Through two games, Andy Kennedy hasn't seen the same UAB team twice

UAB beat Nicholls State 70-63 on Friday night in the first men's basketball game at the renovated Bartow Arena. Andy Kennedy's assessment was not celebratory.

"Fortunate to win," Kennedy said. "Played bad tonight."

The Blazers held Nicholls to 31.9% from the field and 22.9% from three but shot 38.2% themselves, made 6 of 25 from three-point range and turned the ball over 17 times. Four days earlier at McNeese State, the numbers were reversed — UAB's offense functioned at 44% shooting and 1.11 points per possession but the defense gave up 99 points on 55% shooting.

Through two games, Kennedy has not seen his team play a complete game.

The defense Kennedy wanted

Kennedy identified defense as the primary failure at McNeese. His players were slow to rotate, allowed McNeese to play in the open floor and could not contest at the rim.

Against Nicholls, he got the defensive effort he demanded. UAB held Nicholls to 28% shooting in the second half and under 32% for the game. The Blazers outrebounded the Colonels 50-38 — a plus-12 margin fueled in large part by Jeremy Elyzee, who grabbed seven offensive rebounds and 14 total.

"I thought we were really tenacious," Kennedy said. "Every once in a while because offensively we were so bad, it puts a lot of pressure on your defense."

UAB scored 22 fast-break points off its defensive activity — an element that did not exist at McNeese.

The offensive problem Kennedy quantified

The defensive gains came with a cost. UAB's offense regressed from functional to dysfunctional. The Blazers shot 38.2% from the field, 24% from three and committed 17 turnovers — three more than they had at McNeese.

Kennedy put a specific number on the core issue: his guards are going against the designed action at an alarming rate.

"I would say that we countered or went opposite of the direction the action is trying to create the angle for 60% of the time," Kennedy said. "It should be 10%. We're just countering and we're playing uncharacteristically into where the defense wants us as opposed to where we want to get."

He used a football analogy to explain.

"Like tomorrow we'll watch UAB football beat Charlotte," Kennedy said. "There's going to be times that our quarterback's going to break that play off and he's going to go make a play. If he breaks it off and he takes a three-yard loss, well, that ain't a good move. ... We're breaking off plays way too early and we're not producing. We're not executing at the end. That's a problem because we're wasting possessions."

Kennedy said the root is habit and trust — and this roster has neither yet.

"Right now we don't have a lot of trust," he said.

The individual ledger

Kennedy started small — four guards with Elyzee at the five. Elyzee struggled early and Kennedy pulled him. The response was the best individual story of the night.

"To that kid's credit, he really responded," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said Elyzee's late offensive rebounds helped UAB close out the win.

"I thought he had some huge offensive rebounds at the end as we were trying to salt it away," Kennedy said.

Elyzee finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds — seven offensive — for his first double-double as a Blazer and pushed past 300 career rebounds. A transfer from Southeastern Louisiana, Elyzee has spent UAB's first two games against Southland Conference opponents — the league he came from.

"He's used to being able to lean a little bit," Kennedy said. "Now you've got to quick people to the ball. You've got to use your athleticism."

"I really wanted to win, and I'll do whatever it takes to win," Elyzee said. "And if that means get 14 rebounds again, I got to do it again with no complaints."

Deuce Jones and Justyn Fernandez each scored 14 to lead UAB, but the stat lines told different stories. Jones added six rebounds and four assists but turned the ball over five times on 4-of-14 shooting. Fernandez went 1-of-8 from three.

"We brought him here to be a catalyst, to be an all-conference type guy," Kennedy said of Jones. "I think he's got that ability. We've got to find a way to get it out of him."

T.J. Caldwell scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-9 shooting but finished with one rebound. Kennedy, who called Caldwell the most vertically exceptional athlete on the roster, ran through his rebounding report card by name.

"See had seven, mission accomplished," Kennedy said, referencing Elyzee's offensive boards. "Justin had six, mission accomplished. Deuce had six, mission accomplished. TJ had one. He's got to help us in that area."

Salim London, UAB's only returning rotation player, went 0-of-3 from the field and scored two points but grabbed four rebounds with three steals and a block. Antallah Sandlin-El added eight points off the bench.

What the free-throw line is masking

UAB went 22-of-28 from the free-throw line Friday night after going 26-of-30 at McNeese. Through two games, the Blazers are 48-of-58 (82.8%) from the stripe.

Kennedy acknowledged the line is covering for everything else.

"We are doing a good job of getting to the free-throw line," he said. "That covers up a lot of your other mistakes."

The math against Nicholls was straightforward. UAB made 22 free throws. Nicholls made nine. That 13-point differential at the line exceeded the seven-point margin of victory.

The debut and what's ahead

Bartow Arena reopened Friday after a $15.4 million renovation. A crowd of 3,419 showed up for a Friday night against Nicholls with state high school football playoffs across Alabama.

"It's what you're going to get on a Friday night," Kennedy said. "Nicholls State. We played bad in our opener. I get it."

He noted the students showed up. "Baby steps," he said with a laugh.

The locker room told Kennedy where this team is.

"There was more relief in the locker room than joy," Kennedy said. "But that's okay in game two. Thank goodness it went into the right column."

UAB hosts Florida A&M on Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT before going back on the road. Kennedy's assignment for himself was direct.

"I've got to find a way to get us into some rhythm," he said, "find a way to create an offensive identity, find some guys that can execute consistently."