DePaul, Duke and Georgia Tech highlight Flames schedule

SLATE INCLUDES 14 HOME GAMES

(8/28/04)

It’s official: For the first time in over 20 years, the UIC Flames will play the DePaul Blue Demons.

That game became official via announcements from both schools Friday afternoon after Whoosh! initially reported that game was a serious possibility last week. The game will be played at the Allstate Arena on Saturday, Dec. 18.

“Credit [Athletic Director] Jean Lenti Ponsetto and Coach [Dave] Leitao for recognizing how great this game can be for Chicago college basketball fans and agreeing to play,” said UIC athletic director Jim Schmidt about the game.

It is the first game between the two schools since 1981 when DePaul coach Ray Meyer coached against his son, then-UIC coach Tom Meyer.

“UIC has built a tremendous program in Jimmy Collins’ tenure and we are excited to have them on our schedule.” Leitao said. “There has been a large amount of local interests in getting this game put together and hopefully Chicago’s basketball community will come out and support this match up between two successful programs.”

The contest will see DePaul assistant coach Gene Cross, who was an assistant with the Flames for six years, go up against his former team.

“Coach Leitao has done a great job of bringing in quality student-athletes to get DePaul back on top,” Collins said. “I think it's a testament to our kids that we are going to be able to go out and compete on the floor with the Blue Demons, a program with great tradition and history.”

UIC’s complete 2004-05 schedule was released, with the season opener being a game with National Runner-up Georgia Tech at the Pavilion on Nov. 22.

The Flames will also play at Duke on ESPN2 on December 14. The team will make at least two appearances on the ESPN networks with the Feb. 5 game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at U.S. Cellular Arena airing on ESPN.

Other possible ESPN or ESPN2 appearances may be the Bracket Buster game on Feb. 19 – likely against a quality mid-major school – and the Horizon League championship game on March 8.

In other non-conference games of note: Ivy League contender Penn comes to the Pavilion Jan. 8. South Dakota State, with coach Scott Nagy, son of former UIC assistant Dick Nagy, comes calling at the Pavilion on Nov. 27. The Flames will also played intrastate rival Illinois State in Normal on Nov. 30.

UIC will play two non-Division I foes just before Christmas with Wisconsin-Parkside and Saginaw Valley State come to the Pavilion. The games will not count toward the Flames’ Rating Percentage Index.

There was talk that the Flames would play Mississippi State and Arkansas-Little Rock on a December road trip, but the games were not scheduled.

The exhibition games are against local NAIA powerhouse Robert Morris (Nov. 10) and St. Edward’s of Austin, Texas (Nov. 16).

Horizon League play opens Dec. 4 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the Pavilion. Conference play starts up in full force Dec. 30 at Detroit. The regular season closes out at Butler Feb. 26. The Horizon League tournament begins March 1 at campus sites.

All told, the Flames could have games with three top 50 teams, significantly boosting their RPI and chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

A complete 2004-05 schedule can be found by clicking here.