Men's Basketball Preview - Part 6: UIC
Nov. 6, 2006
There is an air of excitement building on the city's near-west side with its epicenter at the corner of Racine and Harrison on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
That's where you will find the UIC Pavilion, home of the UIC men's basketball team, a squad poised to build off of five straight winning seasons.
Under the direction of head coach Jimmy Collins, the school's all-time winningest coach and the longest tenured Division I men's basketball coach in the state of Illinois, the Flames return four starters, a crop of seasoned reserves and welcome a talented and tall crop of newcomers who are all looking to help UIC celebrate 25 years of success at the Division I level by claiming the Horizon League title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
All in all, the Flames return six of their eight top scorers and with the new additions UIC now features a lineup with nine players measuring in at 6-foot-4 or taller.
"Now we have got size, quickness and experience," Collins said. "We are going to be an exciting team from the standpoint of scoring, rebounding and defense.
"I expect us to compete and I expect us to compete at a high level, and if we do that I expect us to finish at the top of this conference."
THE TEAM
Anchoring the UIC attack is a pair of second-year performers who dazzled in their rookie campaigns in junior Othyus Jeffers and sophomore Josh Mayo.
Jeffers, the reigning Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, is the team's top returnee in scoring (11.6 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg). Coach Collins has high hopes for a breakout campaign from the Chicago product who once starred at Hubbard High School.
"We are expecting him to take his game to another level this season," Collins said. "And if you watched him last year you know that that level was already pretty high.
"His jump shot has surfaced and he is shooting very well," Collins continued. "He has always been a very good driver, but now he is in more control of what he does."
Mayo, a Horizon League All-Newcomer Team honoree, averaged 10.1 points and 2.5 assists per outing last year, and connected on a team-best 51 three-pointers. He showed right away he was the Flames' point guard of the future last season, scoring 21 points in his first collegiate start as he led UIC to its first-ever win over an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent at Georgia Tech.
"We are expecting more of Josh this season," Collins said. "He is a year older and is a guy we threw in the lion's den last year and he came out of it.
"If it is at all possible he is shooting the ball better right now than he did last year."
A pair of 6-foot-9 Serbia natives also return to the Flames' lineup. Senior Jovan Stefanov is a versatile performer that can play four different positions for UIC and averaged 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season. Senior Danijel Zoric is a post presence for the Flames who blossomed at the end of last year, totaling 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing in the team's final 12 contests.
"We are just really happy to have (Jovan) back for his fifth year," Collins said. "He has worked hard. He has played all summer and his leadership is something we probably can't do without.
"Danijel is playing to a degree at which we almost didn't think he could do," Collins said. "He is shooting from the outside and he is a beast inside. We think those things are going to help us to be a team that is going to surface at the top by year's end."
Added to a reserve arsenal that includes juniors Karl White, Kevin Bond and Robert Bush are five talented newcomers who could all make an immediate impact on the Flames in 2006-07.
Sophomore Scott VanderMeer (6-11, C) and junior T.J. Gray (5-9, G) bring Division I experience to the table having transferred from Bowling Green and Western Illinois respectively.
VanderMeer ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference in blocked shots as a freshman for the Falcons back in 2005 and along with Zoric will give UIC an imposing frontline for opponents to handle.
"Scott VanderMeer is a player we have been waiting a year for," Collins said. "He plays like a 7-footer and shoots the ball very well.
"We are excited about having him here."
Gray was a two-year letterwinner for the Leathernecks, averaging over 10 points per game and shooting over 40% from three-point range during his tenure in Macomb, Ill. His sharp-shooting ability will prove to be a much-needed asset for the Flames in 2006-07.
Spencer Stewart, a 6-foot-4 point guard, joins the Flames as a true freshman after a decorated prep career at Edwardsville High School, where he was an All-State selection. Junior college forward Jermaine Dailey will provide depth in the interior both offensively and defensively at 6-foot-7, as will redshirt freshman Jovan Ignjatovic at 6-foot-9.
THE SCHEDULE
UIC's 2006-07 schedule is arguably its most aggressive in school history with seven contests versus NCAA Tournament teams from last season, including in-state showdowns with Illinois and Bradley, highlighting a rigorous 31-game regular-season slate for the Flames.
All in all, the Flames will play 12 regular-season home games this season with the team also playing an additional exhibition tilt at the Pavilion on November 7 versus Lewis.
The contest with the Flyers is a prelude to what will be an Illinois intensive schedule for UIC, which will take on six in-state opponents, including Illinois, Bradley, Northern Illinois, Illinois State and Chicago State, before a pair of league games with Loyola.
Season tickets, including a limited number of VIP floor seats at the Pavilion, are on sale now. Fans can call 312-413-UIC1 for more information. Season ticket packages include a lower level seat for the Dec. 9 game versus Illinois at the United Center.
The Flames open the year at home on Saturday, November 11 at 1 p.m. versus St. Edward's, a Division II school out of Texas, before embarking on a five-game road trip.
The Flames return home on Nov. 28 for another contest versus an NCAA Tournament team in Murray State, a return game from last year's Bracketbusters showdown won by the Racers, 72-68. UIC opens Horizon League play at home on Dec. 2 versus Youngstown State.
The Flames get back into non-conference action the following week with a pair of in-state games. UIC travels to meet Northern Illinois on Dec. 5 and then heads two miles west of campus to the United Center on Dec. 9 to take on Illinois at the United Center.UIC is back in the Pavilion on Dec. 16 to take on Akron. The contest with the Zips starts a grueling stretch of four games in seven days with trips to Mississippi (Dec. 19) and Penn (Dec. 21) slated for mid-week before the Flames welcome Illinois State to the Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 23.
The Flames' quest for the Horizon League regular-season title begins in earnest in January with Butler (Jan. 10), Loyola (Jan. 13), Detroit (Jan. 20) and Cleveland State (Jan. 27) all venturing into the Pavilion.
UIC welcomes Wright State on February 7 prior to the Flames' longest homestand of the year, a three-game stretch which sandwiches tilts with UW-Green Bay (Feb. 14) and UW-Milwaukee (Feb. 21) around the annual Bracketbusters event on Feb. 17.
The Horizon League Tournament kicks off on Feb. 27 with campus sites hosting first-round games. The tournament runs through March 6.
