UAB poses real test for Trojans

TROY — Troy may be shorthanded for its season opener against perhaps the best team to come to Trojan Arena.

Starting guard Richard Delk (hand) and Michael Vogler (ankle) are questionable, as is forward Antywan Jones (ankle) for today’s 2 p.m. game with the Blazers, who went 23-11 a year ago and return several key players.

None of the trio played against West Alabama in Troy’s 118-76 exhibition win Monday.

“The one thing we don’t want to do is push them too soon even though it’s a big game for us,” head coach Don Maestri said.

“It’s not worth losing them for the games after that because we can’t afford to lose those caliber players.”

UAB rolls into Troy with tons of talent, led by Robert Vaden (21.9 points per game), a 6-foot-5 guard who decided against forgoing his senior year to play in the NBA. The sharpshooter was named Conference USA’s Preseason Player of the Year.

“He’ll be the best shooter that’s ever been in this gym,” Maestri said. “He is the top returning 3-point shooter in the country.

“He should have gone in the Draft (last year). I don’t know who talked him out of it. I’ve talked to a lot of scouts and they think he’ll be a top 10 pick.”

The Blazers return two other senior guards — Channing Toney (11.8 ppg), who started his career at Georgia, and Paul Delaney (15.5 ppg in 2006-07), who took a medical redshirt last year after a knee injury in the fourth game. Sophomore Aaron Johnson (9.6 ppg), all 5-foot-7 of him, rounds out UAB’s talented backcourt.

“They feel pretty dog gone good with all of those guys back,” Maestri said.

“Delaney’s mighty good, that Toney kid’s very good. Those guards are going to play with any team in the nation.”

If Vogler can play, it’s a chance to play against former junior college teammate Ed Berrios, also a point guard. Both played at Chipola, but Berrios played most of the minutes in the duo’s final season.

“I felt like I had the starting spot until I broke my collarbone,” Vogler said. “I didn’t get back until a few games into the season, but by then they had their rotation set and I couldn’t play like I wanted.”

Today’s meeting is the first in series history. The two play in Birmingham Dec. 20.