March 1, 2016
CHICAGO -- UIC's defensive backbone, sophomore center Tai Odiase, was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team Tuesday, as selected by the conference's 10 head coaches. This is the first postseason recognition for the Glenwood, Ill., native.
Odiase is the first UIC player since Scott VanderMeer, following the 2008-09 season, to garner a spot on the conference's All-Defensive Team. Only five other players in program history have been recognized for their defensive prowess. VanderMeer was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive Team three times (2008-09, 2007-08 and 2006-07), while Armond Williams earned a spot twice (2004-05 and 2003-04). Cedrick Banks (2004-05), Martell Bailey (2003-04) and Joel Bullock (2000-01) each collected the accolade once as members of the Flames.
"Tai has been an anchor for us on the defensive end throughout the season," said UIC head coach Steve McClain. "He proved night in and night out that he is not only one of the best shot blockers in our conference, but one of the best in the country.
"Like all of our young players, you could see him gain an understanding of where to be and how to play guys as the season went on, and I think that helped him to develop a confidence and a belief that he could be one of the best defenders in our league," said McClain.
Not only did Odiase lead the Flames and the Horizon League in blocks per game, but he is currently tied for the national lead with 3.21 rejections per contest. The 6-foot-9 center turned away 93 shots during the season, a number that marks the second-best output in program history. Odiase has blocked 141 shots in 57 career games and he already ranks fifth on UIC's all-time list in just his second year.
Odiase opened the season with a bang when he registered a then-career-high five blocks on opening night against San Francisco (Nov. 13), but that would become only the first of three times that he would set a new high mark throughout the season. On Jan. 14 against Green Bay Odiase blocked eight shots, but he would top even that lofty metric a month later. The second-year standout sent back a career-high nine shots on Feb. 13 vs. Northern Kentucky, including a potential game-tying shot in the waning seconds of a two-point victory.
In eight games during the month of February Odiase was simply dominant when it came to protecting the rim. He averaged five blocks per game during the calendar's shortest month as he vaulted to the top of the NCAA leaderboard. In total, Odiase blocked a minimum of five shots on nine different occasions, including in five consecutive games from Feb. 11-Feb. 21. During that span he averaged 6.8 rejections per game.
Of course there is more to Odiase's game than just being a shot blocker. He ranked second on the team and 10th in the conference in rebounding with 6.3 caroms per game. He also secured a career-high 15 steals, including a career-high four at Green Bay on Feb. 26.
Odiase was recognized as the Horizon League Co-Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Feb. 15. In back-to-back wins over Wright State and Northern Kentucky, Odiase averaged 15.0 points, seven rebounds and an eye-popping eight blocks per game.
UIC will turn its attention toward the postseason this weekend and the 2016 Little Caesar's Horizon League men's basketball championship. The 10th-seeded Flames will head to historic Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to face No. 3 Wright State in a first-round matchup on Saturday, March 5 at 4 p.m. CT. For more information about #MotorCityMadness, please call 312-413-UIC1 (8421) or visit the Tournament Central page today.
For a complete list of Horizon League award winners from the 2015-16 season, please visit HorizonLeague.org or watch the video below:
