UAB Basketball Secures Top-4 Seed in American Conference Tournament

Blazers to open tournament in quarterfinals after clinching No. 4 seed

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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UAB men's basketball team has secured the No. 4 seed in next week's American Conference tournament, which will be held in Birmingham's Legacy Arena. The Blazers will enter the tournament in the quarterfinal round after finishing the regular season with a 13-5 conference record. UAB will face the winner of the first-round matchup between the No. 5 seed and either the No. 8 or No. 9 seed on Friday.

Why it matters

Earning a top-4 seed is crucial for UAB, as it allows the team to bypass the opening round and start the tournament in the quarterfinals. This gives the Blazers a better chance of advancing to the semifinals and potentially earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference championship.

The details

With Wichita State's win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday, UAB secured the No. 4 seed in the American Conference tournament. South Florida has already clinched the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed, while Wichita State and Tulsa will be the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. If UAB wins its quarterfinal game, it will face No. 1 seed South Florida in the semifinals.

  • The American Conference tournament will be held from March 11-14 inside Birmingham's Legacy Arena.
  • UAB's first game in the tournament will be on Friday, March 13 at 12 p.m.

The players

UAB Blazers

The UAB men's basketball team, which finished the regular season with a 13-5 conference record and earned the No. 4 seed in the American Conference tournament.

South Florida Bulls

The South Florida men's basketball team, which has clinched the American Conference regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Wichita State Shockers

The Wichita State men's basketball team, which has clinched the No. 2 seed in the American Conference tournament.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

The Tulsa men's basketball team, which has clinched the No. 3 seed in the American Conference tournament.

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What’s next

If UAB wins its quarterfinal game on Friday, it will face No. 1 seed South Florida at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the semifinals. If the Blazers can win on Friday and Saturday, they will advance to Sunday's championship game, where they would play for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

UAB's ability to secure a top-4 seed in the American Conference tournament gives the team a significant advantage, as it allows them to bypass the opening round and start the tournament in the quarterfinals. However, the Blazers will face a tall task in potentially winning three games in three days to claim the conference championship and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.