Preview: UIC at Wright State

Who: Illinois-Chicago (12-16, 0-7) at Wright State (12-8, 6-1)

When: 2 p.m. today

Where: Nutter Center

TV: ESPN3

Radio: 106.5-FM

Probable Wright State starters

Name;Ht.;Yr.;Pos.;PPG

Grant Benzinger;6-3;So.;G;8.8

Mark Alstork;6-4;So.;G; 12.4

Joe Thomasson;6-4;Sr.;G;10.4

Mark Hughes;6-4;Fr.;G;3.1

Michael Karena;6-10;Sr.;C;9.7

Probable Valparaiso starters

Lance Whitaker;6-4;So.;G;5.1

Michael Kolawol;6-5;Fr.;G;4.6

Dikembe Dixson;6-7;Fr.;F;15.8

Tai Odiase;6-9;So.;F;8.4

Najeal Young;6-6;Jr;5.9

Series history: UIC leads 26-25 and has won five of the last seven.

Coaches: Billy Donlon is 99-89 in his sixth season with the Raiders. … Steve McClain is 2-16 in his first season with UIC and 159-131 in 10 seasons overall. He previously coached at Wyoming.

About Wright State: KenPom.com gives the Raiders a 97 percent chance of winning with a predicted final score of 74-55. Wright State is No. 125 in the Pomeroy Rankings. … The Raiders have won five in a row and nine of 10, including Friday's 73-62 triumph over visiting Valparaiso in which they used a 16-0 run to rally from a nine-point deficit in the second half. … A victory today would equal the team's longest winning streak in Donlon's tenure. It also would make Donlon the second coach in program history to reach the 100-win milestone (Ralph Underhill 356). … Joe Thomasson tied his career high with 21 points against Valpo, 14 coming at the free-throw line to set another career high.

About UIC: The Flames are No. 345 out of 351 teams in the Pomeroy Rankings. … UIC has lost eight in a row and has yet to win a road game (0-9). … The Flames rank ninth in the Horizon League in scoring offense (65.7 ppg) and sixth in scoring defense (77.8). … Sophomore point guard Paris Burns is no longer on the team according to a Friday press release that said he left the university for personal reasons. … Freshman forward Dikembe Dixson ranks fifth in the league in scoring (15.8) and seventh in rebounding (6.6). … UIC leads the league in blocked shots (4.8).

Coming up: The Raiders will hit the road for the first time since Jan. 9 when they play at Oakland on Friday. The Grizzlies (12-8, 4-3 HL) lead the league in scoring and are coming off a 111-95 win at Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday.

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