Preview: UIC vs. Iona

The Paradise Jam tournament has already been quite eventful for Iona. The Gaels lost a heart breaking game to Quinnipiac and then shellacked Wake Forest. Now Iona will take on UIC at 5 p.m. It’s been a while since I covered the Flames in Chicago, so I asked Horizon League Hoops’ Chris Burrows to answer some questions to get ready for the game.

Four Key Questions:

1) UIC is coming off an incredibly impressive 62-36 shellacking of Mercer in their last game. The defense has been solid in all three games, what are the Flames’ strengths on that side of the ball?

CB: There’s no question that already this UIC team, in head coach Howard Moore’s third season, is the most defensive that we’ve seen in some years. Their defensive efficiency (1.038 points per possession) ranked 273rd by last season’s end, but so far this season (0.802 ppp) is ranked 36th nationally.

Mercer might have been without junior starting point guard Langston Hall, who was First Team All-Atlantic Sun in preseason and a CollegeInsider Mid-Major All-American, but with three other starters back and enough depth that they’re poised to take the A-Sun, it’s a big step for UIC, especially coming off a near-upset of New Mexico.

It’s the first time in program history that the Flames have held a D-I opponent under 40 points, and their giant improvement starts with the suffocating arms and shot defense of 6’8″ senior Hayden Humes and 6’9″ senior center Josh Crittle (a new arrival from the bench of UCF). Their size and control of the lane combined with the speed of senior point guard Gary Talton made sure New Mexico only sunk 5 of 18 from the field (including 0-4 from three) in one half on Friday. Only 11 three-pointers have been scored on UIC through three games, and those teams have combined for a 40% effective field goal percentage.

Crittle, and the whole Flames back court also form a weird rebounding corps, but I think it begins and ends with shot defense for the Flames right now.

2) The UIC offense is driven by three seniors (Gary Talton, Josh Crittle and Daniel Barnes), which one is the key? What does he do well and how do you stop him?

CB: Crittle is at the center of UIC’s offense as well. He has so far gotten 28.3 percent of possessions when he’s on the floor, and uses them to play beyond his size underneath. Crittle and Humes have also been key at opening up the perimeter for senior two-guard Daniel Barnes, who is a sharpshooter from range, and Talton, who will use any lane to his advantage to drive.

The offense really functions best as a package (and even then isn’t hugely efficient at 0.968 ppp) so it’s hard to pick just one guy, but I’d have to go with Crittle. Not only is he a genuine scoring threat that will keep defenses on their toes, he’s an expert at freeing up the UIC backcourt. Three-pointers account for the largest chunk (41.7 percent) of the Flames’ offense thus far, and Crittle is key to that. Finally, UIC has tons of depth in their guard spots, but very little up front. Crittle in foul trouble changes everything.

3) What is UIC’s biggest weaknees? How can Iona exploit it?

CB: Well, besides the clear lack of front court depth, pace could be a problem for UIC. There’s just a big mismatch there with a team like Iona.

The Flames played 59 methodical possessions in their wins over Mercer and UC-Riverside, and looked at times exasperated en route to 68 possessions versus New Mexico. Basketball State tells me that Iona played games of 77 and 84 possessions, and so that could work against UIC if the Gaels push up and down the floor

4) How do UIC fans feel about the state of the program under Howard Moore? Can the Flames compete in the Butler-less Horizon League this season?

CB: Fans seem to still be understanding at this point, and I think these three recent games really have given them some hope after Howard Moore posted 7- and 8-win seasons in his first two years at the helm.

Butler might be gone from the Horizon League, but all five of last season’s all-league first team is back, and Valparaiso, Detroit, Green Bay and Youngstown State all will be vying for spots that Butler was out of the running for at last season’s end. Certainly this is an apex season for the Flames with a lot of returning talent and transfers in the mix. They’re going to sneak up on some teams in the Horizon and need to milk this season for every potential recruit that it’s worth.

Three Key Stats:

• Pace: Iona just scored more than 100 points. UIC wants to slow the game down a bit.
• Iona’s Three-Point Shooting: If Sean Armand and/or Lamont Jones gets free on the perimeter UIC is in trouble. The Gaels on shooting 44% from three on the season.
• UIC’s Turnover Percentage: The best thing the Flames have done this season on offense is hold onto the ball. Iona thrives on forcing turnovers and getting into transition. Ball security will help UIC in a variety of ways.

Two Key Players:

• Josh Crittle, Center, UIC – The UCF transfer is the focal point of the UIC offense right now. His match up against Taaj Ridley and Sean Jackson is one UIC can win.
• Lamont Jones, Guard, Iona – He’s dominating the ball. He’s scoring bunches of points. Jones is the man. How does he make the biggest impact on this game?

One Pomeroy Prediction: Iona 75-66, 79% It’s not incredibly, bullish, but the Gaels should get the win on the neutral court and finish the tourney on a high note.