LOUISIANA TECH 2022-23 BULLDOG BASKETBALL

Game 21 Matchup Gameday Info

DATE/TIME: Thursday, Jan. 26 | 8 p.m. CT

LOCATION: Bartow Arena (Birmingham, Ala.)

SERIES HISTORY: UAB leads, 12-9

STREAK: UAB, 4

LAST MEETING: UAB 81, Louisiana Tech 74 Jan. 14, 2023 | Ruston, La.

MEDIA: CBS Sports Network

TALENT: John Sadak (pxp), King McClure (analyst)

RADIO: LA Tech Sports Network | LA Tech Athletics app

TALENT: Malcolm Butler (pxp)

STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats

2022-23 SCHEDULE

Overall: 11-9 | C-USA: 4-5 | H: 7-3 | A: 3-6 | N: 1-0

NOVEMBER MEDIA W/L SCORE

7 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CUSA.tv W 78-61

14 at #23 Texas Tech ESPN+ L 55-64 17 at UL-Lafayette ESPN+ L 88-94

21 ULM CUSA.tv W 79-58 23 at Alabama A&M^ YouTube W 80-75 25 at Samford^ ESPN+ W 79-76 26 vs. Tennessee-Southern^ W 91-47

DECEMBER

2 SOUTHERN ESPN+ W 74-59

10 at Wyoming MWN L 65-92

14 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN ESPNU L 79-80OT 17 at UTEP* CUSA.tv L 55-60

21 JARVIS CHRISTIAN CUSA.tv W 108-52 29 UTSA* ESPN+ W 91-69 31 at Charlotte* ESPN+ L 66-68

JANUARY

5 at Rice* ESPN+ W 88-82OT

7 UTEP* CUSA.tv W 60-58 11 at North Texas* ESPN+ L 65-67

14 UAB* Stadium L 74-81

19 WKU* CBS SN W 85-74OT

21 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* ESPN+ L 51-68 26 at UAB* CBS SN 8 p.m. 28 at UTSA* ESPN+ 3 p.m.

FEBRUARY

2 RICE* ESPN+ 6 p.m.

9 at FIU* ESPN+ 6 p.m.

11 at Florida Atlantic* ESPN+ 1 p.m.

16 NORTH TEXAS* ESPN+ 6 p.m.

18 CHARLOTTE* ESPN+ 2 p.m.

23 at WKU* CBS SN 8 p.m.

25 at Middle Tennessee* Stadium 3 p.m.

MARCH

2 FIU* ESPN+ 6 p.m.

4 FLORIDA ATLANTIC* ESPN+ 6 p.m.

8 C-USA Tournament$ TBA

All home games CAPS | All times CST and subject to change * C-USA game ^ Samford MTE $ Frisco, Texas (The Star)

LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS (11-9, 4-5 c-usa)

Head Coach: Talvin Hester Record at LA Tech: 11-9 (1st year)

Career Record: Same Record vs. UAB: 0-1

At

uab blazers (13-7, 4-5 c-usa)

Head Coach: Andy Kennedy Record at UAB: 62-22 (3rd year)

Career Record: 328-191 (16th year) Record vs. LA Tech: 5-2

Bulldog Storylines

• Louisiana Tech reaches the halfway point of the 20-game Conference USA schedule as they play its 10th league game on Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama against UAB. The two teams, who faced off less than two weeks ago, are currently in a four-way tie for fifth in the conference standings.

• LA Tech is coming off its worse offensive performance of the season, falling at home to Middle Tennessee by a final score of 68-51 (first time losing at home by double-digits since 2019). The Bulldogs set new season low in points this season while also shooting a season-low 14.3 percent from three-point range (went 3-of-21 from beyond the arc). It was the fewest made three-pointers for LA Tech since March 12, 2021 against North Texas in the C-USA Tournament.

• Cobe Williams was the lone Bulldogs to score in double figures, posting a game-high 22 points against the Blue Raiders. He has now registered three straight games of 20+ points (averaging 23.0 ppg during stretch), the first Bulldog to do so since DaQuan Bracey did it in 2018. For the season, Williams has recorded eight 20-point scoring performances.

• The Big Three of Cobe Williams (19.6), Keaston Willis (13.0), and Isaiah Crawford (12.2) have accounted for 63 percent of the Bulldogs scoring in C-USA action. All three rank in the top 16 in scoring during league play only and have set season highs in scoring over the last five games -- Cobe Williams with 27 against UAB, Keaston Willis with 23 against UAB, and Isaiah Crawford with 25 versus North Texas.

• The Bulldogs are set to play four of their next five league games away from home. So far, they are 1-3 in conference road games with the lone victory coming in an 88-82 overtime win at Rice on Jan. 5. Their three road losses to UTEP, Charlotte, and North Texas in league play have been by a combined nine points.

• LA Tech is looking to win for the just the third time against UAB in Birmingham. The Bulldogs are 2-8 versus the Blazers in Bartow Arena, with the two wins coming in 2014 and 2020. LA Tech has already played in Birmingham twice this season as part of the Samford multi-team event. They won at Samford, 79-76, and then won a neutral site game against Tennessee-Southern.

A LOUISIANA TECH WIN WOULD...

• Snap a four-game losing streak to UAB. Since LA Tech joined C-USA in 2013-14, the Bulldogs have never lost five straight games to a league opponent.

• Be the 10th all-time victory over UAB. Despite the four-game losing streak, the Bulldogs still own a 9-8 advantage in the series since the two became C-USA opponents.

• Be the 18th victory on CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs are 17-12 all-time on the nationally televised station since joining Conference USA. Four of the 29 featured games on CBSSN have been against UAB.

KEASTON WILLIS • Jr. • G • 6-3 • 190 • Sulphur Springs, Texas

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 31.8 12.4 3.6 1.4 37% 37% 79%

KENNY HUNTER • So. • F • 6-10 • 235 • Shreveport, La.

MIN PTS RBS BLKS FG% 3FG% FT%

18.0 5.8 4.4 0.5 65% 56%

MANGUM • R-Sr.. • F • 6-8 • 205 • Roxboro, N.C.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 19.4 7.5 3.3 0.5 43% 37% 86%

QUANDRE BULLOCK

• Jr. • G • 6-6 • 195 • Franklinton, N.C.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT%

18.0 5.6 3.8 0.7 51% 32% 46%

KALEB STEWART

• So. • G • 6-3 • 185 • Houston, Texas

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT%

9.1 1.9 0.4 0.3 36% 27%

TERRAN WILLIAMS

• So. • G • 6-5 • 195 • Marianna, Ark.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 14.7 4.8 2.6 0.4 42% 44% 73%

BEN PONDER

• So. • G • 6-3 • 200 • Shreveport, La.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT%

13.1 5.0 1.5 0.0 40% 25%

LADAMIEN BRADFORD

• So. • G • 6-5 • 205 • Jonesboro, La.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 6.9 1.0 1.1 1.4 42% 0%

WILL ALLEN • R-Fr. • F • 6-7 • 225 • New Orleans, La.

MIN PTS RBS BLKS FG% 3FG% FT% 13.6 2.8 2.5 0.1 69% 50%

JORDAN CRAWFORD • Fr. • G • 6-3 • 175 • Ruston, La.

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 23.3 5.4 2.5 4.0 39% 25% 72%

ISAIAH CRAWFORD • Jr. • F • 6-6 • 220 • Fort Worth, Texas

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 26.5 12.4 4.7 2.3 51% 41% 75%

COBE WILLIAMS • Jr. • G • 6-0 • 180 • Dallas, Texas

MIN PTS RBS ASTS FG% 3FG% FT% 33.4 18.7 3.1 4.1 46% 32% 77%

• Scored a season-high 23 points against UAB (1/14)

• Reached 1,000 points in his collegiate career last season (took only 70 games)

• Has scored 20+ points in 19 career games (including at UIW); six times at LA Tech

• Connected on 93 made 3-pointers last season, second most in program history

• Has made 267 3-pointers during his collegiate career (LA Tech and UIW)

• Has recorded five double-digit scoring games (career-high 18 points at Rice)

• Has almost as many career offensive rebounds (92) as defensive rebounds (106)

• Averaging 24.0 minutes over last six games, made first start of season vs. WKU (1/19)

• Anchored the team in FG% last season at 62.1 percent (54-of-87 shooting)

• Has a wing span of 7’4”

• Has only missed 4 free throws all season, going 24-of-28 from the foul line

• Registered a career-high 22 points vs. Jarvis Christian (12/21), making fourth start

• Made 36 starts at Radford, averaging 8.2 points per game

• Made 13 starts at Charlotte while averaging 4.8 points and 2.7 boards per game

• One of just four Bulldogs to be from the state of North Carolina (along with Bullock)

• After not playing in first 3 games, has averaged 18.0 minutes ever since

• Tied season high with 12 points vs. UTEP (1/7), went 6-of-8 from the field

• Saw first action as Bulldog vs. ULM (11/21), scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting

• First Team All-Region selection at Angelina College this past season

• One of just four Bulldogs to be from the state of North Carolina (along with Mangum)

• Returned to action at Wyoming (12/10) after missing 5 games due to illness

• Made his first career start as a Bulldog in season opener vs. MC (11/7)

• One of five players named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2021-22

• Had a 2.09 assist/turnover ratio with 23 assists to only 11 turnovers last season

• Father played basketball and mother played volleyball at Wiley College

• Posted a career-high 20 points at Alabama A&M (11/23), went 6-of-7 from three

• Became the 12th Bulldog in the last decade to make at least 6 threes in a game

• Scored 10 points vs. ULM (11/21), played a season-high 23 minutes

• Saw limited action in 16 games as a true freshman last season

• As a senior, led Marianna Lee HS to Arkansas 2A state title, program’s first in 38 years

• Matched career high with 5 points vs. Jarvis Christian (12/21)

• Played a career-high 13 minutes vs. UT Southern (11/26), scored career-high 5 points

• Saw limited action in eight games as a true freshman last season

• C-USA Academic Medalist and Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient in 2021-22

• State champion in 200IM in swimming as a sophomore in high school

• Tallied a season-high 5 assists vs. ULM (11/21), second time in career with 5+

• Came off the bench to see action in 33 games in first season as a Bulldog last year

• Totaled 113 points for a scoring average of 3.4 points per game last season

• Had a 1.66 assist/turnover ratio with 48 assists to only 29 turnovers last season

• Ranked No. 51 shooting guard nationally by ESPN out of nearby Jonesboro-Hodge HS

• Pulled down a season-high 9 rebounds vs. UT Southern (11/26)

• Made Bulldog debut in the season opener vs. MC (11/7), has started all 7 games

• Redshirted last season after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in preseason

• While sitting out last season, added 15 pounds to his frame

• Named LSWA Class 5A Most Outstanding Player and LABC 5A Player of the Year

• Recorded a career-high 12 assists vs. JCU (12/21), most by a Bulldog since 2017

• Has been named C-USA Freshman of the Week twice this season • His 79 assists ranks fifth in C-USA and is the seventh most of any freshman in country • Won four Class B state championships at nearby Simsboro High School

• Is first Bulldog on the roster from Ruston since 2008

• Scored season-high 25 points at North Texas (1/11), two shy of career high

• Saw first action in 357 days, scoring 12 points in his return from knee injury

• Has suffered two season-ending knee injuries (1st year and 3rd year)

• Earned Third Team All-Conference USA honors as a sophomore • Has a 7’1” wing span and a 8’8” standing reach

• Has scored double-digit points in 37 of his last 44 games (CH 27 points vs UAB 1/14)

• Became 44th member of 1,000-point club at LA Tech

• One of 10 players voted to the 2022-23 Preseason All-Conference USA Team

• 2021-22 All-Conference USA Honorable Mention, 2-time C-USA All-Defensive Team

• Named after Kobe Bryant (wears No. 24 in honor of him as well)

• Has missed last 11 games due to a knee injury

• Scored first career points as a Bulldog at Alabama A&M (11/23)

MIN PTS RBS BLKS FG% 3FG% FT% 5.7 2.4 1.7 0.3 86% 56%

• Saw first career action as a Bulldog in season opener vs. MC (11/7)

• Played prep basketball in Los Angeles at Ribet Academy and Prolific Prep

• Just the 12th internationl player to ever play for the Bulldogs