Nov. 28, 2014
UIC GAME NOTES
HEADLINES
Last Time Out
UIC improved to 2-0 at home this past Tuesday night with a convincing 87-76 victory against Saint Xavier. The Flames had three players reach double digits as junior Jake Wiegand led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, his third double-double of the season. Freshman Tai Odiase earned his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, both marks serving as new career-bests. The Flames shot 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from behind the arc and also scored 27 second-chance points off of a season-high 18 offensive rebounds. Eighty seven points stands as the highest scoring output for UIC since Dec. 17, 2013.
Looking at Dayton
Dayton is coming off a historic run to the Elite Eight in last year's NCAA tournament as they defeated Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford along the way. The Flyers own a 3-1 record so far this season and are currently receiving votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Dayton has been playing well defensively, holding opponents to an average of 58.2 points per game and under 37 percent shooting. Their home court of UD Arena has been recognized as a top site for college hoops as Dayton routinely averages more than 12,000 patrons per game.
Wiegand Off to Great Start
Jake Wiegand is having one of the best starts for a UIC player in recent memory. His 52 total rebounds is the highest mark through six games in eight years (Othyus Jeffers, 06-07) and his 104 points stands as the best output since the 2010-11 season (Robo Kreps). Wiegand paces UIC in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (8.7) so far this season. Othyus Jeffers was the last Flame to do so at the conclusion of the 2006-07 campaign.
Jay Harris Continues Scoring Streak
Fifth-year transfer Jay Harris scored 16 points against Saint Xavier on Tuesday night for his third straight double-digit effort as a member of UIC. That streak extends to seven consecutive games when you count his final four contests at Wagner last season. Harris is averaging 15.6 points per game over his last seven collegiate affairs as six of those outputs total 15 or more. Harris' scoring streak point totals include 10, 18, 15, 15, 16, 19 and 16. The Aurora, Ill., native is also shooting 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from behind the arc this season.
Keep the Home Flames Burning
During preseason interviews, head coach Howard Moore continually stressed the importance of winning at home. The Flames improved to 2-0 at the UIC Pavilion after Tuesday night's 87-76 victory, earning back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2013. When starting the season 2-0 at home, UIC has averaged more than 16 total wins on the year dating back to the 1981-82 campaign. The Flames have already equaled their 2013-14 home win count.
Tai in the Sky
Freshman Tai Odiase continues to be a fierce rim protector as he matched a career-best four blocks this past Tuesday versus Saint Xavier, bringing his six-game tally to 14 swats. Odiase is the first UIC player to total 14 or more blocks through the first six games since 2008-09 (Scott VanderMeer). Odiase's 14 rejections also trump any season total for a UIC player last year. He currently ranks second in the Horizon League and tied-for-19th in the nation in total blocks.
Double-Double Machine
Jake Wiegand collected his third double-double of the season this past Tuesday with game-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Last season, then-senior Jordan Harks paced the Flames with three double-doubles for the entire year. Wiegand began this season with back-to-back double-doubles, becoming the first UIC player to start the year in such a manner since 1998 (Bryant Notree). The junior forward ranks third in the Horizon League with 17.3 points per game and ranks first in rebounding (8.7 rpg.).
Good Stuff at the Charity Stripe
The Flames have been one of the nation's best free-throw shooting teams so far this season as UIC is averaging 79.6 percent (117-of-147). That figure currently ranks fifth in the country, while UIC's 117 made free throws ranks sixth. At their current pace, the Flames are on track to shatter the program records for made foul shots (610) and free-throw percentage (.752).
Free Buckets for Brown
Senior Marc Brown has been nearly automatic from the free throw line this season as he is shooting 94.1 percent (16-of-17), a mark that ranks 29th in the nation. Brown actually missed his first foul shot of the season against SIU this past Sunday after he had sank 18 straight dating back to last year. The Dallas native owns 244 career made free throws and needs just 33 more to crack UIC's top 10 all-time leaderboard.
2015 Signing Class
Head coach Howard Moore recently announced the addition of three signees to the 2015-16 UIC roster. Those players include junior college transfer Burak Eslik (G, 6-4, 185, Istanbul, Turkey/Lewis and Clark CC) and soon-to-be freshmen Drew Hackett (G, 6-2, 170, Munster, Ind./Munster HS) and Garrett Bye (F/C, 6-10, 210, Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs).
In-State Play
Eight of UIC's 15 non-league games this season will be against in-state opponents. That total is the highest among all 13 D-I men's basketball teams in the state of Illinois. DePaul, SIU-Carbondale and Chicago State will play four in-state teams, while Northern Illinois and SIU-Edwardsville are schedule to play three. Bradley, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Loyola, and Western Illinois have two in-state games on the slate as Big Ten members Northwestern and Illinois have one and zero, respectively.
Marc Brown Eyes 1,000 Career Points
Senior guard Marc Brown needs 220 more points to reach 1,000 for his career as he currently owns 780 points. He would become the 21st player in program history to do so and the first since current graduate manager Robo Kreps (2007-11). Brown scored 349 points last season which nearly doubled his 188 total from his sophomore campaign.
Wiegand Earns All-Tournament Honors
Junior Jake Wiegand was named to the Men Against Breast Cancer Classic All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of Sunday's play. The junior forward averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.3 percent from the field during the weekend's three games. He scored a game-high 26 points against tournament-host Kent State this past Saturday, his second career 20-point effort, while hitting a career-best 11 field goals. Eleven buckets ranks tied-for-14th in the country so far this season in single-game performances.
Flames Excel in First Ever Foreign Tour
UIC won three of its five games this past August against Canadian University teams as the Flames participated in their first ever foreign tour. UIC fell in its first two outings versus the No. 1 (Carleton) and No. 2 (Ottawa) ranked teams in the country after holding leads late in both games. The Flames rebounded and came home on a three-game winning streak, securing double-digit victories to finish the tour. Junior Gabe Snider led the Flames in scoring at 14.4 points per game, hitting 15-of-36 (.417) from downtown, which included a 28-point outburst against Ottawa. On average the Flames out-performed their Canadian opposition in nearly every statistical category, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and shooting percentage.
Deon Thomas Added to Coaching Staff
On April 29, 2014, head coach Howard Moore announced the addition of Deon Thomas as assistant basketball coach. Thomas is highly regarded as one of the most successful American basketball players ever to compete overseas as he enjoyed a decorated 14-year career. The McDonald's All-American from Simeon High School was voted Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1989. He was a four-year letterwinner at Illinois and still holds the Fighting Illini's career scoring (2,129) and shot-blocking (177) records. Thomas was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with a 28th overall pick in 1994 NBA Draft, but decided to play abroad.
