP All-America honors and who complete their degree at UAB.
In the NBA
UAB has seen numerous players move on to professional careers in the NBA. Some of UAB's highest NBA draft picks include:
Other former Blazers to play in the NBA are:
UAB Basketball Facilities
UAB initially played their home games at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena, but moved their home games to an on-campus facility starting with the 1988–89 season. Originally known as UAB Arena, the name was officially changed to Bartow Arena on January 25, 1997. The 8,508-seat arena is named after Coach Gene Bartow, the man who built UAB's men's basketball program from scratch starting in 1978.