UAB’s Vaden Honored

By Don Hawes
Sports director
Published: November 24, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The national awards are starting to pile up following an outstanding week for the UAB men’s basketball team. UAB senior guard/forward Robert Vaden has been named the Conference USA men’s basketball Player of the Week, league officials announced on Monday. Additionally, the Blazers have been selected as ESPN.com’s National Team of the Week.
  Vaden’s player of the week award, which is his third career C-USA weekly honor, marks the second time in two weeks that a UAB player has garnered the accolade (Lawrence Kinnard earned the recognition on Nov. 17).
  Vaden led UAB to three road wins, including a berth into the 2008 NIT Season Tipoff semifinals in Madison Square Garden. During the week, Vaden averaged 23.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He also shot 53.3 percent (24-of-45) from the floor and 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from three-point range in the three games.
  Against Santa Clara on Nov. 17, he collected 23 points, hitting 8-of-8 free throws, and had nine rebounds to lead UAB to a 64-61 win. The next day against host Arizona, he tallied 20 points, five rebounds and three assists to lift the Blazers to the semifinals this week. Vaden capped his week with 28 points and six rebounds in a 77-62 win at Old Dominion. He accounted for 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first half.
  The Blazers will prepare for No. 11/13 Oklahoma on Wednesday in the Dicks Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The contest will be televised live on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT).
(courtesy: UAB Media Relations)