THE SERIES BREAKDOWN

• Sunday's matinee is the 30th meeting between UIC and Illinois State, with the Redbirds leading the in-state rivalry, 19-10 (13-3 in Normal).

• The series has traditionally been a close one, with 19 of the previous 29 contests decided by 10 points or less, including the past five (and all four since UIC joined the MVC prior to the 2022-23 season).

• Of the 16 series games played in Normal, 10 have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including the past four that each featured margins of six points or fewer (one going to OT).

• In the teams' most recent encounter on Feb. 7, 2024, the Flames earned a 61-56 win over Illinois State at CEFCU Arena. Current senior forward Filip Škobalj and senior guard Ethan Pickett each scored eight points in the victory, with Pickett nailing a clutch jumper from the right baseline as the shot clock expired with 17 seconds left that gave UIC a critical five-point lead.

• The Flames and Redbirds also met in last year's MVC opener on Nov. 30, 2023, at Credit Union 1 Arena, with Illinois State rallying late for a 69-64 win. Škobalj scored a (then) season-high 17 points for UIC, which led by 13 points in the first half before the visiting Redbirds rallied for the win.

MORE ON ILLINOIS STATE

• Illinois State enters Sunday's matchup with an 8-4 record (0-1 in the MVC). The Redbirds have won four in a row since a narrow 99-97 overtime loss at Belmont in their Valley opener on Dec. 4.

• ISU last took the hardwood on Dec. 22, going on the road to claim an 80-77 victory at Cornell. Freshman forward Jack Daugherty came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points as Illinois State rallied from a two-point halftime deficit for the win.

• Nine of the Redbirds' 12 games this season have been decided by 10 points or less, including four that ended up as one-possession affairs.

• Sophomore forward Chase Walker leads ISU and ranks among the top 10 in the MVC in scoring (15.3 ppg.), rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.621). Sophomore guard Johnny Kinziger adds 13.8 ppg. (ninth in the MVC),  graduate student guard Dalton Banks contributes 11.1 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per game (sixth in the MVC), and Daugherty, the reigning Valley Freshman of the Week, is tied for second in the conference with a .500 three-point percentage.

• Head coach Ryan Pedon is in his third season at Illinois State with a 34-42 record, including a 16-25 record in MVC play. He is 2-2 all-time against UIC.

GAME #11 RECAP - SEATTLE U.

• Sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II led a balanced UIC attack with 14 points and a career-high nine assists as the Flames posted their third consecutive win, and second in a row on the road, with a 79-68 victory over defending CBI Tournament champion Seattle U. on Dec. 20 at the Redhawk Center in Seattle.

• Henderson also collected a career-high four steals in the victory, while junior guard Javon Jackson tallied 12 points and four steals and redshirt senior forward Modestas Kancleris had 12 points and seven rebounds. UIC finished with a season-high six players scoring in double figures (and a seventh with nine points) while shooting 50.9 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from the three-point line. 

NOTING THE SEATTLE U. GAME

• UIC had six double-figure scorers in a game for the first time since March 14, 2018, when the Flames also had six 10-point scorers in an 84-61 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) in the first round of the College Insider Tournament (CIT) at Credit Union 1 Arena.

• This marked the sixth time in 11 games this season the Flames have had at least four players score in double figures and the third time with five or more (also Yale and La Salle).

• UIC has won a season-high three consecutive games and improves to 2-1 on the road this season (the lone road loss an 83-74 decision at Big Ten foe Northwestern on Nov. 12).

• Henderson set new career highs with nine assists and four steals, finishing one assist shy of his first career double-double.

• UIC wins its inaugural game against Seattle U., while also squaring its all-time record against current Western Athletic Conference members at 2-2 (1-0 vs. Southern Utah, 0-2 vs. Grand Canyon).

POTENT NOTABLES

• Entering the balance of its MVC schedule, UIC has an average opponent NET ranking of 81, which is second-highest in the Valley.

• With its Nov. 22 win over La Salle at the Boardwalk Battle, UIC collected its third victory over an Atlantic 10 Conference opponent in the past two seasons, following up last year's victories over Loyola and George Washington.

• UIC has had at least four double-digit scorers in six games this season. The Flames had a season-high six in their Dec. 20 road win at Seattle U., the  most for UIC in a single game since March 2018.

• UIC has knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in six games this year.

• The Flames have scored at least 80 points five times this season and topped the 90-point mark on four occasions.

• This season marked the first time in the 78-year history of the UIC men's basketball program that it had four 90-point outings in its first six games.

• UIC has shot 45 percent or better in seven games this year, including 50 percent in five of those contests (season-high 60.0 percent on Nov. 16 against Saint Mary's-Minn.).

• The Flames went 30-of-34 (.882) at the free throw line in their win over La Salle, UIC's most made foul shots in a game since Nov. 16, 2016, when it went 34-of-47 at the stripe in a home win over UTSA.

• UIC grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in the Dec. 15 win at Little Rock, its highest total on the offensive glass since Jan. 8, 2017, when the Flames had 24 offensive boards in a 58-57 home loss to Oakland.

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS

• UIC sophomore forward Saša Ciani leads the MVC in rebounding (9.9 rpg.; 17th in NCAA), as well as offensive rebounding (3.7 orpg.; 11th in NCAA) and double-doubles (4; 40th in NCAA).

• As a team, UIC is tops in the Valley in rebounding (40.6 rpg.; 30th in NCAA) and offensive rebounds (12.9 orpg), as well as second in the MVC in rebound margin (+8.2 rpg.; 25th in NCAA).

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

• There are a lot of new faces in Sparky's camp this season, as UIC welcomes 11 newcomers to its roster, including eight transfers (all from Division I programs).

• Three of those arrivals bring with them playing experience in the NCAA Tournament from their prior stops — Javon Jackson (Utah State), Modestas Kancleris (Creighton) and Joshua Reaves (Mount St. Mary's).

• Among the new arrivals to Chicago's College Team are junior guard Jordan Mason (9.4 ppg. in two years at Texas State), graduate guard Joshua Reaves (7.5 ppg. and a .368 3FG% in four years at Mount St. Mary's), junior guard Javon Jackson (10.5 ppg. in two years at Southern Nazarene and Utah State) and sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II (11.2 ppg. in one year at Niagara).

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE

• UIC's roster has a distinct international flair this season with four student-athletes hailing from abroad (all from Europe).

• Senior forward Filip Škobalj is a native of Belgrade, Serbia, while redshirt senior forward Modestas Kancleris is originally from Kaunas, Lithuania.

• Sophomore forward Saša Ciani is from Nova Gorica, Slovenia, while UIC's youngest player, freshman Iker Garmendia, is a product of Barcelona, Spain.

• The last time UIC had four international players on its roster was the 2020-21 season — Škobalj (Serbia), graduate student guard Jamie Ahale (Australia), junior forward Marcus Larsson (Norway) and graduate student guard Jalen Warren (Canada).

MAKING THE GRADE

• The UIC men's basketball team posted a 3.12 GPA during the 2023-24 academic year, spotlighting a trend that has seen the Flames post a record-setting GPA in three of the past five semesters.

• The men's basketball team's performance was part of a larger academic success story for UIC athletics last year, as the 300 Flames' student-athletes combined for a 3.35 department-wide GPA.

UP NEXT: DRAKE

• For the only time in a month-long span over the holidays, UIC will back home at Credit Union 1 Arena next Wednesday for a New Year's Day matinee against Drake. Tipoff time is set for 2 p.m. (CT) with the game to be televised live on ESPN+ and carried live on the Flames Network at UICFlames.com with Jonathan Hood and Kenny Williams on the call.

• Drake (11-0, 1-0 MVC) is ranked No. 1 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and is just outside the Top 25 (third among others receiving votes) in both the Associated Press and NABC/USA Today coaches' polls. The Bulldogs play host to Belmont Sunday afternoon before traveling to Chicago next week.

• UIC is 2-10 all-time against Drake (1-4 in Chicago), although the past two matchups (both played at Credit Union 1 Arena) have gone to overtime, including last year's 107-105 triple-overtime thriller won by the Bulldogs.

THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN

• Tickets for all UIC basketball home games may be purchased online through Ticketmaster or UICFlames.com/Tickets, by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312-413-UIC1; athleticsticketing@uic.edu) or visiting the Credit Union 1 Arena box office on game night.

• Fans can also purchase passes for the US Solar Courtside Club at Credit Union 1 Arena through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or the arena box office.