Here is our preview of the 2017-18 college basketball season for the Illinois-Chicago Flames.
The Illinois-Chicago Flames enter the 2017-2018 season with high expectations. The Flames have not had expectations to succeed for quite some time. The last time this program made the NCAA Tournament was in 2004. The Flames have one of the most experienced teams in the Horizon League.
Experience could take them a long way, and the Flames have a legitimate chance to finish at the top or near the top of the league. It will be a battle with Oakland and Northern Kentucky for the Horizon league crown as Illinois-Chicago looks to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2004.
Illinois- Chicago has one of the youngest yet most experienced rosters in the Horizon League. The Flames bring back four of their five starters from a year ago. The Flames’ and Steve McClain will also welcome back their overall best player, who was limited to 10 games last year due to injury. Could 2017 be the year for Illinois-Chicago? It appears this team is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Horizon League.
Projected Starters
Dikembe Dixson- Sophomore
Dixson was granted a medical hardship going into this year after tearing his ACL in Illinois-Chicago’s upset win over DePaul last year. Dixson started all 10 games he played for the Flames a year ago and scored 31 points in three of those games. Dixson is one of the most prolific scorers in the country and will most certainly be the go-to guy for the Flames’ offense this year. Dixson has a penchant to get fouled a lot, and, to really take his game to the next level, he will need to shoot free throws better. In a career 340 attempts from the charity stripe, he is a career 69% free throw shooter. Dixson doesn’t have many weaknesses in his game, but that is one thing that needs to be improved on. The Flames are going to go as far as Dixson takes them. If he stays healthy all season, he will have a big year. Dixson will surely make the voters take notice for his Horizon League player of the year campaign.
Dominique Matthews- Sophomore
Matthews cracked the starting lineup for the Flames the last 12 games of the year. Once Matthews was inserted into the starting lineup, the Flames started to take off and were able to make a run to the CBI tournament semi-finals where they eventually fell to Coastal Carolina. The Chicago St. Ritas product is a good shooter from deep, shooting three-pointers at a 40% mark a year ago. Matthews also has quick hands and is able to jump into the passing lanes for quick steals. Matthews should see an uptick in minutes this year as a full-time starter. Matthews looks to build off of a season that saw him earn Horizon League All-Freshman team honors.
Tai Odiase- Senior
Odiase is the reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year. Odiase is a force in the middle of the paint as he blocked 104 total shots last year. That was good enough for fourth overall in the NCAA. Odiase blocked 8 or more shots in a game twice last year. Odiase is not just the defensive specialist for this team, he also is relied on to score points. Odiase poured in 11 points per game last year to go along with seven rebounds. The Flames are hoping Odiase is able to put up the same numbers this year, especially in the Blocks department. The seven rebounds per game included three offensive rebounds per game, which helps the Flames get a few extra looks at the basket. With Odiase and Dixson roaming around the paint for the Flames, they pose one of the most difficult front courts to defend and penetrate for the opposing teams.
Tarkus Ferguson- Sophomore
Every successful team has one thing in common, they all have a reliable ball handler who can run the offense and score when called upon. Ferguson fits this bill, as the point guard for the Flames averaged close to 6 assists per game last year. Life will be made a lot easier for Ferguson this year as Illinois-Chicago, who likes to run a version of the pick and roll offense, should have no trouble getting the ball into the hands of the bigs in Dixson and Odiase. Ferguson led all Horizon league Freshman in scoring a year ago as he was good for 11 points a game. Ferguson should take a tremendous leap this year and be the engine that makes this high powered offense go.
Godwin Boahen- Sophomore
Yet another young talented player who gained tons of experience last year for the Flames, Boahen is this team’s three-point shooting specialist. He was able to make 44% of his three-point shots last year. Boahen is not just a three-point shooter, however; the Canadian is one of the only players in the country to record a triple-double last year. Boahen paired with Ferguson in the backcourt will be able to set up this offense. Boahen, who should start the season as the off guard, was responsible for three assists per game. Nine assists per game out of your starting guards is a luxury that many teams in the country would love to have and do not. Boahen could turn into one of the premier shooters in College Basketball if he continues to shoot like he did last year.