CHICAGO -- UIC begins its 36th season of Division I men's basketball, and the second under head coach
Steve McClain, on Friday, Nov. 11 when it travels west to play the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial Gymnasium at the Sobrato Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT/8 p.m. PT.
This is the second consecutive season in which the Flames will meet the Dons in the season opener. USF visited the UIC Pavilion on Nov. 13, 2015, and the team narrowly escaped with a three-point victory. It was the first time in seven games against current members of the West Coast Conference that UIC fell to one of those foes.
Friday's game can be heard live on UICFlames.com with the Voice of the Flames, Jonathan Hood, on the call. Hood's pregame show begins at 9:50 p.m. The game will also stream live on TheW.tv.
Below are a few notes heading into the 2016-17 season:
FOUR SCORE:
- After finishing 10th in 2015-16, UIC was picked to finish fourth in the 2016-17 Horizon League preseason poll.
- Defending regular-season champion Valparaiso was tabbed to repeat.
- Oakland was picked second and 2016 NCAA Tournament participant Green Bay was selected third.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR:
- UIC's roster has four international players.
- Freshmen Godwin Boahen (Toronto) and Marcus Ottey (Ajax) hail from Ontario, Canada.
- Freshman Jordan Blount is a native of Cork, Ireland.
- Blount and Ottey were prep teammates at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio during the 2015-16 season.
- Junior Clint Robinson is from Montego Bay, Jamaica. He finished high school in Maryland and attended State Fair Community College in Missouri the last two years.
WATCH OUT:
- Dikembe Dixson was named to Preseason Julius Erving Award Watch List.
- Honor goes to nation's top small forward.
- Presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Dixson is one of 20 players on initial list, and one of six underclassmen.
- Joins Wichita State's Markis McDuffie as only underclassmen from mid-major programs.
WEST COAST SUCCESS:
- UIC is 6-1 all-time against current members of the West Coast Conference.
- Flames won on their first six WCC matchups before falling to San Francisco in 2015.
- UIC has two wins against both Saint Mary's and San Diego, and one win against Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara.
- The most recent victory came against San Diego in Estero, Fla., on Nov. 25, 2013 (74-70).
PRESEASON PRAISE:
- Dikembe Dixson was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team.
- Dixson earned All-Horizon League Second Team honors in 2015-16.
- He was unanimous 2016 Horizon League Freshman of the Year.
- Tai Odiase was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.
- Odiase was only non-senior on 2016 Horizon League All-Defensive Team.
- Odiase led the NCAA with 3.23 blocks per game during the 2015-16 regular season.
For more notes and game information ahead of Friday's contest, please click on the UIC Game Notes link.
The Flames will open the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday, Nov. 16, when UTSA comes to Chicago for a nonconference game at 7 p.m.. Prior to the game, UIC will host its second annual Tip-Off Tailgate beginning at 4:30 p.m. The event is FREE and open to the public, and it will be held in Pavilion Parking Lots 1A and 1B (1109 W. Harrison St.). There will be a beer garden sponsored by Lagunitas Brewing Company (must be 21+ years old to enter), free food and drinks from Connie's Pizza, Vienna Beef and Mountain Dew. Personal cars and tents are also welcome.
