CHICAGO, Ill. – Northern Kentucky's men's basketball team aims for its third Horizon League victory when it faces UIC at Credit Union 1 Arena at 8 p.m. (ET) Thursday.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (6-9 Overall, 2-4 Horizon League)
UIC Flames (7-8 Overall, 3-3 Horizon League)
Thursday, Jan. 20 – 8 p.m. (ET)
Chicago, Ill. | Credit Union 1 Arena (8,000)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN1530
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Issue 10
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU continues its four-game road swing Thursday at UIC following last week's games at Youngstown State and Robert Morris. The Norse end the road stretch Saturday at IUPUI.
 
• Three Norse home games in January were not played due to COVID-19 implications: Jan. 6 versus IUPUI, Jan. 8 versus UIC and Jan. 10 versus Wright State. One of the games has been rescheduled at BB&T Arena. NKU hosts the Raiders at 7 p.m. Jan. 25.
 
• NKU has been an offensive rebounding tour de force under Darrin Horn. The Norse were 117th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (29.7) in 2019-20, Horn's first season at the helm. NKU ascended to No. 15 (34.9%) in 2020-21. Now, 15 games into 2021-22, the Norse rank 12th (36.7%) per KenPom.com The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 196 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 13.7 points a game.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 20th in steals (9.4 spg), 27th in made threes (9.7), eighth in offensive rebounds (14.1 orpg) and 42nd in total steals (141).
 
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks 12th in offensive rebounding percentage (36.7%) and 25th in defensive steal percentage (12.4%).
 
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll.
 
• NKU has been one of the most dominant teams in the Horizon League over the last four seasons, amassing a 73-30 (.709) mark against league foes while winning five of the combined 10 league championships (two regular season and three tournament).
 
• NKU is riding a streak of five straight seasons with a winning percentage beginning with the 2016-17 team, and NKU is a combined 110-55 (.667), has won the Horizon League regular season twice ('18, '19) and league tourney thrice ('17, '19, '20), and has qualified for either the NCAA Tournament ('17, '19, '20) or NIT ('18) every year except '21.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, leads NKU in scoring (13.9 ppg). He has averaged 14.8 points in NKU's six victories. 
 
• G Trevon Faulkner, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, contributes a team-second 12.5 points. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 11 of his 14 games this season.
 
• G Sam Vinson has earned four Nike® Horizon League Men's Freshman of the Week honors. His 2.3 steals per game rank 19th nationally and his 32 overall steals rank 26th.
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree with a 3.42 GPA in Organizational Leadership, posted his seventh career double-double at Youngstown State (10 pts, 11 reb).
 
• F Chris Brandon has averaged 10.8 rebounds in NKU's last four games and 7.1 boards on the season. His 3.1 offensive rebounds per game rank 27th nationally.
 
Last Time Out
Northern Kentucky University lost 74-64 to a hot-handed Robert Morris team that shot 51.9% in a Horizon League showdown at the UPMC Events Center. NKU mounted a 7-1 run to inch within three points (64-61) with 4:44 left but Robert Morris outscored the Norse 10-4 the rest of the way. Marques Warrick contributed a team-high 21 points behind 10-of-12 free-throw shooting and Adrian Nelson finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. The Norse scored 18 points off the Colonials' 14 turnovers and finished with seven steals but trailed throughout.
 
Scouting UIC
Graduate student guard Kevin Johnson was named Horizon League Player of the Week after leading UIC to three road wins last week at IUPUI, Milwaukee and Green Bay. Johnson averaged 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the trio of victories to lift the Flames to a 7-8 record (3-3 Horizon League). The Flames are two wins away from their season total in 2020-21, coach Luke Yaklich's first season at the helm.
 
Series Stuff
NKU is 10-3 all-time against UIC with wins in the last three meetings. The teams were slated to meet Jan. 8, 2022 in a game canceled due to COVID-19. The last time they played was Jan. 30, 2021, a 69-67 Norse victory at BB&T Arena. Bryson Langdon scored NKU's last six points to ensure the triumph, including the game-winning basket with 1.8 seconds remaining.