• UIC and Murray State are slated to meet for the ninth time in their series history, with the Racers holding a 6-2 edge over the Flames, including a 4-0 mark in Murray. MSU is also 5-1 all-time against UIC since both schools joined the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2022-23 season.
• The last three matchups between UIC and Murray State have each been decided by 10 points or fewer.
• This is the second meeting this season between the Flames and Racers. Back on New Year's Day, MSU edged UIC, 81-77 at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. In a game that saw neither side lead by more than six points the entire night, there were 10 ties and 11 lead changes before the Racers (who were ranked No. 19 in the College Insider Mid-Major poll at tipoff) ultimately outscored the Flames, 9-4 over the final 67 seconds to pull out the verdict.
• UIC is seeking its first win in the Commonwealth of Kentucky since Feb. 16, 2020, when the Flames posted a 73-43 win at former Horizon League foe Northern Kentucky.

• Murray State has been one of the fastest rising programs in the MVC this season, featuring an entirely revamped roster and coaching staff from a season ago.
• The Racers, who have been ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major poll throughout the 2025-26 season, posted the longest winning streak in the MVC earlier this season (12 games) and had a share of the Valley lead at the midpoint of the conference season.
• MSU comes into Tuesday's game with UIC on a four-game losing streak, most recently falling at current MVC pacesetter Belmont, 103-86 last Saturday.
• At least one Racer ranks among the conference leaders in most categories, including scoring (Javon Jackson - 2nd/16.7 ppg.), rebounding (Fred King - 1st/8.7 rpg.), field-goal percentage (King - 2nd/.655), blocks (King - 2nd/2.0 bpg.) and assist/turnover ratio (Layne Taylor - 1st/3.75).
• Ryan Miller is in his first season as head coach at Murray State with a 16-7 record, including a 1-0 mark against UIC.

• UIC stretched its winning streak to eight games last Saturday, rallying from 18 points down in the the final 17 minutes to post a 68-66 win at Southern Illinois. Not only was it the Flames' first win in eight all-time visits to Carbondale, but it was their largest comeback win since Nov. 25, 2020, when they rallied from 22 down to defeat Northern Illinois, 65-61 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• UIC's current eight-game winning streak (all against MVC opponents) is its longest since Nov. 17-Dec. 15, 2012, a run that included one non-Division I victory. This is also the Flames' longest conference (and entirely Division I) winning streak since Jan. 24-Feb. 28, 2004, when UIC won its final 10 Horizon League games of the season — it would then win both conference tournament games, capped by a 65-62 victory at Bruce Pearl's Milwaukee squad in the Horizon League final to book the program's most recent NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Junior guard Ahmad Henderson II became the newest member of UIC's 1,000-Point Club, reaching the milestone in last Saturday's victory at Southern Illinois. The Chicago native has scored 1,004 points in his three collegiate seasons, including 645 during the past two years at UIC, followed his freshman year at Niagara.
• Sophomore guard Elijah Crawford's steal and layup with 1.8 seconds left on Jan. 27 against Indiana State marked the Flames' first buzzer-beating win since Jan. 21, 2021, when Michael Diggins' tip-in gave UIC a 67-66 road win at Youngstown State.
• Crawford's return to action after missing most of the first two months of the season with a lower leg injury has been a key catalyst during UIC's current win streak. In the past eight games, he is averaging 14.8 points and 4.5 assists per game, scoring in double figures seven times with two 20-point outings (career-high 26 at Bradley on Jan. 24). The Flames are 10-1 this season in games in which Crawford plays and 6-0 when he starts, with the lone loss coming in his first game back on Jan. 4 at Valparaiso (66-59, in a game the Flames led by seven with under seven minutes to go before the Beacons closed on a 19-5 run).
• Eight different UIC players have led the team in scoring at least once, tying for the second-most unique game-high scorers in the nation this season (VCU has nine, while Arizona, Creighton, Illinois, Kentucky, Northeastern and Saint Louis also have eight).
• Of the 12 players on UIC's roster who have seen playing time this year, 10 have scored in double figures at least once this season, led by junior guard Ahmad Henderson II (18 games) and freshman guard Andy Johnson (12). The 10 different double-digit scorers ties for second-most in the MVC behind Illinois State (11).
• UIC has gone very young with its lineup during the past 12 games, starting three freshmen in guards Andy Johnson and Rashund Washington Jr., along with redshirt forward Jayce Nathaniel. The Flames are one of only four schools in the nation (along with Arizona, Fairfield and UT Martin) to have three freshmen start at least 12 times this year, with only one other school (New Mexico) having fielded a three-freshman lineup even once this year.
• To say UIC's schedule has been challenging this year is putting it mildly. Nearly half (10) of the Flames' 21 Division I opponents have been ranked or receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll at tipoff, including a stretch of three in a row from Dec. 7-17 (No. 3 Yale, No. 5 Belmont, No. 10 UNI).
• With recent road wins at No. 7 Illinois State and No. 10 UNI, UIC has five victories over ranked mid-major squads (four vs. top-10 programs) in head coach Rob Ehsan's two seasons. Last year, the Flames defeated No. 1 Drake, No. 4 Bradley and No. 13 Yale.
• The Flames have come oh-so-close to victory on several occasions this year, with eight losses by 10 points or fewer and/or in overtime, including four MVC games to date (average of 5.0 ppg. in losses to Belmont, UNI, Murray State and Valparaiso).
• UIC has led at halftime in 10 of its 12 conference games this season (the lone exception on Jan. 13 at UNI by a 32-29 margin, and this past Saturday at SIU by a 36-25 score).
• Five of UIC's close losses have come against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major poll (OSU, HPU, BEL, UNI, MSU), and four close losses have come by three points or fewer and/or in overtime (OSU, UAPB, BEL, CHA). In those latter four "one-possession" games, UIC had the ball each time with a chance to tie or win the game in the closing seconds, but despite a clean look each time, the Flames' shots did not fall.
• UIC men's basketball has been hitting the books at a record-setting level this year. The Flames posted a 3.26 team GPA during the Fall 2025 semester, the program's highest semester GPA since at least 2010-11.
• On Nov. 13, UIC announced the signing of Dikembe Shaw, a 6-7 forward from Crown Point, Ind. for 2026-27. Shaw was an all-state and Indiana Junior All-Star pick last year at Crown Point High School, posting 16.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg. and 3.4 apg., while helping the Bulldogs go 24-2 and make the Indiana Class 4A semistate final. He also had 12.9 ppg. and 5.9 rpg. in the summer 2025 club season with Indiana Elite 3SSB (3Stripes Select Basketball).

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