1981–82 UAB Blazers men's basketball team

1981–82 UAB Blazers men's basketball
Sun Belt tournament champions
Sun Belt Regular season champions
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Ranking
APNo. 17
Record25–6 (9–1 Sun Belt)
Head coach
Home arenaBJCC Coliseum
Seasons
1981–82 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 17 UAB 9 1   .900 25 6   .806
VCU 7 3   .700 17 11   .607
Jacksonville 5 5   .500 14 13   .519
South Florida 4 6   .400 17 11   .607
UNC Charlotte 3 7   .300 15 12   .556
South Alabama 2 8   .200 12 16   .429
1982 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981–82 UAB Blazers men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Gene Bartow's fourth season at UAB, and the Blazers played their home games at BJCC Coliseum. They finished the season 25–6, 9–1 in Sun Belt play and won the Sun Belt tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 4 seed in the Mideast region. After beating No. 5 seed Indiana in the second round, UAB upset No. 1 seed Virginia to reach the Elite Eight. The Blazers fell to Louisville in the Mideast regional final, 75–68. As of 2021, that is the furthest a UAB men’s team has advanced in NCAA Tournament play.

Roster

1981–82 UAB Blazers men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 11 Murry Bartow 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr Birmingham, Alabama
F 12 Marvin Ray Johnson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Fr Birmingham, Alabama
G 14 Jonathan Nicholas 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Sr Brooklyn, New York
G 15 Luellen Foster 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 165 lb (75 kg) So Birmingham, Alabama
G 20 Oliver Robinson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jr Birmingham, Alabama
G 21 Scott Simcik 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Jr Simi Valley, California
G 24 Raymond Gause 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Memphis, Tennessee
F 33 Scott McCabe 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Fr Peoria, Illinois
F 40 Chris Giles 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Birmingham, Alabama
C 42 Lex Drum 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Jr Poplar Bluff, Missouri
F 44 Craig Lane 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Quincy, Florida
C 52 Donnie Speer 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Sr Sylacauga, Alabama
C 55 Norman Anchrum 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Sr Birmingham, Alabama
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

[1]

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
Nov 27, 1981*
No. 14 Benedictine W 100–63  1–0
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (5,055)
Birmingham, Alabama
Nov 28, 1981*
No. 14 Pittsburgh W 78–62  2–0
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (6,053)
Birmingham, Alabama
Dec 5, 1981*
No. 11 Ole Miss W 72–58  3–0
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (12,785)
Birmingham, Alabama
Dec 12, 1981*
No. 9 at No. 4 Wichita State L 60–75  3–1
Levitt Arena (10,666)
Wichita, Kansas
Dec 14, 1981*
No. 16 Roosevelt W 86–40  4–1
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (2,891)
Birmingham, Alabama
Dec 18, 1981*
No. 16 vs. Southern Miss
Cotton States Classic
W 71–56  5–1
 (7,162)
Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 19, 1981*
No. 16 vs. Georgia
Cotton States Classic
L 72–76  5–2
 (7,450)
Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 22, 1981*
No. 19 Chico State W 80–60  6–2
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (3,217)
Birmingham, Alabama
Dec 27, 1981*
No. 19 vs. No. 9 Missouri
Winston Tire Classic
L 80–98  6–3
 (7,364)
Los Angeles, California
Dec 28, 1981*
vs. Michigan
Winston Tire Classic
W 73–72  7–3
 (7,774)
Los Angeles, California
Dec 30, 1981*
Chattanooga W 76–50  8–3
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (5,318)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 2, 1982
VCU L 54–55  8–4
(0–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (7,031)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 4, 1982
Jacksonville W 82–62  6–4
(1–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (6,092)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 9, 1982
South Alabama W 78–59  10–4
(2–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (10,019)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 11, 1982
UNC Charlotte W 85–81  11–4
(3–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (5,516)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 13, 1982*
Utica W 73–44  12–4
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (489)
Birmingham, Alabama
Jan 16, 1982
at South Florida W 54–49  13–4
(4–1)
Sun Dome (8,106)
Tampa, Florida
Jan 23, 1982*
at No. 4 DePaul L 68–79  13–5
Rosemont Horizon (14,187)
Rosemont, Illinois
Jan 29, 1982
South Florida W 59–51  14–5
(5–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (8,491)
Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 1, 1982
at Jacksonville W 59–57 OT 15–5
(6–1)
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (3,497)
Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 4, 1982*
Mississippi Valley State W 102–77  16–5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (3,755)
Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 7, 1982
at South Alabama W 86–82  17–5
(7–1)
Jaguar Gym (7,512)
Mobile, Alabama
Feb 11, 1982*
at Saint Louis W 79–63  18–5
St. Louis Arena (1,222)
St. Louis, Missouri
Feb 20, 1982
vs. VCU W 56–55  19–5
(8–1)
Richmond Coliseum (5,600)
Richmond, Virginia
Feb 21, 1982
at UNC Charlotte W 78–73  20–5
(9–1)
Charlotte Coliseum (4,160)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Feb 23, 1982*
Samford W 40–27  21–5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (7,198)
Birmingham, Alabama
Sun Belt tournament
Feb 27, 1982*
(1) (4) South Florida
Semifinals
W 66–56  22–5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (11,658)
Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 28, 1982*
(1) (2) VCU
Championship Game
W 94–83  23–5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (11,408)
Birmingham, Alabama
NCAA tournament
Mar 13, 1982*
(4 ME) No. 17 vs. (5 ME) Indiana
Second Round
W 80–70[2]  24–5
Memorial Gymnasium (14,761)
Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 18, 1982*
(4 ME) No. 17 vs. (1 ME) No. 3 Virginia
Mideast Regional semifinal – Sweet Sixteen
W 68–66[3]  25–5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (16,754)
Birmingham, Alabama
Mar 20, 1982*
(4 ME) No. 17 vs. (3 ME) No. 20 Louisville
Mideast Regional final – Elite Eight
L 68–75  25–6
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center (16,754)
Birmingham, Alabama
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
ME=Mideast.

[4]

Rankings

Awards and honors

NBA draft

Round Pick Player NBA Club
2 24 Oliver Robinson San Antonio Spurs

[5]

References

  1. ^ "1981–82 Alabama–Birmingham Blazers Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "Alabama-Birmingham dashed Indiana's hopes of repeating as NCAA champion". UPI Archives. March 13, 1982. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  3. ^ "UAB Upsets No. 3 Virginia". The Washington Post. March 19, 1982. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  4. ^ "2019-20 UAB Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). UAB Athletics. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "1982 NBA Draft". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021.