11-11 728 UAB -5/-5.5 over Rutgers
Rutgers was unconscious in this matchup last year, hitting 15 of their 16 first shots yet only beat UAB by 9. This is meaningful revenge for a veteran UAB team against a thin Rutgers team that has a new coach and is only traveling with 9 players. UAB has the size to take on Rutgers interior player Kadeem Jack, who ate up a lousy Florida A&M interior defense in the Scarlet Knights opening 92-84 win. Giving up 84 points to a sub-300 ranked offense is not a sign that Rutgers is catching on to new coach Eddie Jordan's defensive concepts. UAB coach Haase calls it "a big game for a lot of reasons" on a night that serves as a fundraiser for a foundation that honors the memory of former coach Gene Bartow, who succumbed to cancer. Senior-oriented UAB is focused and gets the job done at home.
