Andrew Pace
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has made it to the Sweet Sixteen 3 times. The Blazers started their athletics program with the creation of men's basketball in 1978. In their inaugural season, the Blazers reached the NCAA tournament, and have since made 17 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The team has enjoyed early success under the leadership of Coach Gene Bartow, who is known as the Father of UAB athletics. UAB has had a total of 40 winning seasons, with 29 seasons having at least 20 wins.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times UAB Blazers have made it to Sweet 16 | 3 |
| UAB Blazers men's basketball team represents | University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) |
| UAB Blazers men's basketball team plays in | NCAA Division I men's college basketball |
| Number of appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament | 17 |
| Number of appearances in the National Invitational Tournament | 13 |
| Number of winning seasons | 40 |
| Number of seasons with at least 20 wins | 29 |
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What You'll Learn
UAB Blazers men's basketball team history
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has a long history of success, with one of the best all-time winning percentages in college basketball. The team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
The Blazers men's basketball team was the first athletic program at UAB, starting in 1978. The university hired former UCLA, University of Illinois, and Memphis head coach Gene Bartow, who is known as the "Father of UAB athletics." Under Bartow's leadership, the Blazers achieved early success, reaching the NCAA tournament in their third season.
Since their inaugural season, the Blazers have made 15 to 17 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, including 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance. They have also appeared in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) 11 to 13 times, with 2 NIT Final Four appearances. The team has had 31 winning seasons in 34 years, with memorable wins over top basketball programs such as Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, and many others.
The Blazers play their home games at the 8,508-seat Bartow Arena, named after Coach Gene Bartow. The team's colors are green and gold, and their mascot is a green dragon named Blaze. UAB has had numerous players move on to professional careers in the NBA, including Oliver Robinson, Walter Sharpe, Steve Mitchell, and Robert Vaden.
In addition to their on-court success, the Blazers have also retired four jersey numbers, an honor bestowed on players who earn AP All-America honors and complete their degrees at UAB. The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has a rich history and continues to be a competitive force in NCAA Division I men's college basketball.
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UAB Blazers' early success
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazers men's basketball team has enjoyed early success and a long history of success spanning several decades. The Blazers basketball team was founded in 1978, and Gene Bartow, formerly of UCLA, the University of Illinois, and Memphis, was hired as the first head coach. Known as the "Father of UAB athletics," Bartow led the Blazers to early success, reaching the NCAA tournament in just their third season.
Since their inaugural season, the Blazers have made 15-17 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, including 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance. They have also appeared in the NIT 11-13 times, including 2 Final Four appearances. After only 34-46 years of basketball, UAB has had 31-40 winning seasons, including memorable wins over Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Alabama, Florida, Villanova, Indiana, and Memphis, among others.
UAB has also seen numerous players move on to professional careers in the NBA, including some high draft picks such as Oliver Robinson (24th overall), Walter Sharpe (32nd overall), and Steve Mitchell (36th overall). UAB's men's soccer program has also enjoyed great success, with 7 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including 2 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance in 1999. The men's golf program has also gained recognition, with 7 appearances in the NCAA Men's Golf Championship tournament and 2 conference titles.
The UAB Blazers football team has also experienced success, winning their first conference championship and bowl game in 2018. The football program was terminated after the 2014 season but was reinstated shortly after, returning in 2017. The Blazers have also had success in the women's basketball program, winning 4 conference championships and making 2 NCAA Tournament appearances.
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UAB Blazers' jersey retirements
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has made it to the Sweet Sixteen 3 times. The team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Blazers started their athletics program with the creation of men's basketball in 1978, with Gene Bartow as their inaugural coach. Known as the "Father of UAB athletics", Bartow led the team to early success, reaching the NCAA tournament in their third season.
UAB has retired four jersey numbers since its inception, which now hang from the rafters of the Bartow Arena. This honour is reserved for players who earn AP All-America honours and complete their degree at UAB. The arena itself was originally known as the UAB Arena, but was renamed in 1997 after Coach Gene Bartow, who built the men's basketball program from scratch.
Some of UAB's highest NBA draft picks include:
- Oliver Robinson (24th overall) to the San Antonio Spurs
- Walter Sharpe (32nd overall) to the Seattle SuperSonics
- Steve Mitchell (36th overall) to the Washington Bullets
- Robert Vaden (54th overall) to the Charlotte Bobcats
The UAB Blazers women's basketball team has also made one Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 1999-2000 season.
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UAB Blazers' home games
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team started in 1978, with former UCLA, University of Illinois, and Memphis head coach Gene Bartow at the helm. Known as the "Father of UAB athletics", Coach Bartow was able to guide the Blazers to early success, reaching the NCAA tournament in just their third season.
The Blazers play their home games at the Bartow Arena, which was originally known as the UAB Arena until its name was officially changed in 1997. The arena has 8,508 seats and is named after Coach Gene Bartow, who built the men's basketball program from scratch. UAB has appeared 17 times in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, with their most recent appearance being in 2024. They have made 13 appearances in the National Invitational Tournament and have been productive in their NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the Elite Eight once and the Sweet Sixteen 3 times.
UAB has enjoyed success in other sports as well. The men's soccer team has been in the NCAA Tournament a total of 7 times, including 2 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance in 1999. They have also been ranked nationally numerous times, including top 25 rankings in 16 of the last 18 seasons. The UAB Blazers football team has won two conference championships and has played in six bowl games, with a record of 3-3.
The Blazers have also experienced success in women's basketball, winning 4 conference championships and making 2 NCAA Tournament appearances. The women's team has made 5 WNIT appearances as recently as 2013 and advanced to the Elite Eight of the WNIT. UAB won the WBI championship in 2011.
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UAB Blazers' head coaches
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has had a rich history with several notable head coaches throughout its existence. The program began in 1978 with the hiring of Gene Bartow, who is known as the "Father of UAB Athletics." Bartow, a former UCLA, University of Illinois, and Memphis head coach, led the Blazers to early success, reaching the NCAA tournament in just their third season. The Blazers played their home games at the BJCC Coliseum before moving to an on-campus facility in 1988.
Gene Bartow stepped down as head coach in 1996, and the program has had several leaders since then. One of the notable coaches was Jim Hilyer, who served as the head coach of the UAB Blazers football team from 1991 to 1994. Watson Brown took over as the head coach in 1995 and led the team for twelve years, the longest tenure of any UAB Blazers head coach. During his time, the Blazers appeared in four bowl games, including their first postseason game, the 2004 Hawaii Bowl.
Bill Clark, who coached the Blazers from 2014 to 2022, led the team to its first bowl victory in 2018 and Conference USA championships in both 2018 and 2020. Clark is the only UAB coach to have won a conference championship. The current head coach of the UAB Blazers football team is Trent Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback who replaced Bryant Vincent after the 2022 season.
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team has also had success under various head coaches. While Gene Bartow is the most iconic figure in the program's history, other coaches have contributed to the team's winning culture. Andy Kennedy is the current head coach of the men's basketball team, leading the Blazers in the 2023-24 season as members of the American Athletic Conference.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the UAB Blazers have made it to the Sweet 16 three times.
The UAB Blazers first made it to the Sweet 16 in 1982.
They played against the University of Virginia and NCAA Player of the Year Ralph Sampson.
Yes, they won the game 68-66 and became the first college basketball team from Alabama to advance to the Elite Eight.
