U A B
B A S K E T B A L L
Head Coach Mike Davis
now had four consecutive semesters of a perfect 1000 APR score. Over his last four seasons alone, Davis has led the Blazers to a record of 92-41 (.692) and four consecutive postseason berths (three NITs and one NCAA Tournament). The postseason appearances stretch UAB’s streak to eight NCAA or NIT showings over the program’s last nine years. Last year’s NCAA Tournament appearance also marked the 25th postseason appearance in the 33-year history of UAB basketball (14 NCAA appearances). Davis etched his name in the record books as he became only the second coach in UAB lore to reach 90 wins in a four-year span. The only other coach in program history to accomplish the feat was Hall of Famer Gene Bartow, who reached the pinnacle with a school record 94 from 1983-87. Davis has been even tougher on foes when playing at Bartow Arena. Over the last four seasons alone, he has guided the team to a 54-7 home record, including a perfect 31-0 home mark against non-conference opponents during regular season play (UAB has won 38 straight nonconference regular season home games overall). In 2009-10, Davis led his team to a school record-tying 25 victories, finishing the year 25-9 overall. Not only did UAB tie the record for most wins in a season in school history, but Davis guided the Blazers to the best start in school
history, winning 18 of their first 20 games. The 2009-10 team also made its way into the record books for winning percentage (T3rd - .735) and points allowed per game (3rd - 60.4). Though the Blazers were left out of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, Davis guided UAB to a third consecutive NIT berth. The Green and Gold hosted three-straight postseason games, defeating Coastal Carolina and North Carolina State before falling to defending national champion North Carolina in front of 8,889 fans. It was the 10th-largest crowd in Bartow Arena history. In 2008-09, Davis led the team to a secondconsecutive 20-win season and NIT berth, finishing the year with a 22-12 mark overall and an 11-5 C-USA record. As a result, the Blazers earned a second straight NIT berth. Davis’ second season was one for the record books as he led the Blazers to an overall record of 23-11 and a 12-4 mark in Conference USA play in 2007-08. The league record earned the Blazers a runner-up finish in the C-USA regular season standings. The 23 victories were the third-most wins in a season in program history, while UAB’s 12 league wins tied for the most conference victories in school history. Additionally, the Blazers’ stellar 14-1 home record tied for the second-best home mark since UAB began playing at Bartow Arena. 31
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Under Davis’ tutelage, UAB earned its 22nd postseason appearance by reaching the second round of the 2008 NIT. Davis also orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in UAB lore by improving on the 15 wins in 2006-07 to 23 victories in 2007-08. The plus-eight win differential matched the best improvement in back-to-back seasons in school history. Following winning only 13 games in 2001-02, then-first-year head coach Mike Anderson captured 21 victories in 2002-03. Following a tough first campaign on the job, finishing with a 15-16 overall record, Davis knew what he needed to do to turn things around. Davis and his staff logged a lot of miles and long hours to put together what many consider one of the best recruiting classes in program history. The Blazers’ 2007-08 class was ranked among the top 25 in the nation by many recruiting service websites and magazines, and was picked as high as No. 9 in the nation according to CollegeHoops-Update.com. The Fayette, Ala., native came to UAB from Indiana University, where he served as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers from 2000-06. While there, he compiled a 115-79 record. His teams typically have played some of their best basketball during the postseason, evidenced by Davis’ 21-12 record in the month of March and his 7-4 NCAA Tournament mark, including a