UAB basketball seniors Jordan “Jelly” Walker and Trey “The Mayor” Jemison are aware of the implications surrounding their upcoming conference matchup but treating it as any other league game.

Besides depth perception issues stemming from, respectfully, a glorified high school gymnasium with its local inhabitants bearing down from above.

Walker and Jemison lead the Blazers into an early conference showdown between the last remaining teams in C-USA as they begin a two-game road swing against FAU, Thursday, Jan. 5, at FAU Arena in Boca Raton, Florida.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

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UAB enters the game at 12-2 overall, ranked 62 in the NCAA NET and 51 in KenPom, while the Owls are 12-1 overall, 11 in the NET and 39 in KenPom, and currently on an 11-game winning streak. Both teams are undefeated in league play and the Blazers have an opportunity to earn a Quad 1 victory in its first conference road game of the season.

“(FAU is) a balanced team, they’re good on both sides of the ball,” UAB head coach Andy Kennedy said. “They have the nucleus of their team returning from last year, a good team that we were fortunate enough to beat twice. They hit the portal as well and added some really dynamic playmakers.”

The Blazers rallied from a 7-point deficit last year in the regular-season meeting and dominated FAU in the C-USA tournament quarterfinals.

The top four scorers for FAU this season — guards Alijah Martin (13.5 ppg), Michael Forrest (11.5 ppg) and Johnell Davis (9.3 ppg) and center Vladislay Goldin (10.7 ppg) — were with the team last year, including guards Nick Boyd (9.1 ppg), Bryan Greenlee (7.5 ppg) and Brandon Witherspoon (4.9 ppg), and the Owls added UConn transfer Jalen Gaffney (6.8 ppg) during the offseason.

“They’re the same team as last year, they’re identical,” Walker said. “They added a guard, Jalen Gaffney. He’s from (New) Jersey so I know of him being up from that way. That added a solid point guard to their team which is what they needed.”

“Playing them last year and seeing what they’re doing this year, it’s pretty much the same but more together,” he added. “When you’ve been together two years, going on three, even though they had some transfers, all you do is continue to get better.”

The one thing the Owls do better than most is shoot and defend beyond the arc, where they average 37.2 percent on 3-point shooting and lead C-USA in 3-point defense at 28 percent.

Gaffney leads FAU with a 43.6 percent shooting average on 3-pointers, followed by Boyd (42.9 percent) and Davis (40 percent), and Martin, Forrest and Greenlee all average at least 35 percent from 3-point range. Witherspoon is below the team average but still at 30.4 percent on the season.

“They have seven guys on their team that have made double-digit 3s,” Kennedy said. “As a team, they shoot about 37 percent, and their interior has improved. Defensively, they’ve been stingy.”

FAU did not play this past Saturday but are 2-0 in C-USA with wins over FIU and North Texas, the latter of which saw the Owls finish on a 13-0 run while holding the Mean Green scoreless the final five minutes of the game. The only setback the Owls have suffered this season was an 80-67 loss at Ole Miss, but FAU also has wins at Florida and North Texas.

Both teams are similar, statistically speaking, and rank in the top 3 of the league in rebounding margin, assists and 3-pointers made.

“They’re very talented,” Jemison said. “They shoot the ball well, move the ball in transition and rebound great. They got a 5-man down there that’s a good shooter. Our defense will be key in this game.”

The Blazers’ ability to guard on-ball shooters is paramount as FAU is third in the league in field goal (48.1) and 3-point (37.2) shooting percentage. UAB ranked fifth in C-USA in 3-point defense (31.3 percent) but are tops in rebound margin (plus-7.21) and third in defensive rebounding (28.2 rpg).

“They spread you and they’re going to play small ball for a majority of the game,” Kennedy said. “They’re going to have four guys on the floor at all times that can make 3s. We’ve got to be able to sit down and contain dribble penetration. Stay out of unnecessary rotations.”

With the Blazers facing a crucial test early in their league schedule, every available body is essential and Ledarrius Brewer is on track for a return from a minor hand injury suffered against Southern. Kennedy says the former ETSU transfer, and brother of Ty Brewer, was no-contact during Monday’s practice and that his availability would ultimately be a game-time decision.

Before being sidelined, Brewer averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, through 11 games, and had a 3-point shooting average of 32.5 percent.

“I really hope he can play, we need him,” Walker said. “We’ve been winning but he plays a crucial part on our team. He’s a dynamic scorer, a big guard and a great defender as well. Having him on the floor makes out team even better.”