CHICAGO -- UIC begins one of its busiest stretches of the season Friday, one that features three games in three cities over five days, when it takes on the Detroit Mercy Titans at the Motor City's Calihan Hall. The Horizon League game is slated to begin at 6 p.m. CT.

The Flames (13-13, 6-7 Horizon League) have three games on the docket between Friday and Tuesday, Feb. 21, when they host the Green Bay Phoenix in the regular-season home finale at the UIC Pavilion. Sandwiched in between will be a game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in Rochester, Mich., on Sunday, Feb. 19. UIC is not unprepared for playing as often in such a tight window. Head coach Steve McClain's squad played three games in four days at the NIU Thanksgiving Classic in November, and it also has had two separate segments of three games in six days (Dec. 17-22 and Jan. 12-17). The Flames are 9-3 in those 12 games this season.

Not only is UIC one of the nation's youngest teams, but it is also one of the most improved. The Flames rank as the second-youngest team in the NCAA, according to KenPom.com, with an average of 0.71 years of playing experience on the roster. Only Mississippi State is younger at 0.68 years per player. The NCAA released data on the most improved teams in the country from last season to this one, and UIC is tied for fourth alongside Arkansas State and Northern Kentucky in terms of the biggest turnarounds at +10 through Sunday, Feb 12. The Bulldogs are at +3.5 with 14 wins thus far during the 2016-17 campaign. Minnesota is currently the most improved team at +13, just ahead of UMBC (+12.5) and UCLA (+11).

One of the many keys to UIC's ascension has been redshirt freshman Dominique Matthews. Despite coming off the bench in 11 of UIC's first 13 Horizon League games, the guard is averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game in conference play. On Monday he was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week after averaging 20 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists against Youngstown State and Cleveland State over the weekend. In the win against the Penguins on Feb. 9, Matthews exploded for a career-high 28 points with five 3-pointers. He shot close to 65 percent (11-of-17) from the floor that night and north of 71 percent (5-of-7) from downtown. The Chicago, Ill., native became the third fo

Friday's game will be the second meeting of the season between the Flames and Titans. The two sides locked horns at the UIC Pavilion on Jan. 6, with UIC posting a 78-64 triumph. The home team shot close to 58 percent from the field and over 53 percent from beyond the arc, while holding Detroit Mercy to marks of 38.1 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Tarkus Ferguson led four UIC players in double figures with 16 points, matching a career high at the time. The Belleville, Ill., native also added three steals, while Tai Odiase matched a season high with eight blocks against the Titans.

Detroit Mercy has played only one game since Feb. 4, when it topped Youngstown State, 90-80. The Titans have four wins in Horizon League play and are two games behind the Flames in the standings under first-year head coach Bacari Alexander, a UDM alum. Detroit Mercy is led in the interior by Jaleel Hogan and his team-high 15.6 points per game. He scored a game-high 17 points in the first meeting at UIC this season. Freshman Corey Allen leads the entire conference in 3-point percentage (46 percent), while averaging 14.5 points per game. Allen had 12 points (4-of-11, 2-of-5) to go along with a game-high four steals at the UIC Pavilion in January.

More notes, statistics and information about Friday's Horizon League game at Detroit Mercy can be found within the UIC Game Notes PDF that is linked above. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Dan Dickerson and Earl Cureton on the call.