CHICAGO -- For the first time in the Steve McClain era, the Flames will hit the floor at the UIC Pavilion Saturday afternoon to face a squad in a different uniform. UIC will welcome the Lake Forest College Foresters this weekend for its lone exhibition tilt of the 2015-16 campaign. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.

McClain was brought in as the 11th head men's basketball coach in UIC history in March, and with him the veteran coach has brought an up-tempo style, a relentless energy, an experienced coaching staff and eight exciting new players. Coupled with seven talented returners, the Flames are poised for a memorable 2015-16 campaign.

Below are a few headlines as the Flames prepare to welcome the Foresters to the Pavilion on Saturday at 3 p.m.:

McClain Takes the Reins
On March 23 UIC Athletic Director Jim Schmidt announced Steve McClain as the 11th head men's basketball coach in program history. The veteran leader owns 33 years of collegiate coaching experience, including nine seasons as a NCAA Division I head coach at Wyoming. He most recently served for five seasons at Indiana University, where he was an associate head coach under Tom Crean.

Local Flavor
Eight of the 15 players on UIC's roster are native to the state of Illinois, and seven of those Flames hail from the Chicagoland area. Seniors Paris Burns (Proviso East) and Gabe Snider (Whitney Young) are from Chicago, as is junior Josh Joiner (Willowbrook) and freshman Dominique Matthews (St. Rita). Sophomores Lance Whitaker (Bartlett) and Tai Odiase (Homewood-Flossmor), plus freshman Julian Torres (Bolingbrook) call suburban Chicagoland home. Finally, freshman Dikembe Dixson is originally from Freeport, Ill., a town about 114 miles northwest of the Windy City.

Fresh Faces
UIC basketball welcomes eight newcomers to the court for the 2015-16 season with six freshmen and two transfers in the fold. The freshman class features players from three different states including Illinois (3), Texas (2) and Indiana (1).

Block Party
Sophomore Tai Odiase developed into one of the nation's top interior defenders as a true freshman a year ago. The Glenwood, Ill., native averaged 1.7 blocks per game in only 18.7 minutes per contest in his first season. Odiase's 48 rejections marked the second-highest total ever for a UIC freshman, and the eighth-best single-season effort by all Flames.

Protecting the Rock
UIC consistently took care of the basketball a year ago. The squad's 11.0 turnovers per game ranked as the fewest by any Horizon League team during the 2014-15 campaign; the Flames ranked tied for 44th nationally in that category. UIC's seven returning players combined to account for only 4.6 turnovers per game a year ago.

For more notes and information about Saturday's exhibition game and the upcoming 2015-16 season, please click the Game Notes PDF above.

The regular season begins at home on Friday, Nov. 13 when UIC entertains the San Francisco Dons at 7 p.m., in the first-ever meeting on the hardwood between the two programs. Season tickets are still on sale for the upcoming slate. Please call 312-413-UIC1 (8421) today to get join the Flames at the UIC Pavilion this season.