Flames, Bulldogs brace for Horizon war

(1/03/03)

The UIC Flames are looking to get something that the Butler Bulldogs have.

Butler has become one of the national mid-major darlings in recent years, usually claiming the Horizon League regular-season title. The Bulldogs have executed that four of the last six years, including the three.

Butler’s success reached its highest point after crushing Wake Forest in the 2001 NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs then started the 2001-02 season at 13-0 after beating Indiana at the Hoosier Classic and earned a national ranking.

The Bulldogs, who have been to the NCAA tournament four times in six years, did not make it last year after suffering a shocking 49-48 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament.

Despite a 25-5 record after the Horizon tournament loss, Butler's RPI wasn’t enough to merit a berth, according to NCAA selection committee chair Lee Fowler—and the Bulldogs are playing with a renewed intensity, starting this season 10-0 before a heartbreaking overtime loss to Hawaii Monday night.

UIC was the team that ultimately took advantage of the Bulldogs’ demise in the Horizon tournament and won its first tournament title in school history with a thrilling overtime victory over Loyola. The Flames, seeded 15th, gave Oklahoma all they could handle in the NCAA tournament before bowing out.

Now two teams with something to prove take the court Saturday afternoon at the UIC Pavilion.

The Flames enter the clash at 7-3 after destroying Northern Illinois 77-45 in DeKalb last week. UIC is 3-0 at home with the biggest victory coming at the hands of Southern Illinois.

UIC is probably playing its best defense in coach Jimmy Collins’ tenure. Led by Cedrick Banks and Armond Williams, the Flames are a swarming bunch that doesn’t allow many clean looks inside the three-point arc.

Another Flames’ strength this season is rebounding. On two instances in particular, UIC dominated the boards—they out-rebounded both Northwestern and Northern Illinois by at least 20 in each game.

Butler has built a 10-1 record mostly on cupcakes, but the Bulldogs are always stuck in mid-major hell when comes to schedule. No one wants to play the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse. And who can blame them? Butler has dominated at home and has won at least 22 games in each of the last six years.

This year’s Bulldogs outfit routinely goes eight players deep. New to the starting line-up are guards Darnell Archey and Mike Monserez and forward Lewis Curry. Archey, who averages 11.8 points per game, is a dynamite shooter and hasn’t missed a free throw in two years.

Monserez was key bench contributor last season and brings a 10.5 points average to the line-up. He isn’t afraid to mix it up either, averaging more than five rebounds per game.

Curry was a bit player the last two seasons, but the Bulldogs are finally utilizing the 6-foot 7-inch forward in the line-up. Curry can hit the three-pointer and gives the Bulldogs the ability to open up the post for Joel Cornette.

Cornette returns as the team’s starting center. He’s still a defensive intimidator, but can’t shoot free throws consistently. Cornette averages 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.

The Bulldogs’ emotional leader, however, is guard Brandon Miller, and Miller usually kills the Flames. He’s averaging 11.4 points and 3.4 assists per game.

The other Bulldogs in the rotation are junior Duane Lightfoot (11.1 ppg) and freshmen Avery Sheets and Bruce Horan. Horan scored 15 points—all on three-pointers—in the loss to Hawaii.

Rob Walls, a graduate of St. Joseph High School in Westchester, provides a stout defensive presence for the Bulldogs off the bench when healthy.

For the Flames to break Butler’s eight-game series winning streak, they will need keep the rebounding battle close to even and limit turnovers.

Point guard Martell Bailey may be the key for UIC. Bailey scored 21 points against the Bulldogs last January at the Pavilion, using his penetrating ability to keep the game close.

The Flames’ last win against the Bulldogs was during the 1997-98 season when UIC won 72-62 en route to a 22-6 season and the team’s first NCAA berth.