UAB Men’s Basketball Preview: East Carolina The University of Alabama at Birmingham men’s basketball team will face East Carolina in a crucial American Conference matchup on Sunday, March 8, at Bartow Arena. The game, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT, will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Curt Bloom and Mo Finley calling the action, while WJQX 100.5 FM will carry the radio broadcast. UAB, ranked 4th in the conference standings with a 10-7 record, aims to secure a top-four seed for the American Conference tournament, while East Carolina, tied for 11th with a 6-11 record, needs a win and a Memphis loss to earn a tournament berth. UAB enters the game with momentum after sweeping its American Conference road games, including an 80-74 victory over Charlotte. The Blazers have clinched a tournament berth and could be seeded as high as 4th or 5th, depending on results. The team leads the all-time series against East Carolina, 15-7, with a recent 87-85 overtime win in their first meeting of the season. The two teams are separated by 633 miles, adding a geographical challenge for the Pirates. UAB’s success is fueled by its balanced offensive and defensive performance. The team ranks first in the conference in assists-to-turnover ratio and fastbreak points per game, with Chance Westry leading the conference in assists (152) and averaging 5.1 per game. Evan Chatman, a top performer in the American Conference, is 22nd nationally in defensive rebounds (6.43 per game) and leads the league in that category. UAB also excels in rebounding, ranking 17th in total rebounds (40.43 per game) and 4th in the conference for offensive rebounds (13.20 per game). The Blazers’ ability to control the game is evident in their 9.0 turnovers per game, a national ranking of 7th and 2nd in the conference.#uab_men_basketball #east_carolina #bartow_arena #american_conference #curt_bloom
