Dec. 16, 2014
UIC GAME NOTES
HEADLINES
About SMU
SMU is a member of the American Athletic Conference and holds an overall record of 6-3 this season, including a 6-1 home mark. Wednesday's contest will be the second all-time meeting between the two programs as the Mustangs claimed a 73-65 victory at UIC last season on Dec. 4, 2013. SMU is currently riding a four-game win streak in the midst of a seven-game homestand. The Mustangs are paced in scoring by redshirt junior guard Nic Moore who averages 14.3 points and 5.1 assists per game. SMU's head coach is Hall-of-Famer Larry Brown who is the only head coach to win both an NCAA title and an NBA Championship, having won an NBA title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and an NCAA title with Kansas in 1988.
Last Time Out
Facing a 17-point deficit mid-way through the second half, UIC used a 20-4 run to eventually force overtime against UT-Martin at home on Monday night, but the Skyhawks ultimately prevailed, 81-78. Paris Burns (24) and Marc Brown (23) combined for 48 points, while Jay Harris added 18. The Flames shot 18-of-20 from the foul line and outscored UTM's bench, 29-6.
Jay Harris Named HL Player of the Week
Fifth-year transfer Jay Harris was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday (Dec. 15) for his career-high 32-point performance against UCF this past Thursday. Harris guided the Flames to a 71-60 home win against the Knights and became the first UIC player to score 32 or more points in a home game since Dec. 8, 2007 (Josh Mayo, 32 pts.). The Aurora, Ill. native also notched career-bests with nine made field goals and 10 made free throws. His 32 points is tied for the highest single-game output in the conference this season with Cleveland State's Trey Lewis. The award marks the first for UIC this season and the first in Harris' career.
Tough Non-League Schedule
UIC's 2014-15 non-league schedule is highlighted by several quality opponents with winning records. The Flames' 13 Division I non-conference opponents are a combined 74-45 (.622) this season as 10 of those 13 programs tout records of .500 or better. The following are UIC's D-I opponents and records: Dayton (7-2), Yale (8-3), Loyola (6-2), UT-Martin (6-2), Kent State (6-2), DePaul (6-3), SMU (6-3), Northwestern (6-3), SIU (6-4), UCF (5-4), Grand Canyon (5-6), Western Illinois (4-5) and Bradley (3-6).
Pair of 20-Point Efforts
UIC recorded a pair of 20-point efforts against UT-Martin this past Monday for the first time since Jan. 25, 2014. Junior Paris Burns led the Flames with 24 points, including 14 in the second half, while senior Marc Brown netted a season-high 23.
The Constant Scorer
Fifth-year transfer Jay Harris has been a reliable source for points during his first eight games at UIC as he is averaging a team-best 17.0 points per game. Dating back to his final four games at Wagner, Harris has scored double figures in 11 of the last 12 games with efforts of 10, 18, 15, 15, 16, 19, 16, 8, 17, 12, 32 and 18. The Aurora, Ill., native also leads the team in made three-pointers with 17.
Homecoming for Marc Brown
Wednesday's game will be a homecoming for senior Marc Brown as he was born and raised in Dallas. The combo guard starred for Woodrow Wilson High School and earned All-State honors during his senior season. Brown amassed a record of 54-15 during his career at Woodrow Wilson and played for head coach Patrick Washington.
Burns and Brown Once HS Teammates
UIC's Paris Burns and SMU's Sterling Brown were once teammates at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill. Burns and Brown guided the Pirates to a 32-1 record and a Class 4A runner-up state trophy. Proviso East lost by two points (50-48) to powerhouse Simeon, led by current NBA star Jabari Parker. Burns was a senior at Proviso East when Brown was a junior.
The Junior Jump
Junior Jake Wiegand has made tremendous strides from his sophomore to junior season as he is averaging 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Those numbers are drastic increases from the 2013-14 season when he averaged 7.5 points and 5.1 boards per game. Wiegand is the only player for UIC to start all 11 games this season and was also named a team captain prior to the 2014-15 campaign.
Paris Burns Bright in Second Half Action
Junior Paris Burns has been dominating in second half action lately as he is averaging 13.3 points over the last three games in the final period. The Chicago native actually scored 40 points in 42 minutes of second half play during the past three contests and is shooting 14-of-24 (.583) from the field in that span. Burns nearly broke a 15-year old UIC Pavilion record on Dec. 6 when he poured in 24 second half points against Loyola, coming close to the all-time mark of 26 points set by Wright State's Keion Brooks on Jan. 4, 1999.
One of the Nation's Best
The Flames have been one of the nation's best free-throw shooting teams so far this season as UIC is averaging 75.8 percent (194-of-256). That figure currently ranks 17th in the country and tops in the Horizon League, while UIC's 194 made free throws ranks fifth in the NCAA. UIC touts eight players that are shooting above 75 percent from the charity stripe. Marc Brown leads the team at the line with a shooting mark of 93.5 percent (29-of-31), which also ranks tied-for-11th in the nation.
Over the Hump
The Flames' 71-60 victory against Central Florida was UIC's first win when trailing at halftime since Feb. 10, 2013. The Knights held a 30-27 lead at the break, but UIC outscored UCF 44-30 in the final period. Prior to Thursday night, the Flames were 0-26 in games when facing a halftime deficit. On Feb. 10, 2013, UIC gutted out a triple overtime victory at Youngstown State by a final of 88-83.
Double-Double Machine
Jake Wiegand collected his fourth double-double of the season on Dec. 2 versus Grand Canyon with a 12-point and 10-rebound performance. Wiegand is one of three players in the Horizon League to have four or more double-doubles so far this season and one of just 40 players in the nation. The junior began the season with back-to-back double-doubles, becoming the first UIC player to start the year in such a manner since 1998 (Bryant Notree). Last season, then-senior Jordan Harks paced the Flames with three double-doubles for the entire year.
Tai in the Sky
Tai Odiase continues to be one of the nation's best freshmen rim protectors as his 21 blocked shots ranks tied-for-eighth among all first-year players in the NCAA this season. That total also ranks tied-for-38th overall in the country and second in the Horizon League to Valparaiso's Vashil Fernandez (31).
Your Rebounding is Offensive
UIC ranks first in the Horizon League in offensive rebounds with an average of 12.7 boards per game. The Flames have out-rebounded its opponent on the offensive glass in nine of 11 games this year. Junior Jake Wiegand ranks second in the HL in offensive rebounding (3.2), while freshman Tai Odiase ranks seventh (1.9).
Cleaning Up the Glass
Jake Wiegand has tallied four double-digit rebounding efforts so far this season, standing as one of four Horizon League players to do so. He ranks second in the conference in boards per game (8.1) and tied-for-28th in the nation in total rebounds (89). Wiegand also ranks second in the HL in defensive rebounds (4.9) and ranks second in offensive boards (3.2).
D'Juan with the Dish
Junior D'Juan Miller equaled his Division-I career-high on Dec. 2 against Grand Canyon with six assists. Miller also dished out six helpers in the home-opener versus Western Illinois on Nov. 17. The 5-foot-8 point guard paces the team in assists with an average of 3.6 per contest, which ranks fifth in the Horizon League.
Former Flames Excel in NBA D-League
Former UIC men's basketball players Gary Talton (2011-13) and Kelsey Barlow (2013-14) are off to great starts in the NBA D-League this season. Talton is in his second season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and is averaging 13.9 points, 12.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. Barlow is in his first professional season as a member of the Grand Rapids Drive. He is averaging 5.1 points per game and shooting 50 percent from three-point range. Barlow burst on to the scene with a 14-point effort in a home win against the Iowa Energy on Nov. 29, hitting 4-of-4 from behind the arc.
Jay Parker to Have Ankle Surgery
Senior guard Jay Parker is scheduled to have season-ending ankle surgery on Dec. 23. Parker has been suffering from chronic impingement on his right ankle and has been sidelined since Nov. 24.
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).
Marc Brown Eyes 1,000 Career Points
Senior guard Marc Brown needs 176 more points to reach 1,000 for his career as he currently owns 824 points. He would become the 21st player in program history to do so and the first since current graduate manager Robo Kreps (2007-11). The Dallas native tallied a season-high 23 points against UT-Martin on Monday night, his sixth career 20-point effort. Brown scored 349 points last season which nearly doubled his 188 total from his sophomore campaign.
