Aug. 27, 2004
2004-05 UIC MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE in PDF Format
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Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Athletics Director Jim Schmidt and Head Men's Basketball Coach Jimmy Collins announced today that UIC's upcoming 27-game, regular-season schedule will include 15 home contests. The Flames road back to the NCAA Tournament includes contests versus 2004 NCAA Final Four participants Georgia Tech and Duke, and a cross-town clash with DePaul, all highlighting an aggressive slate. The Flames, who have tallied three consecutive 20-win campaigns and are coming off a school-record 24-win season, will waste little time this year in testing their mettle. UIC will open up against last season's national runner-up, Georgia Tech, which pays a visit to the UIC Pavilion on Monday, November 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. The opener with the Yellow Jackets is one of six non-conference home games for the Flames, who will also welcome Penn, South Dakota State, UW-Parkside and Saginaw Valley State while playing host to a potential national television audience for `ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday' on February 19th. UIC's road non-conference slate is arguably its most difficult in school history, traveling to Bowling Green and in-state rival Illinois State in November, followed by a three-game, December road swing that takes them to UNC Wilmington, Duke and DePaul. The Flames will meet the Blue Devils for the first time on Tuesday, December 14th, at 8:00 p.m., at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium with the game being broadcast nationally on ESPN2. UIC will follow that game with a much-anticipated showdown with the Blue Demons, the defending Conference USA regular-season champions, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday, Dec. 18th. UIC and DePaul have not met since 1981. "I was here for the first game between Ray and Tom Meyer that was going to open the UIC Pavilion," Schmidt said. "We have waited 20 years to get this rivalry restarted. "Credit Jean Lenti Ponsetto and Coach Leitao for recognizing how great this game can be for Chicago college basketball fans and agreeing to play." The Flames will not have to wait long this year to begin defense of their Horizon League Tournament title. UIC will open league play with the team they took that crown from, as they host UW-Milwaukee on Saturday, Dec. 4th, at 3:00 p.m. The Flames and Panthers will play game two of their home-and-home series on Saturday, Feb. 5th, at 2:00 p.m., in Milwaukee with that contest being broadcast nationally on ESPN. Other key league dates include Butler at the Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 29th, as well as Loyola at home on Thursday, Feb. 17th.
