UIC (5-7) continues its western road trip Monday night at Colorado State. The Rams, who have been to two consecutive NCAA Tournaments, are 7-4 this season, but they are coming off a home loss to Denver.
Last time out at UC Riverside on Friday, the Flames were defeated on Nick Gruninger’s layup with 2.6 seconds left. UC Riverside was a tough defensive matchup for the Flames, but Colorado State better fits their style of play.
The Rams rank No. 86 in offensive efficiency, but only No. 211 in defensive efficiency.
They are led by Navy transfer J.J. Avila, who has been a dominant force so far this season with 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He has scored at least 16 points in each of his last five games.
Junior guards Daniel Bejarano and Jon Octeus are Colorado State’s two other biggest threats.
Bejarano, despite being only 6’4″, leads the Rams in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game. He is also second in scoring with 13.7 points per contest, but he struggles from the field at 36%.
Octeus averages 12.8 points and 3.2 assists.
Tip-off at Moby Arena is set for 8 p.m.CT.
All advanced statistics are courtesy of KenPom.
