It's time for basketball season to tip off in Huntsville. The No. 25 University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team will open the 2026-27 season Monday at home in SportsMED Arena at Spragins Hall with a 6 p.m. showdown with Harding.
LIVE STATS | VIDEO | TICKETS
The Chargers are coming off a 23-10 season in which UAH finished 15-7 in the conference, earning the No. 4 seed in the GSC Men's Basketball Championship. UAH advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament before furthering its postseason run in the NCAA South Regional where the Chargers earned wins against Palm Beach Atlantic and West Alabama before concluding the season in the South Region Championship.
The Chargers' matchup with Harding will be the 19th meeting between the programs as both sides hold nine wins. However, this will be the first time UAH has faced off with the Bisons since 2011 when the Chargers split a pair of games that season while winning the last matchup 67-63.
Entering this season, UAH was picked to finish second in the Gulf South Conference coaches preseason poll while sophomore forward Jordan Mabe was selected to the Preseason All-GSC Team. In addition to Mabe, sophomore Jax Abernathy and senior Xavier Martinez were named as Newcomers to Watch in the conference.
Mabe was a 23-game starter for UAH last season who shot 64.33% from the field while averaging 8.61 points and 3.91 rebounds per game. The Chargers also return senior guard Knute Wood who started 26 games last season while averaging 8.53 points, 2.47 rebounds and 2.69 assists per game.
Also returning for the Chargers is Griffin Cooper who averaged 3.68 rebounds along with 4.21 points per game while the 6-foot-8 forward also led the team in blocks with 24. Guard Bryce Mason is also back after averaging 8.13 points and 3.39 rebounds per game.
A guard transfer from Trevecca Nazarene, Abernathy averaged 16.69 points, 2.93 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season while he earned Third Team All-GSC. Another guard, Martinez comes to Huntsville from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs where he averaged 13.79 points, 2.52 rebounds and 4.36 assists per game over the last three seasons. Martinez was a two-time Second Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection and earned honorable mention his freshman year.
Following Monday's game, UAH will take open the GSC-SSC Crossover at home against Barry on Friday before facing No. 1 Nova Southeastern Saturday evening.
