Jan. 13, 2015
UIC GAME NOTES
HEADLINES
The Opening Tip
The UIC men's basketball team will look for a 2-2 Horizon League record on Wednesday night as the Flames host Detroit at 7 p.m. CT inside the UIC Pavilion. This will be the 43rd all-time meeting between the two programs with the Titans holding a 28-14 series advantage. Detroit swept UIC last year during the regular season with a pair of six-point victories (74-68 and 65-59). The Titans won their previous two outings and own a 2-1 conference record with an 8-9 overall mark. They are paced by All-Horizon League senior Juwan Howard Jr., who averages 18.8 points per game.
A Win vs. Detroit would…
…give UIC its first 2-2 Horizon League start since the 2007-08 season … give UIC six wins which matches its season total from last year … give UIC its first victory against Detroit since Dec. 29, 2011 … give UIC a 6-4 home record this season.
Fells Playing His Best Ball
Senior Ahman Fells has started five straight games for the Flames and is playing the best basketball of his career. Over the last four games, Fells is averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting better than 50 percent from the field (20-of-39). The Chicago native achieved his first career double-double last week versus CSU with career-bests of 13 points and 11 boards. The 49 points that Fells has scored over the last four games accounts for more than 30 percent of his 159 career points.
Harris is a Scoring Machine
Fifth-year senior Jay Harris ranks as UIC's leading scorer this season with an average of 13.8 points per game, which also ranks 10th in the Horizon League. Harris has scored in double-digits nine times through his 14 games at UIC and 13 times over his last 18 outings, dating back to his final four games at Wagner last season. He also leads the team in made three pointers with 20.
Marc Brown Closes in on 900 Career Points
Senior guard Marc Brown needs seven more points to reach 900 for his career as he currently owns 893. If Brown reaches 1,000 career points he would become the 21st player in program history to do so and the first since current graduate manager Robo Kreps (2007-11).
Wiegand Improves Year After Year
Junior Jake Wiegand has made tremendous strides in each season with the Flames as the power forward is averaging 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this year. Those numbers are drastic increases from his sophomore season when he averaged 7.5 points and 5.1 boards per game. During his freshman year, Wiegand averaged just 6.6 minutes per contest, recording 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per outing. Wiegand is the only player for UIC to start all 18 games this season and was also named a team captain prior to the 2014-15 campaign, along with senior Marc Brown.
31 Straight Free Throws
Jay Harris made 31 straight free throws before missing his second attempt of the game against Valparaiso last Thursday. The streak dates back to Dec. 11 when UIC defeated Central Florida and stands as the third-longest in program history. Bill Merchantz sank 36 consecutive free throws during the 1977-78 season and Josh Mayo hit 38 straight from 2007 to 2008.
Harris and Brown From the Line
Seniors Jay Harris and Marc Brown are two of the top free throw shooters in the country this season. Harris ranks tied-for-eighth in the nation (91.3%) and first in the Horizon League, while Brown (84.6%) is third in the HL and 61st in the country. Harris also ranks second in the NCAA among career-active free throw shooters with a four-year percentage of .907 (185-of-204). Brown currently sits 10th on UIC's career made free throw leaderboard with 281.
Bench Scoring
Over the last six games, the Flames are averaging 27.3 points per game off the bench compared to 11.5 for their opponents. UIC has totaled 22 or more bench points in each of the last six outings and owns an 80-44 advantage in three league games.
D'Juan With the Dish
Junior D'Juan Miller is averaging 3.9 assists per game which ranks third in the Horizon League. Miller has paced UIC in assists this season in nine of 18 games. Miller also ranks second in the HL in assist-to-turnover ratio with a mark of 2.1 (66 ASTs to 32 TOs).
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 74.2 percent (294-of-396). That figure currently ranks 13th in the country and tops in the Horizon League, while UIC's 294 made free throws ranks 3rd in the NCAA. UIC touts seven players that are shooting above 70 percent from the charity stripe.
Protecting the Rock
UIC committed a mere two turnovers against Judson on Dec. 30 which set a new program record. The Flames stand as one of two teams (Holy Cross) in the nation to have two or fewer turnovers in a single game this season. UIC is averaging 11.3 turnovers per contest, which ranks second in the Horizon League and 45th in the country.
What a Comeback!
The Flames mounted an impressive 77-71 comeback victory against Youngstown State on Jan. 2, after trailing the Penguins 29-11 during first half action. From that point, UIC outscored YSU by a margin of 66-42 which included a 19-2 run late in the second half. The Flames' defense held YSU to a mere five points during a seven minute stretch in the final period to gain the lead and complete the rally.
Flames Rout Judson by 41 Points
UIC's 79-38 triumph against Judson on Dec. 30 was the program's largest margin of victory since Nov. 21, 2001, when the Flames downed St. Joseph's (Ind.) by a final of 96-53. The last time UIC held an opponent to less than 40 points was on Nov. 17, 2012, against Mercer (62-36) at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Snider From Downtown
Junior Gabe Snider has made seven three pointers over his last three games and ranks ninth in the HL in three-point shooting percentage (38.6%). Snider's career mark is .389 (42-of-108) and stands as UIC's career-active leader in that category.
Cleaning Up the Glass
Jake Wiegand has tallied five double-digit rebounding efforts so far this season, standing as one of four Horizon League players to do so. He ranks fourth in the conference in boards per game (7.3) and tied-for-29th in the nation in total rebounds (132). Wiegand now owns 326 career boards and needs just 27 more to surpass his total from last season of 158. The power forward has also paced UIC on glass in 13 of 18 games this season.
Your Rebounding is Offensive
UIC ranks first in the Horizon League and 42nd in the NCAA in offensive rebounds with an average of 13.1 boards per game. The Flames have out-rebounded its opponent on the offensive glass in 16 of 18 games this year. Junior Jake Wiegand ranks first in the HL in offensive rebounding (3.0).
Jay Harris Exploded for Career-High 32 vs. UCF
Jay Harris was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Dec. 15 for his career-high 32-point performance against UCF on Dec.11. 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.). His 32 points is tied for the second highest single-game output in the conference this season.
It's Okay to Steal
The Flames recorded 17 steals in Tuesday's win against Judson, which serves as the program's largest total since Dec. 22, 2007 and the 20th-highest total in the NCAA. UIC's defense forced the Eagles to commit 19 turnovers and converted those miscues into 27 points.
May I Assist You
The Flames dished out a season-high total of 23 assists versus Judson, which is currently tied for the top spot in the Horizon League with Valparaiso in single-game performances. The 23 count stands as the highest assist tally for the program since Jan. 5, 2008.
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 was recently traded to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants after competing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He leads the league in assists per game (10.3) and averages 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per outing. Barlow is in his first professional season as a member of the Grand Rapids Drive. He is averaging 4.9 points per game and shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range.
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).
