UTEP Set to Tackle Demanding C-USA Road Double

UTEP Notes For UAB Game (PDF)

Over the next two weeks, the UTEP men's basketball team will face four teams currently ranked in the top-five of the Conference USA standings. It all starts on Thursday when the Miners meet UAB in Birmingham.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT. beIN Sports will have coverage. Fans in the El Paso market can watch the game online at connect.beinsports.com/us, or on DIRECTV (channel 620), Spectrum (channel 417), Dish Network (channel 392), Xfinity Comcast (channel 268) and AT&T (channel 662/1662).

UAB is 13-7 overall, 4-3 in C-USA and 10-1 at Bartow Arena. The Blazers are two games behind front-running Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee and WKU, who are all 6-1 in league play. Marshall stands a game back at 5-2. The Miners will play at defending C-USA champ Middle Tennessee on Saturday, then host WKU and Marshall next week.

"No question, it's a tough stretch going to UAB and Middle," UTEP Interim Head Coach Phil Johnson said. "They are probably two of the most talented teams in our league and I think they are two teams that, if given the opportunity to go to the postseason, could really do some damage. They are both experienced, they're big, they're talented, and they really have no weaknesses.

"We're focused on UAB right now. I thought we had a good practice this morning. We're all disappointed in a couple of games that we let slip away, but guys keep fighting and that's all I ask. Every day, every game, every possession, every trip, give it your best effort."

The Blazers have regained their swagger in 2017-18 with the return of junior guard Nick Norton, who missed all but the first game of last season after sustaining a torn ACL. UAB's floor general is averaging 8.1 points and a team-high 4.6 assists this season. He is shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 82.6 percent from the charity stripe.

"Norton is a key cog," Johnson said. "You saw how they missed him a year ago. They missed that engine, that guy finding the open guy and then if you back off of him, he's a tremendous threat from the three-point line. I think he might be their most valuable player, even though they have [Chris] Cokley who is a league MVP candidate. Norton is awfully good and really dangerous. A lot of people are doubling Cokley and Norton is left open, and that's an issue too."

Cokley has put together a banner senior year, averaging 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds with a .586 field goal percentage and .843 free throw percentage. Freshman guard Zack Bryant has been an impact newcomer, collecting 13.5 ppg and 3.2 apg. Sophomore guard Nate Darling chips in with 10.7 ppg. Senior forward William Lee continues to be the enforcer inside with 2.0 blocks per contest.

The Blazers are first in C-USA in scoring margin (+11.4 ppg), and rebounding margin (+8.3 rpg). They are second in field goal percentage (.494), field goal percentage defense (.411), free throw percentage (.756), three-point field goal percentage defense (.329) and assists (17.5 apg). The Blazers are ninth in the country in rebounding, 20th in field goal percentage and 22nd in assists per game.

Winning at UAB is a tall order for any team, let alone a UTEP squad that could be short-handed once again if Matt Willms is unable to go. The 7'1" Canadian made the trip, but is still being evaluated after coming up hobbling 10 minutes into Saturday's 65-61 loss at UTSA.

The Miners are hoping for a breakthrough on the road sooner than later after dropping their first four away contests of the season.

"It's affecting all of us," Johnson said. "But I'll tell you this, the first trip to Southern Miss and LA Tech, it was really our first experience on the road and we did not play well. We did not play hard enough. I was actually pleased with our competitive spirit at San Antonio. I thought we fought particularly in the second half, where we have shown signs of being poor defensively. So in that aspect, I was actually happy. We're all upset about the loss, and I just go back and look at a couple of possessions here and there that could've changed the outcome. But at the end of the day, we did continue to fight until the last second."

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