Jan. 18, 2012
Pre-Game Notes 
► UIC will look to capture its seventh home win of the season Thursday, when the Flames take on two-time defending national runner-up Butler at the UIC Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m. CST. UIC is coming off last Saturday's 58-51 win over visiting Loyola, while Butler defeated Youngstown State, 71-55, on Sunday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
► The Flames have held each of their past four visiting opponents to under 41 percent shooting. That stretch includes wins over Western Illinois (Dec. 19), Detroit (Dec. 29) and Loyola (Jan. 14), and an overtime setback against Wright State (Dec. 31).
► UIC is 5-0 this season when holding its opponent under 60 points, with all of those wins taking place at the Pavilion.
► The Flames are 6-2 at the UIC Pavilion this season, and allowing their opponents to score just 59.6 points and 39.3 percent shooting through eight home games.
► NEXT UP: UIC will wrap up its three-game homestand by hosting Valparaiso at the Pavilion Saturday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. CST. The Crusaders are 12-7 (5-2 Horizon) on the season, and will play at Loyola Thursday night.
THE COACHES
UIC: Howard Moore(Wisconsin, `95) is in his second season as the head coach at UIC. He spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping the Badgers to five-straight NCAA tournament berths. The Chicago native also served assistant coaching stints at Loyola (2004-05), Ball State (2003-04) and Bradley (1999-2003). Moore picked up his 13th head coaching win against rival Loyola last Saturday.
Butler: Brad Stevens, a two-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, is in his fifth season as the head coach at Butler. Last season, he guided Butler to a 28-10 campaign, the school's league-record fifth-consecutive Horizon League regular season championship, a second-straight Horizon League Tournament title, a fifth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and a second-straight national runner-up finish.
ABOUT BUTLER
» Butler was picked to win the 2012 Horizon League Championship in the preseason poll conducted by the League's head coaches, media panel and sports information directors.
» Junior Andrew Smith, the Bulldogs' top scorer (10.7 ppg) and rebounder (5.5 rpg), has scored in double-figures in six of Butler's last seven games.
» Senior Ronald Nored ranks second in the Horizon League in assists (4.6), and is the League's career active leader in the category.
» Sophomore Khyle Marshall ranks fourth in the Horizon League in field goal percentage (.562).
» Butler has had eight different players lead the team or share the team lead in scoring in the past 11 games.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC leads the Horizon League in both rebounding margin (+3.0) and offensive rebounds (13.1 rpg) ... During Horizon League play, the Flames also pace the League in offensive rebounding (12.7) ... UIC boasts three-of the Horizon League's top-20 scorers, in junior guard Daniel Barnes (11.4 ppg; 13th), junior point guard Gary Talton (10.8; 16th) and senior center Darrin Williams (10.5; 20th) ... Williams ranks seventh in the League in rebounding (6.7 rpg), third overall in field goal percentage (.573) and fourth in blocks (1.4 bpg) ... Talton is second in the Horizon League in free throw percentage (.815), sixth in assists (3.5 apg) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.2) ... Barnes is averaging 2.5 three-point field goals per game, the second-best mark in the League -- he is coming off an 18-point performance on a season-best six three-pointers against Loyola ... Barnes also ranks sixth in the Horizon League in steals (1.4 spg) ... From the power forward position, sophomore forward Hayden Humesleads the League in three-point field goal percentage (.463) ... UIC is shooting 33.2 percent from three-point range, and allowing its opponents to shoot 33.2 percent -- both marks rank fourth in the Horizon League ... The Flames are shooting just 64.6 percent from the free throw line, but have upped that average to 70.6 percent in League play ... UIC is averaging 6.9 three-point field goals per game in Horizon League action, the third-best mark in the conference ... Talton is scoring a Horizon League seventh-best 14.6 points per game during League play.
THE SERIES
Butler leads the all-time series against UIC, 31-11. The Bulldogs have won 10-straight games over the Flames (dating back to the 2006-07 season), including four-consecutive wins at the UIC Pavilion. The last time UIC beat Butler was a 73-67 overtime victory at home on Jan. 10, 2007.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
With a win over Butler, UIC would...
» Equal its entire victory output from the 2010-11 campaign (7), and eclipse its Horizon League win total (2) from last season.
» Win back-to-back Horizon League games for the first time since the 2008-09 season. » Win consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 15 and Nov. 19, 2010, when the Flames defeated Roosevelt and Toledo, respectively.
» Improve to 7-2 at the UIC Pavilion this season, and move to 11-11 under the tutelage of head coach Howard Moore in home games.
» Snap a 10-game losing streak versus Butler, and defeat the Bulldogs for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
ATTACKING THE GLASS
Rebounding has become a major staple of head coach Howard Moore'soffensive and defensive philosophies during his tenure at UIC. Last season, the Flames paced the Horizon League in offensive rebounding, and heading into this week's slate of games, UIC leads the League in both rebounding margin (+3.0) and offensive rebounding (13.1 rpg). Overall, the Flames have out-rebounded their opponent 31 times in the past 48 games under Moore, including on 11 occasions this season.
SHOOTING FROM DISTANCE
UIC is averaging 6.5 made three-point field goals per game this season, the fourth-best mark in the Horizon League. The Flames have converted at least five threes in 13 games, and their top-two three-point shooting performances (9 at Green Bay, 10 vs. Detroit) have taken place during Horizon League play. Junior guard Daniel Barnes ranks second in the League in three-point field goals made per game (2.5), while sophomore forward Hayden Humes is shooting a League-best 46.3 percent from three-point range. In the Howard Mooreera, the Flames have drilled 255 threes, an average of 5.3 triples per game.
HUMES ON THE HORIZON
Sophomore forward Hayden Humes, a first-year transfer from Toledo, has made at least one three-pointer in 10-of his last 14 games, and is leading the Horizon League with a 46.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Humes has made at least two three-pointers in three individual games during Horizon League play.
"BIG D's" SURGE
Head coach Howard Moore reminds his senior class each season about playing with a sense of urgency, and taking advantage of every opportunity down the stretch of their college basketball careers. Senior center Darrin Williamsseems to have taken that challenge in full stride: In the past eight games, the 6-foot-9 center is averaging 11.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. He has paced the Flames in rebounding in six-of those eight games, and scored in double figures five times.
TEXAS TWO-STEP
Junior point guard Gary Talton, along with freshman wing Marc Brown, both hail from Dallas, and are regular stalemates in UIC's starting lineup in their first seasons in a Flames uniform. The tandem has combined to start 28 games this season, and represents UIC's second and fifth leading scorers, respectively.
Talton and Brown aren't the only two players in the Flames' starting lineup that has ventured to UIC from outside the state of Illinois: Sophomore forward Hayden Humes is a native of Valparaiso, Ind., while senior center Darrin Williams hails from Louisville, Ky.
