Anteaters await Flames in season opener

(11/14/03)

Turn out the lights, the show is about to begin. The opening of the UIC Flames’ dream season has arrived.

The curtain opens on the 2003-04 campaign Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati as the Flames take on Cal-Irvine at 5 p.m. (ESPN Radio 1000, WMVP) in the first round of the Black Coaches Association Classic.

The match-up pits the Flames’ athleticism of Cedrick Banks, Martell Bailey and Armond Williams (pictured) against the sheer size of the Anteaters, who were 20-9 last season and finished second in the Big West conference.

Cal-Irvine returns three starters, including preseason Mid-Major All-American Adam Parada, a 7-foot, 265-pound senior center. Parada averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and can change offensive game plans with his presence and blocking potential. He has 15 double-doubles in his college career.

Six-foot-4 sophomore point Jeff Glover led the Big West in steals as a freshman, while averaging 8.2 points and 3.0 assists per contest.

Six-foot-11 Forward Stanislav Zuzak averaged 7.9 points per game and shoots the three-pointer at a 34-percent clip.

The Anteaters possess more size with 6-foot-8 forward Greg Ethington and 6-foot-7 Matt Okoro. Even sharpshooting guard Ross Schraeder is 6-foot-5. Schraeder shot 43 percent from three-point range.

“They’re a good basketball team,” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said. “They’re a patient team and they play very good defense. They won’t come out and beat themselves.”

Collins expects to go nine or 10 deep early on and use possibly up to five post players, including Williams, Joe Scott, Elliott Poole, Josip Petrusic, and Jabari Harris.

This game begins a stretch of eight games away from home in the first nine for the Flames.

“It’s very important for these guys to realize that each night is going to be a dogfight,” Collins said. “We’ve got this bulls’-eye on chest. Everybody is going to come out and play hard against us. It may not be all that bad for us to be on the road. It will be interesting to see how we respond.”

POLLSTERS: The Flames received three points in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, which was released on Monday.