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The answer to this question will be eagerly awaited over the next few months. The 2012-2013 UIC Flames men’s basketball team turned a huge curve in the rebuilding of the program. Howard Moore, who took over the head coaching position from Jimmy Collins in 2010, had quite the mess to clean up.
The Flames had not been to the postseason since 2004, they were coming off of back-to-back losing seasons, and they were struggling in the recruiting department. It has been an exhausting road but Howard Moore has been able to steer the Flames in the right direction.
In 2013, the Flames had their first winning season since the 2007-2008, their first season with at least 15 victories since the previously aforementioned season, their first postseason bid since 2004, and their first postseason victory in school history. Not a bad turnaround in just three seasons.
It wasn’t easy, but Coach Moore’s formula for success is finally starting to pay off. The first thing Moore did in rebuilding the program is bringing back local recruits. Oak Park-River Forest alum Daniel Barnes, Aurora Central Catholic’s Anthony Kelley, Simeon’s Ahman Fells, Thornton’s Jay Parker, and Whitney Young’s Gabe Snider were all on the active roster in 2013.
Coach Moore was also able to get former Hales-Franciscan big man Josh Crittle to transfer home from Central Florida. Moore also had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough from other parts of the country. Players such as Gary Talton, Will Simonton, Marc Brown, and Jake Weigand.
I think that one of the biggest moves the Flames made was being able to pull Hayden Humes away from the grasp of Valparaiso, Humes’ home town. He was aggressively recruited by the hometown Crusaders but opted to come to Chicago instead. All of these players each played an intricate part in the Flames success this past season.
The biggest reasons for this newfound success were guards Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes, along with center Josh Crittle. They accounted for the majority of the Flames offense this year. Role players such as Kelley, Simonton, Humes, Brown, and Weigand also played a pivotal role.
Now granted the Flames did not make the NCAA tournament, instead they played in the College Insider Tournament. The reason why they didn’t make the big dance was because of bad key losses towards the end of the season. Not helping matters was getting eliminated in the second round of the Horizon League Tournament.
But they did get into the postseason. They beat an upstart Chicago State team in the first round, but got out shot by Northern Iowa in the second round. It’s not what Flames fans were hoping for, but it’s a building block and a good place to start. Of course the Flames will have to work even harder come next season.
Crittle, Barnes, and Talton are graduating next month. One or perhaps all of them could be headed into the NBA. Barnes and Talton were the beginning and the end of this UIC offense. Their leadership will also be a tough act to follow. You can replace the roster spot but it’s never easy to replace the player.
With the dismissal of center Matt Gorski in February, the Flames will have to search for another big man to fill in for Crittle or at the very least back up Will Simonton.
In the meantime, I expect Marc Brown to be one of the starting guards for the 2013-2014 season. The other guard spot will be a battle between Joey Miller, Jay Parker, and Gabe Snider. Anthony Kelley will also be difficult to replace. Kelley was one of those major role players who made a difference when it counted the most.
While it will be hard to replace everything he brought to the table, I’m sure that Ahman Fells will try his best. This is the perfect spot for Fells to prove himself, I can only hope that Coach Moore will give him the opportunity. I also expect to see more out of Jake Wiegand next season.
I think for now it’s safe to say that Brown, Humes, Fells, and Simonton are the probable starters for the Flames next season. Let’s hope that Howard Moore can continue to bring in the local recruits and mix them in with core players on the roster now. Next season begins now for the UIC Flames.
Tonight I will be covering the Chicago Cubs first night game of 2013 when they take on the Houston Astros. The first pitch will be after 7pm, you can look for game updates here on Q101. You can also follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
After defeating Cleveland State in the first round of the 2013 Horizon League Tournament this week, UIC had plenty of momentum heading into their quarterfinal match up with Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Unfortunately, the ride would come to a screeching halt on Friday as UWGB extinguished the mighty Flames 64-63. This game was tight from start to finish. Both teams traded baskets for pretty much the entire game.
The final 44 seconds was the story teller in this one. The game was tied at 61 when Phoenix guard Jordan Fouse missed two free throw shots and UIC got the rebound.
Shortly afterwards, Flames guard Gary Talton was fouled and hit two free throws to take a 63-61 lead. It would come down to the final play. After a series of passes, Green Bay guard Sultan Muhammad found himself wide open. And with nobody guarding him, he got the ball and hit a three-point shot with only a couple of seconds left.
UIC guard Daniel Barnes attempted a half-court shot at the buzzer but it would not go. The Flames were sent packing from Valparaiso on a night where they got another great effort from their top players.
Flames forward Hayden Humes led all scorers with 23 points. The Valparaiso native also shot 10-12 from the field and grabbed 5 rebounds. Gary Talton and center Josh Crittle combined for 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.
The Flames will return home to Chicago to await their postseason fate. They finish the season with a 17-15 record, and have an RPI of 164. It may not get them into the NCAA Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament also seems like a stretch.
Perhaps a bid to either the College Invitational or College Insider Tournaments will be the most likely destinations. UIC has not played in the postseason since the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
In the other quarterfinal, Wright State defeated Youngstown State 66-59. Wisconsin-Green Bay will have the tough task of taking on the top seeded, regular season champion Valparaiso. As for Wright State, they will go up against the just as tough Detroit Titans.
Both games will take place later today with the championship game on Tuesday.
In other major college basketball news:
Back on March 1st, I reported on how DePaul and the rest of what’s known as “The Catholic 7″ could move to their new conference as soon as next school year.
On Friday, that decision was made official. DePaul, St. Johns, Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence, and Georgetown will departing the current version of the Big East Conference.
The Catholic Seven will get to keep the Big East name, logos, properties, and still play the annual conference tournament at New York’s Madison Square Garden. This all takes effect on July 1st.
Here is the official statement from the Big East:
“Big East Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco today announced that after several weeks of cordial and professional discussions, a definitive agreement has been reached that will enable a mutually-beneficial separation of some of the league’s current members and allow an orderly formation of a new conference by the seven basketball schools. The separation will become effective on July 1, 2013.
The agreement, which remains subject to formal Board approval, contemplates continued cooperation and playing opportunities between the conferences.”
Here is what Commissioner Aresco had to say:
“I am pleased that this agreement has been reached. With the long-term well-being of our outstanding institutions and their student-athletes of paramount importance, each group worked through a number of complex issues in an orderly, comprehensive and amicable manner marked by mutual respect. We part ways as friends and colleagues and look forward to the success of both conferences.”
Here is the reaction from DePaul President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider:
“DePaul University is grateful to Commissioner Aresco and our Big East colleagues for the collegial discussions that have allowed us to leave in 2013 and begin our new league. We are excited about the opportunities this endeavor will afford our student-athletes, coaches and fans. We wish the ongoing football members the very best as they establish their footprint in the college football landscape.”
This is from a joint statement released by the other six members of The Catholic Seven:
“We are grateful to Commissioner Michael Aresco for spearheading an agreement that truly represents the best path forward for each of our great institutions and the thousands of student-athletes who compete for our schools annually. It is a great credit to Mike, our colleagues, and all involved that we were able to work through a host of highly complex and time-sensitive issues in such a short period of time. We are pleased that we reached this amicable and mutually-beneficial separation by approaching each issue with a spirit of cooperation and shared respect.”
It’s being reported that after The Catholic Seven officially takes the “Big East” name, they will reach out to Dayton and Xavier to join the new Big East. As for the other teams that remain from the original Big East {Cincinnati, Louisville, Connecticut, South Florida, Rutgers, and Temple}, and the new teams scheduled to join that group on July 1st {Houston, Memphis, Central Florida, and Southern Methodist}, ESPN is reporting that $85 million will be split evenly among those institutions for their loyalty.
Also on July 1st, Pittsburgh and Syracuse will be leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Notre Dame was originally scheduled to join the ACC in 2014. But with these new developments, Notre Dame has decided that they will try to join the ACC on July 1st along with Pittsburgh and Syracuse instead of waiting.
The only other options on the table for the Fighting Irish are to either stay in what will become of the original Big East, or join the new Big East until 2014. Hopefully DePaul will have a brighter future ahead of them now that they are once again part of a conference focused on basketball.
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The road to March Madness has officially begun tonight as the first round of the 2013 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament got under way. Illinois-Chicago and Loyola were at the forefront of tonight’s action.
The 5th seeded UIC Flames got to play one final home game tonight as they opened the tournament against 8th seeded Cleveland State. The CSU Vikings had beaten the Flames in both regular season meetings this year.
Those defeats had motivated the Flames and as they took the court at the UIC Pavilion one final time, they would not be denied. The Flames dominated from start to finish.
Center Josh Crittle was the torch that burned brightly for the Flames tonight as he scored a career-high 20 points which led all scorers. He also went 10-12 from the free throw line, and added 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.
Guard Daniel Barnes also had a hot hand as he pitched in with 16 points, shot 4-7 from three point range, and led his team with two steals. Gary Talton added 11 points and 5 assists, while forwards Hayden Humes and Marc Brown scored 10 points each.
UIC has truly redeemed themselves from their regular season failures against the Vikings. They used their size and speed advantage to punish CSU and take home an 82-59 victory. Illinois-Chicago out-rebounded Cleveland State 45-32, and forced 12 turnovers.
While things were all gravy on the West Side, the North Side was not so lucky. Loyola lost their first round game to Youngstown State 62-60. Loyola has struggled against Youngstown this year as they lost both regular season encounters.
This was a tale of two halves for the 7th seeded Ramblers. YSU took a 12-4 lead early on, but after a timeout Loyola was back into it and tied the game at 19. The two teams would be tied at 29 at the break. In the second half Loyola got busy right off the bat.
They took a 40-34 lead midway through, but that’s when things started to fall apart for Loyola. YSU came back to tie the game and both teams would trade shots until the final minute. The 6th seeded Penguins would win the game on a last second jump shot from D.J. Cole.
Ben Averkamp’s 14 points and Jordan Hicks’ 12 points just weren’t enough on this night. There will be no celebration in Rogers Park tonight.
The final opening game of the night would see the 4th seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay end the misery of the 9th seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 62-46. As the Panthers head home down I-43, they can now begin to improve for next year.
UIC moves onto the quarterfinals to go toe-to-toe with the same Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix team. They split the regular season series 1-1 this year. The Flames will need another monster game from both Josh Crittle and Daniel Barnes if they are going to win this rubber match and advance to the semifinals.
Waiting in the wings is the top seeded, regular season champion Valparaiso Crusaders. As for Youngstown State, they have the pleasure of going up against interstate rival Wright State who took the 3rd seed in this years tournament.
Who ever wins this battle of Ohio mid-majors will have the difficult task of playing 2nd seeded Detroit in the semifinals.
Every game from this point on will be on a neutral site as Valparaiso hosts the remainder of the tournament. The festivities resume on Friday night.
Currently UIC is now 17-14 and have improved their postseason chances. They could be in the very tip of the bubble for the NCAA Tourament. But at this point, a bid to either the NIT, CBA, or CIT seems like a better chance.
As for the Ramblers, they finish with back-to-back losing seasons. Although their record of 15-16 is a complete turn around from last year’s 7-23 season, it may not be good enough to get even a CBI or CIT bid.
Wednesday afternoon at 1:30, tune into http://www.sportstownchicago.com/home.cfm and click on the listen live link. I will once again be joining the “Cooley and Chivari” show, where I will give my analysis on the opening round of the Horizon League tournament.
Today was a very competitive day for Chicagoland college basketball with two major televised games on the schedule this afternoon. One game was nationally televised, the other was regionally televised.
First up was the nationally televised game between DePaul and Rutgers in a Big East Conference match up in Rosemont. The Demons were looking to end a nine game losing streak while Rutgers was looking to climb out of the gutter in the standings.
The first half was back and forth for both teams. The Blue Demons and the Scarlett Knights were both scoring at will and would not be denied. The game was tied at 32 at halftime.
In the second half DePaul put the pressure on Rutgers as Worrel Clahar, Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young, and Donnavan Kirk all scored in double figures for the Demons.
They would need those performances as they only got nine points off of their bench. A key injury to Rutgers guard Eli Carter took the pressure off of Oliver Purnell’s team halfway through the second half.
DePaul led by as much as 12 late in the second half, but it looked like they were about to blow another lead. Rutgers guard Myles Mack scored 14 of his 28 total points late in the half to tie it at 62 with two minutes left.
The Blue Demons would rally thanks to big shots by Worrel Clahar and Cleveland Melvin and finish the game on a 13-7 run to take home a 75-69 victory and pick up their second conference win of the season.
DePaul is now 11-14 overall and 2-10 in the Big East for a tie for ninth place in the standings with Seton Hall. The Demons will get a couple days to enjoy their victory before hitting the road to take on the mighty Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday night.
As for the regionally televised contest, Loyola and UIC battled it out at the Gentile Center in Rogers Park. The Flames already had a leg up on the Ramblers in the season series after a two-point victory back on January 16th.
But today the action shifted away from the UIC Pavilion and Howard Moore’s group entered hostile territory. It looked like it was going to be a defensive battle to the very end.
Especially when the first three minutes of the game were scoreless and only eight total points were scored in the first five minutes. It appeared that without Ben Averkamp and Cully Payne in the lineup, Porter Moser’s squad was going to have a hard time contending with UIC’s size advantage.
The Ramblers would counter the Flame’s size with their speed and quickness. Loyola’s defense also did a solid job as they held Illinois-Chicago guard Gary Talton to just 10 points. They also managed to slow down Flames center Josh Crittle.
Crittle only had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks before fouling out in the second half. Loyola kept hitting one shot after another and had built up a 14-point lead at one point.
The Flames did try to battle back late in the game with runs of 9-2 and 8-3. But UIC’s foul trouble would come back to haunt them in the final minutes as Loyola would go 6-8 from the free throw line to stay ahead for good.
Loyola would defend their home court successfully and tie the season series at one game each with a 69-60 victory. Christian Thomas would come up big filling in for Ben Averkamp as he led all scorers with 23 points.
Jordan Hicks would contribute 18 and Devon Turk scored 10 in place of Cully Payne. The Flames are now 15-11 overall with a 6-7 Horizon League record.
They are now fifth place in the conference and this loss puts them back on the postseason bubble. As for Loyola, they are now 14-12 overall with a 4-9 Horizon League record. They are only a game and-a-half ahead of last place Wisconsin-Milwaukee as they fight to salvage their season.
The Flames can rebound with a victory over last place UW-Milwaukee on Wednesday night. As for Loyola, they have now broken their four-game losing streak and they improve to 5-1 against Chicago area teams.
But it doesn’t get any easier for them as they have to go to Valparaiso on Tuesday. The first place Crusaders have already defeated the Ramblers once this season.
The season is not over yet, stay tuned…… You can follow on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports for constant updates
Gary Talton (4) finished the game with 16 points.
The Flames began the second half the same way they finished the first half, sluggish. The Flames only managed two baskets within the first four minutes of the half. The Vikings kept finding ways to get open shots and challenge UIC inside the paint. Marlon Mason and Charlie Lee were the starts of the show for Cleveland State tonight.
They combined for 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Turnovers and missed shots were once again the issue for the Flames. Josh Crittle scored 11 tonight but should have had more as he missed numerous shots. Most of his misses were free throws, the others were easy layups and short jumpers which wouldn’t go.
Not helping matters was the fact that CSU out-rebounded UIC 38-24. Josh Crittle struggled in the box against the undersized Viking players he went up against. The Flames did try to mount a comeback midway through the half. At one point they went on a 15-2 run. But CSU always found a way to stop the Flames momentum.
Foul trouble was also a problem as Crittle and his backup center Will Simonton had three fouls each. Daniel Barnes had four fouls on his own but did managed to finish second in scoring with 14. Barnes and Talton managed to put together quite the effort in the second half. Forward Anthony Kelley also did his best to boost Howard Moore’s squad as he scored seven of his 11 points in the final frame.
But in the end it wasn’t enough as the Vikings did plenty of damage in the first half, and managed to do enough in the second half to stay ahead. The Flames just could not come up with a solution to stop CSU’s jump shot frenzy tonight and their winning streak now ends at three games. CSU wins 77-66
They have now won eight in-a-row at the UIC Pavilion, they are now 11-12 (3-6 Horizon League) on the 2012-2013 season. The Flames fall to 14-9 (5-5 Horizon League) and they now head on the road for the next four games. This will be the most difficult trip of the season for UIC.
They have to go to Valparaiso, Youngstown State, Loyola, and UW-Milwaukee. The Flames are 3-1 against those four teams this season. So hopefully that statistic will give them a little hope as they continue through the month of February. As for Cleveland State, they will get a little bit of home cooking as they welcome Youngstown and Valpo to Northeast Ohio next week.
The Flames still have a chance to get an NCAA Tournament bid, this loss is just one dent in the road. Here is tonight’s box score:
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The Flames are struggling so far. They are only 4-8 from the free throw line, 10-24 from the field, only 2-7 from three point range, and they’ve committed six turnovers. All of which have lead to points for Cleveland State.
Hayden Humes has been the lone bright spot for UIC, he leads his team with 10 points. Gary Talton has been held in check by CSU’s defense. He’s only scored once tonight and Josh Crittle hasn’t fared much better as he only has five points. He’s also only shot 1-5 from the foul line.
The Vikings have been able to hit wide open shots, apply pressure on defense, and they’ve managed to keep the Flames star players under wraps. UIC will need to come out disciplined in the second half. They need to stop committing turnovers, Gary Talton, Daniel Barnes, and Josh Crittle need to get their motors going, and they need to tighten up on defense.
The Flames may have the size advantage, but CSU has been countering with their speed and quickness. This will be a very interesting second half as the Flames will need to go all out to keep Cleveland State from snapping their three-game winning streak.
Here is the halftime box score:
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The Flames are on the court for early warm-ups.
The Flames are red hot and they look to continue to burn the competition here at the UIC Pavilion on the West Side tonight. But winning their fourth in-a-row will not be easy. The Cleveland State Vikings have defeated UIC in their last seven trips here to the pavilion.
The good thing is the Flames have the advantage and momentum heading into tonight’s contest. While the Flames have been on the winning track, CSU has lost four consecutive games. Currently the 14-8 Flames are in a three way tie for third place in the Horizon League along with Wright State, and Youngstown State with a conference record of 5-4.
CSU is second to last place with an HL record of 2-6 and are just 10-12 overall. The Flames barely managed to pull of the victory against Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday night. Six points in the final minute from UIC center Josh Crittle pushed the Flames past the Phoenix for the 60-57 victory.
Crittle has been a dominant force in the paint for UIC. Even when the Flames lose, Crittle is always battling and leading his team. Of course the fire that keeps this Flames team going is the backcourt combination of Seniors Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes. Talton averages 13 points-per-game while Barnes averages 10 per game.
This week the Flames are one player short and will probably stay that way for the rest of the season. According to the UIC Athletic Department, Freshman center Matt Gorski was dismissed from the team for “A violation of team rules”. When I asked the team about what violation was committed, they refused to elaborate any further.
Another player that has kept UIC competitive recently is Junior forward Hayden Humes. The 6’8″ Valparaiso native has scored 45 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in his last five games combined.
The Flames will need everything they have in their arsenal to keep their winning streak going. Especially since the Vikings have given them fits in the past. Tonight the Flames have the chance to inch themselves closer to the top of the Horizon League.
It will be a fun game to watch. You can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Ben Averkamp (24) has 7 points and 3 fouls.
Loyola’s team captain hasn’t been too effective thus far. Up until the midway point in the first half, Averkamp only had 2 points. He would eventually get benched for the final three minutes of the half after getting into foul trouble early.
But not to fear as Nick Osborne, Christian Thomas, and Jordan Hicks have all done their part to keep the Ramblers ahead. But Chicago State almost came back to tie this game around the eight minute mark.
Missed shots, turnovers, and fouls almost came back to haunt Loyola as the Cougars turned those mistakes into points. Loyola saw a 17-5 lead change to a 27-21 lead within just a few minutes.
At point CSU went on a 10-7 run, but Loyola calmed themselves down, limited their mistakes, and got back on track to finish the half on a 7-5 run. The Cougars are still alive thanks to Jamere Dismukes, Quinton Pippen, and Matt Ross.
Considering that Loyola at one point had a 13-2 lead, the Cougars are in better shape now then they were when the game started. Can the Cougars force Ben Averkamp to foul out of the game?
Can Loyola keep up the momentum that they took into the locker room at halftime? Follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports to find out.
Here is the first half box score:
Both teams are on the court for early warm-ups.
In a rare January non-conference match-up, the Chicago area tonight will be treated to another North Side VS South Side addition of college basketball.
Tonight from the Jones Convocation Center off of 95th and King Drive, the Chicago State Cougars play host to the Loyola Ramblers.
These two programs come into tonight’s contest with very contrasting stories. Although the Cougars are struggling again this season, they have won their last two games.
The 6-14 (1-1 Great West) CSU Cougars have won by an average of 25 points in their last two contests. A 77-53 victory over Illinois-Benedictine , and a 81-56 win over Houston Baptist.
The Cougars have been led by clutch shooting from forwards Jeremy Robinson and Quinton Pippen {Son of Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen}.
Tonight they will have a tough task on their hands as they take on the Ramblers from Rogers Park.
Despite the fact that Porter Moser’s team has lost four in-a-row, the Ramblers are 3-1 against Chicago area teams this season.
Perhaps tonight will be the night that they can break their four game funk and establish themselves as the elite in Chicago hoops this year.
Accomplishing this feat will not be easy, Loyola’s last four games have been lost by seven points or less. Their defense has collapsed in the final seconds of these games, despite the fact that star forward Ben Averkamp has carried this Ramblers squad every step of the way.
Tonight it will be survival of the fittest that decides this one.
You can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Both teams shake hands after a hard fought game.
The Flames came out on the fire to start the second half. But missed shots, turnovers, and mistakes on defense would hurt them and ultimately cost them the game.
After leading by as much as nine, the Crusaders began to take advantage of UIC’s mistakes and would eventually extinguish the Flames.
Not helping matters was when Hayden Humes and Josh Crittle both got into foul trouble and spent most of the second half on the bench. Humes eventually fouled out of the game.
Valparaiso took advantage of UIC’s lack of size on the court midway through the half. Gary Talton who led all scorers with 25 points, did everything he could to battle back and keep the Flames alive.
They would come back to tie the game four times down the stretch. But big jump shots in the final minutes, combined with UIC putting Valpo at the free throw line too many times for comfort, the Crusaders scored on all of those opportunities and would prevail in the end.
Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Bryce Drew once again takes home a victory over arch-rival UIC, and the Flames drop to 10-6 (1-2 Horizon League). They have now lost five of their last six and they will need to get themselves together if they have any chance of beating Wisconsin-Green Bay the next time they hit the court.
Here is the box score from tonight’s game.
After the game, UIC head coach Howard Moore and team captian Gary Talton spoke with the media:
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