CHICAGO -- UIC begins a stretch of four games over an eight-day span when it hosts the Trinity Christian Trolls in a preliminary game of the NIU Thanksgiving Classic at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the Flames and Trolls since the the 1976-77 campaign before UIC transitioned to the Division I level.
The Flames are looking to build off an impressive start to the home slate that saw the squad knock off the UTSA Roadrunners on Wednesday night, 86-78. Sophomore sensation
Dikembe Dixson paced the home team with 31 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals in the victory. Fellow Preseason All-Horizon League pick
Tai Odiase was tremendous at the back end of UIC's defense as he blocked eight shots on the night. The team's defensive pressure helped create 13 steals, the most in a game under head coach
Steve McClain.
Trinity Christian makes the trip from nearby Palos Heights, Ill., with a 1-3 record on the young season. Like the Flames, the Trolls snagged their first triumph of the season on Wednesday night, a 92-87 win over Olivet Nazarene.
Below are a few headlines heading into Saturday night's showdown:
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
- According KenPom.com, UIC is the second youngest team in the country with an average of 0.80 years of college experience on the roster.
- Of 343 teams that have played against at least one Division I opponent through Nov. 16, only Mississippi State is younger at 0.74.
- After the Flames, St. John's (0.82), Missouri (0.82) and Northern Colorado (0.84) round out the five freshest squads.
- North Carolina Central is the most experienced team on the list with 2.90 years, while Green Bay has the Horizon League's eldest bunch with 2.21.
NOT IN TAI'S HOUSE
- Junior Tai Odiase led the NCAA during the 2015-16 regular season with 3.23 blocks per game.
- He currently ranks second in the nation with 6.0 blocks per game this year.
- Sent back season-high eight shots vs. UTSA on Nov. 16.
- Stuffed career-high nine shots in win vs. Northern Kentucky on Feb. 13, 2016.
- Ranks third on UIC's all-time list with 157 blocks.
- Needs seven blocks to tie, and eight to pass, Sherrell Ford (1992-95) to move into second place.
FOUR SCORE
- After finishing 10th in 2015-16, UIC was picked to finish fourth in the 2016-17 Horizon League preseason poll.
- The defending regular-season champion, Valparaiso, was tabbed to repeat.
- Oakland was picked second and 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Green Bay was selected third.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
- UIC's roster has four international players.
- Freshmen Godwin Boahen (Toronto) and Marcus Ottey (Ajax) hail from Ontario, Canada.
- Freshman Jordan Blount is a native of Cork, Ireland.
- Blount and Ottey were prep teammates at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio during the 2015-16 season.
- Junior Clint Robinson is from Montego Bay, Jamaica. He finished high school in Maryland and attended State Fair Community College in Missouri the last two years.
For more notes, statistics and information, please click on the UIC Game Notes button above.
