Connections Abounded in Alabama vs. Legends Matchup

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After winning the season opener 87-33 over Lakeshore in the early afternoon of Oct. 28, the Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team lost its second game 77-65 later that afternoon to the ABC Medical Legends to open the season going 1-1 in the ABC Medical Classic at home at Stran-Hardin Arena.

That second game featured abundant connections between the two teams.

The game’s leading scorer was the Legends’ Michael Auprince, who finished with 28 points.

Auprince played for the Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team from 2015 to 2019 under current head coach Ford Burttram and is in his second season as the team’s assistant coach.


In addition to current head coach Ford Burttram, the national champion 2017-2018 Alabama men's wheelchair basketball team featured players Michael Auprince and Sean Burns and assistant coach Ryan Hynes, all three of whom played against the team on Oct. 28 as part of the ABC Medical Legends
(photo by Elliott Lapin)

Auprince was also the game’s leading rebounder with 11 boards.

See also: Men's Wheelchair Basketball Season Preview

Lindsey Zurbrugg had 25 points for the Legends.

Zurbrugg played for the Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball team from 2018-2023, winning four national championships, and is currently a nutrition graduate assistant for the Alabama Adapted Athletics program.

“It’s honestly kind of weird because you’re so used to cheering for Alabama and always wanting Alabama to win,” said the Legends’ Sean Burns about playing against Alabama in Stran-Hardin Arena.


Sean Burns played for and coached for the Alabama men's wheelchair basketball team but played against it as part of the ABC Medical Legends on Oct. 28
(photo courtesy of Alabama Adapted Athletics)

Burns played on the Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team from 2014-2019 and was an assistant coach with the team from 2019-2022.

He currently serves as an academic advisor for Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business.

While he did not get much time to talk to Burttram, whom he played for and coached with, throughout that day, he said the two are close and talk regularly.

There are still several players on the team whom he coached.

See also: Men's Wheelchair Basketball Schedule Highlights

Ryan Hynes finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the Legends.

Hynes played for the Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team from 2009 to 2014, served as an assistant coach for the men’s wheelchair basketball team from 2016 to 2018, and has been the Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball coach since 2018.


Ryan Hynes played for and coached for the Alabama men's wheelchair basketball team but he played against them as part of the ABC Medical Legends on Oct. 28
(photo courtesy of Alabama Adapted Athletics)

“I’ve been coaching and watching those guys play for years,” Burttram said of several of the Legends players.

Neither Ryan Eliassen nor Evan Williams put up any shots for the Legends in their win over Alabama, but both had previously played for the Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team and both currently work for the university.

Joon Reid, who played for an early Alabama men’s wheelchair basketball team, had ten points and three rebounds for the Legends.

The two teams will face off again at Stran-Hardin Arena on Feb. 23 as part of the Hollister Invitational.

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