# 2021–22 UAB Blazers men's basketball team

The 2021–22 UAB Blazers men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Andy Kennedy, and played their home games at the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama as a member of Conference USA. They finished the season 27–8, 14–4 in C-USA play to finish second in the West Division. As the No. 2 seed out of the West Division, they defeated Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, and Louisiana Tech to win the C-USA tournament. They received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they lost in the first round to Houston.

## Previous season

The Blazers finished the 2020–21 season 22–7, 13–5 in C-USA play to finish in second place in West Division. They defeated Rice in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament before losing to Western Kentucky in the semifinals. Despite winning 22 games, they did not participate in a postseason tournament.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Tyreek Scott-Grayson | 0 | G | 6'5" | 177 | Senior | Brick, NJ | Graduate transferred to Northeastern |
| Koby Jeffies | 4 | G | 6'3" | 190 | RS Freshman | Olive Branch, MS | Transferred to UT Martin |
| Jalen Benjamin | 5 | G | 5'10" | 140 | RS Sophomore | Raleigh, NC | Transferred to Mount St. Mary's |
| Simeon Kirkland | 10 | F | 6'10" | 225 | Junior | Ocala, FL | Transferred to New Orleans |
| Kassim Nicholson | 11 | G | 6'7" | 200 | Senior | Jackson, MS | Transferred to Tennessee State |
| Terrell Ard, Jr. | 15 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Freshman | Acworth, GA | Transferred to Presbyterian |
| Tobias Rotegaard | 33 | G | 6'7" | 210 | Freshman | Kongsberg, Norway | Transferred to Long Beach State |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Tyreke Locure | 0 | G | 6'0" | 165 | Junior | New Orleans, LA | South Alabama |
| Justin Brown | 4 | G | 6'6" | 208 | Graduate Student | Atlanta, GA | South Florida |
| KJ Buffen | 5 | F | 6'7" | 230 | Senior | Gainesville, GA | Ole Miss |
| Jordan Walker | 10 | G | 5'11" | 170 | RS Senior | Port Washington, NY | Tulane |
| Jamal Johnson | 11 | G | 6'4" | 195 | RS Senior | Birmingham, AL | Auburn |
| AD Diedhiou | 22 | C | 6'10" | 240 | Junior | Dakar, Senegal | Odessa College |
| Josh LeBlanc Sr. | 23 | F | 6'7" | 230 | Senior | Baton Rouge, LA | LSU |
| Elijah Tate | 24 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Sophomore | Baton Rouge, LA | Odessa College |

### Recruiting class of 2021

There were no incoming recruiting class of 2021.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 1, 2021* 6:30 p.m. | | Auburn Montgomery | W 101–70 | | 19 – Brown | 9 – LeBlanc | 5 – Locure | Bartow Arena (1,655) Birmingham, AL |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 6:30 p.m., CUSA.tv | | UNC Asheville | W 102–77 | 1–0 | 19 – 2 Tied | 8 – Jemison | 5 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,923) Birmingham, AL |
| November 12, 2021* 6:00 p.m., CUSA.tv | | Morehead State | W 85–71 | 2–0 | 23 – Walker | 4 – Buffen | 7 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,829) Birmingham, AL |
| November 14, 2021* 2:00 p.m., CUSA.tv | | Rhodes | W 98–61 | 3–0 | 20 – Ertel | 12 – Jemison | 4 – 2 Tied | Bartow Arena (2,575) Birmingham, AL |
| November 18, 2021* 6:00 p.m., SECN+ | | at South Carolina | L 63–66 | 3–1 | 15 – Walker | 8 – Jemison | 3 – Walker | Colonial Life Arena (8,856) Columbia, SC |
| November 21, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Alabama A&M | W 86–41 | 4–1 | 15 – Johnson | 11 – Jemison | 8 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,918) Birmingham, AL |
| November 25, 2021* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | | vs. New Mexico Las Vegas Invitational semifinals | W 86–73 | 5–1 | 26 – Walker | 12 – Jemison | 6 – Walker | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| November 26, 2021* 10:30 p.m., FS1 | | vs. San Francisco Las Vegas Invitational finals | L 61–63 | 5–2 | 14 – Lovan | 7 – Jemison | 2 – Lovan | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| December 1, 2021* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | East Tennessee State | W 70–56 | 6–2 | 20 – Buffen | 16 – Buffen | 6 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,695) Birmingham, AL |
| December 4, 2021* 5:30 p.m., BSMW/ESPN+ | | at Saint Louis | W 77–72 | 7–2 | 18 – Walker | 11 – Jemison | 7 – Walker | Chaifetz Arena (5,743) St. Louis, MO |
| December 12, 2021* 2:00 p.m., CUSA.tv | | Millsaps | W 103–29 | 8–2 | 16 – Buffen | 11 – Buffen | 4 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,578) Birmingham, AL |
| December 14, 2021* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Grambling State | W 79–61 | 9–2 | 22 – Walker | 7 – LeBlanc | 3 – Jackson | Bartow Arena (2,543) Birmingham, AL |
| December 18, 2021* 4:00 p.m., CBSSN | | West Virginia | L 59–65 | 9–3 | 13 – Walker | 12 – Jemison | 4 – Walker | Legacy Arena (4,554) Birmingham, AL |
| December 22, 2021* 6:30 p.m., CUSA.tv | | Mississippi Valley State | W 100–58 | 10–3 | 14 – Walker | 10 – Buffen | 4 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,695) Birmingham, AL |
| Conference USA regular season |||||||||
| December 30, 2022 6:30 p.m., CUSA.tv | | UTEP | W 75–62 | 11–3 (1–0) | 25 – Ertel | 6 – Buffen | 4 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,795) Birmingham, AL |
| January 1, 2022 2:00 p.m., CUSA.tv | | UTSA | W 87–59 | 12–3 (2–0) | 20 – Buffen | 9 – Buffen | 6 – Lovan | Bartow Arena (2,730) Birmingham, AL |
| January 6, 2022 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at North Texas | W 69–63 | 13–3 (3–0) | 17 – Walker | 8 – LeBlanc | 4 – Lovan | UNT Coliseum (3,207) Denton, TX |
| January 8, 2022 3:00 p.m. | | at Rice | L 80–85 | 13–4 (3–1) | 20 – Walker | 6 – Jemison | 7 – Walker | Tudor Fieldhouse (500) Houston, TX |
| January 13, 2022 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | FIU | W 84–56 | 14–4 (4–1) | 20 – Walker | 11 – Buffen | 3 – Jemison | Bartow Arena (2,995) Birmingham, AL |
| January 15, 2022 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Florida Atlantic | W 76–65 | 15–4 (5–1) | 29 – Jackson | 10 – Jemison | 5 – Walker | Bartow Arena (3,456) Birmingham, AL |
| January 22, 2022 3:00 p.m., Stadium | | at Louisiana Tech | W 83–76 | 16–4 (6–1) | 36 – Walker | 13 – Buffen | 2 – Tied | Thomas Assembly Center (4,071) Ruston, LA |
| January 27, 2022 8:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Western Kentucky | W 68–65 | 17–4 (7–1) | 21 – Walker | 12 – Jemison | 5 – Walker | E. A. Diddle Arena (4,136) Bowling Green, KY |
| January 29, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Marshall | L 81–84 | 17–5 (7–2) | 23 – Walker | 5 – Tied | 8 – Walker | Cam Henderson Center (4,233) Huntington, WV |
| February 5, 2022 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Middle Tennessee | W 97–75 | 18–5 (8–2) | 42 – Walker | 10 – Jackson | 5 – Jackson | Bartow Arena (4,273) Birmingham, AL |
| February 10, 2022 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Southern Miss | W 84–63 | 19–5 (9–2) | 25 – Walker | 10 – Jackson | 8 – Walker | Bartow Arena (3,638) Birmingham, AL |
| February 13, 2022 1:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Old Dominion | L 72–81 | 19–6 (9–3) | 20 – Walker | 10 – Buffen | 7 – Walker | Chartway Arena (3,777) Norfolk, VA |
| February 17, 2022 7:00 p.m., Stadium | | Rice | W 92–68 | 20–6 (10–3) | 21 – Jackson | 11 – Buffen | 12 – Walker | Bartow Arena (2,643) Birmingham, AL |
| February 19, 2022 3:00 p.m., Stadium | | North Texas | L 57–58 | 20–7 (10–4) | 17 – Walker | 10 – Jackson | 3 – Jackson | Bartow Arena (4,271) Birmingham, AL |
| February 24, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UTSA | W 68–56 | 21–7 (11–4) | 16 – Buffen | 12 – Jemison | 3 – Walker | Convocation Center (805) San Antonio, TX |
| February 26, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UTEP | W 69–66 | 22–7 (12–4) | 22 – Walker | 12 – Jemison | 7 – Walker | Don Haskins Center (6,100) El Paso, TX |
| March 2, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN3/ESPN+ | | at Southern Miss | W 81–68 | 23–7 (13–4) | 21 – Walker | 12 – Jemison | 6 – Walker | Reed Green Coliseum (2,680) Hattiesburg, MS |
| March 5, 2022 2:00 p.m., Stadium | | Louisiana Tech | W 87–74 | 24–7 (14–4) | 24 – Walker | 9 – Jemison | 7 – Walker | Bartow Arena (4,547) Birmingham, AL |
| Conference USA tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 8:30 pm, Stadium | (W2) | vs. (E3) Florida Atlantic Quarterfinals | W 80–66 | 25–7 | 26 – Walker | 14 – Jackson | 3 – Tied | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX |
| March 11, 2022 2:00 pm, CBSSN | (W2) | vs. (E1) Middle Tennessee Semifinals | W 102–98 $^{3OT}$ | 26–7 | 40 – Walker | 10 – Tied | 3 – Walker | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX |
| March 12, 2022 7:30 pm, CBSSN | (W2) | vs. (W3) Louisiana Tech Championship | W 82–73 | 27–7 | 27 – Walker | 8 – Jemison | 4 – Walker | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2022 8:20 pm, TNT | (12 S) | vs. (5 S) No. 15 Houston First Round | L 68–82 | 27–8 | 17 – Walker | 11 – Buffen | 5 – Walker | PPG Paints Arena (17,410) Pittsburgh, PA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central. |||||||||
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