CHICAGO - The IUPUI basketball team will open the 2020 Horizon League Tournament on the road on Tuesday (Mar. 3) when the Jaguars face No. 4 UIC (15-16) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern inside Credit Union 1 Arena. The winner will advance to the Horizon League Tournament quarterfinals to be played on Thursday (Mar. 5) while Tuesday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

UIC swept the regular season series against the Jaguars, winning in Indianapolis 75-66 on Jan. 18 and in Chicago on Feb. 22, 77-72. All-time, IUPUI is just 1-8 against the Flames with the lone win coming in Chicago last season, 66-64. 

Head coach Byron Rimm II's squad comes in as the No. 9 seed after going 7-24 in the regular season. The Jaguars are fueled by second team All-League guard Marcus Burk (21.3 ppg, 38.2 3FG%) and All-Defensive Team forward Elyjah Goss (9.2 ppg, 11.7 rpg). In addition, the Jaguars boast another high powered guard in junior Jaylen Minnett (16.7 ppg, 111 3's), who recently set new IUPUI records for career (240) and single-season (111) threes made in the regular season finale. 

BURK, GOSS COLLECT #HLMBB POSTSEASON HONORS

ABOUT UIC
UIC (15-16) boasts an all-league duo in Tarkus Ferguson (2nd Team) and Marcus Ottey (All-Defensive Team). Ferguson leads the Flames in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (5.7 rpg), assists (137) and threes made (55) and is playing nearly 36 minutes per contest. Ottey missed 10 games this season, but ranks second on the team in scoring (11.6 ppg) and is noted as the team's top defensive player. Godwin Boahen also scores in double-digits at 10.4 points per game while Michael Diggins is averaging 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. UIC is 9-7 at home this season and enters the postseason having won four of its past six games and 9 of 13 since Jan. 12. 

PROBABLE STARTERS (based on last game)
G- Jaylen Minnett (6-1, Jr.) - 16.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 111 3's
G- Marcus Burk (6-3, Jr.) - 21.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 38.2 3FG%, 89 3's
G- Grant Weatherford (6-2, Jr.) - 9.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.8 apg
F- Elyjah Goss (6-7, Jr.) - 9.2 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 33 blk
F- Zo Tyson (6-9, Gr.) - 3.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 57.4 FG%

KEY RESERVES
F- Jakoby Kemp (6-8, Jr.) - 1.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg
G- Mike DePersia (5-11, Fr.) - 2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.6 apg
F- Taveion White (6-7, Fr.) - 1.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg

SERIES NOTES: IUPUI is 1-8 all-time against UIC and went 0-2 against the Flames during this past season. The Jags' lone victory over UIC was by a 66-64 score last season in Chicago. 

    BURK, GOSS HONORED
    It was announced on Monday (Mar. 2) that junior guard Marcus Burk was voted Horizon League Second Team and Elyjah Goss was chosen to the league's five-man All-Defensive Team. 
    Burk finished the regular season ranked second in the league and No. 14 nationally in scoring (21.3 ppg) while leading the league in three-point percentage (38.2%) and ranking third in threes made (2.87/game). He's registered 18 games of 20 or more and four games of 30 or more, including a career-high 39 at Oakland earlier this season. 
    Goss closed the regular season ranking No. 2 in the country with a school record 362 rebounds. He leads the league and ranks No. 5 nationally by grabbing 11.7 rebounds per game, including a league-best 7.8 off the defensive glass. He owns a league-high 12 double-doubles and ranks No. 5 in the league in blocked shots (33). 

    DAZZLING DUO
    It's hard to talk about IUPUI hoops without exploring the achievements of the junior duo of Marcus Burk and Jaylen Minnett this season. 
    * The duo leads the country in threes made (200 total: Minnett - 111, Burk - 89) and rank Nos. 2 and 5 in the Horizon League in scoring (Burk - 2nd - 21.3 / Minnett - 6th - 16.7 ppg).
    * The duo has seen both score 30 points in a single-game twice this season - a feat has been accomplished just three times all year, and twice by IUPUI's top scorers. 
    Jan. 23 - Austin Peay vs. Tennessee St. - Terry Taylor (37 pts) & Jordyn Adams (37 pts)
    Jan. 25 - IUPUI at Oakland - Marcus Burk (39 pts) & Jaylen Minnett (30 pts)
    Feb. 6 - IUPUI vs. Green Bay - Marcus Burk (33 pts) & Jaylen Minnett (32 pts)
    It marked the first time in the program's Division I era (1998-present) that two IUPUI players tallied 30 or better in the same game. 
    * Burk leads the league in three-point percentage (38.2%) and is third in threes made at 2.87/game and Minnett is tops in threes made (3.58/game) and second in percentage (36.5%).  
    * Burk is fifth among active juniors (32nd among all players) in college basketball with 247 career treys and Minnett is sixth on that list (40th overall) with 240 makes. Minnett took over as IUPUI's single-season (111) and career (240) leader in threes made in Jaguars last game against Detroit Mercy (Feb. 29).  
    * Burk and Minnett are accounting for the bulk of the Jaguars' offense, having taken 53 percent of the team's field goal attempts (1001 of 1886) and 74 percent of the team's three-point attempts (537 of 725). In addition, the duo has accounted for 54 percent (1178 of 2197) of the team's total points.

    GRANT GRADES OUT
    It was announced last Thursday that IUPUI junior Grant Weatherford was voted to the Horizon League's All-Academic Team, joining Jamie Ahale (UIC), Dantez Walton (NKU), Cole Gentry (WSU) and Bill Wampler (WSU). Weatherford has already completed his undergraduate degree in General Studies/Liberal Arts and currently owns a 3.67 grade point average while pursuing a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership. 

    TRENDS
    -IUPUI has been fantastic offensively of late and, for the first time all season, is riding back-to-back games in which it shot better than 50 percent from the floor. 
    -The Jags had a season-high 48 points in the paint in Saturday's loss to Detroit Mercy, fueled by career-high efforts from both Elyjah Goss (23) and Zo Tyson (11).
    -Grant Weatherford has 19 assists against just four turnovers in the Jaguars' last four games and IUPUI has delivered 50 assists against just 27 turnovers in the past three games. 

    RECORDS FALL
    This season has already seen some records fall for some IUPUI individuals, most notably that Jaylen Minnett recently took over as IUPUI's single-season (111) and career (240) record holders for threes made. In addition, junior Elyjah Goss has grabbed a single-season record 362 rebounds this season and moved into No. 6 on the program's all-time list in that category. 

    MR. 1,000
    Junior Marcus Burk netted his 1,000 collegiate point in the Dec. 14 win over Purdue Fort Wayne with a three-point play at the 12:57 mark of the first half. Burk, an Indianapolis-native, tallied 776 in two seasons at Campbell and now has 661 this season, giving him 1,437 in his collegiate career. 
    Here are some more tidbits on Burk:
    -Burk has been IUPUI's top offensive player all season, ranking No. 2 in the Horizon League in scoring (21.3 ppg) and leading the league in three-point percentage (38.2%). He also ranks third in the league in threes made (2.87/game) and ninth in free throw percentage (78.0%).   
    -Burk has four 30-point games this season, including a career-high 39 at Oakland (12-24 FG, 8-15 3's, 7-10 FT) on Jan. 25. Three of the four have come in league play.  
    -While Burk is averaging 21 points per game, no IUPUI player has averaged 20 points per game or better for an entire season since Alex Young averaged 20.4 points per game in 2011-12. Only three players - Odell Bradley (23.1, 2003-04), George Hill (21.5, 2007-08) and Young (20.4, 2011-12) - have averaged better than 20 points per game during the Jaguars' Division I era. 

    NO. 0 HITS 1,000
    Junior Jaylen Minnett became the 24th player in program history to achieve 1,000 career points in an IUPUI uniform on Feb. 6 as part of a career-high 32-point effort. Minnett enters today's game with 1,125 career points, ranking No. 19 on the program's all-time list. He is the 16th player to hit for 1,000 points in three seasons or less. 
    He's also taken over as the program's all-time list in threes made:
    1.) Jaylen Minnett    240    2017-pres.
    2.) Brandon Cole        238    2002-06
    3.) Rodney Thomas    215    1996-00
    4.) Carlos Knox        208    1994-98
    5.) Alex Young        202    2008-12
     
    Some other tidbits on Minnett include: 
    -He currently owns the nation's second-longest streak of consecutive games with at least one made three at 67 games, which is the fourth-longest in NCAA history... Minnett made at least one trey in all 33 games last season and the final three games of the 2017-18 season... the last time Minnett went without a three in a game was against Oakland on Feb. 19, 2018 when he was held without a triple in 14 minutes.
    Here's the list of the longest streaks of threes made in NCAA Division I history:
     1.) Cory Bradford (Illinois)    ended Feb. 10, 2001    88 straight games / B10 record
    2.) Mack Smith (Eastern Ill.)    active streak    79 straight games / OVC record
    3.) Wally Lancaster (Va. Tech)    ended 1989    73 straight games / ACC record
    4.) Jaylen Minnett (IUPUI)    active streak    67 straight games / HL record
    5.) Marshall Henderson (Ole Miss)    ended 2014    66 straight games / SEC record
    6.) Justin Jaworski (Lafayette)    ended 2020    64 straight games / Patriot record
    
    -Minnett is currently one of six players in the country to have made 100 threes this season, joining McNeese's Dru Kuxhausen (120), Marquette's Markus Howard (111), UTSA's Jhivvan Jackson (105), CSUN's Terrell Gomez (104) and UDM's Antoine Davis (101). -Minnett's 78 3's made last season was the 7th-highest single-season total in IUPUI history and his 100 this season are second-most in school history. 
    -His 7.1 ppg scoring average as a freshman in 2017-18 was the highest by an IUPUI rookie since Alex Young average 10.8 points per game in 2008-09.
    -His 51 made 3's in 2017-18 were the most by an IUPUI freshman in the program's Division I era (1998-present).  

    MR. WINDEX
    Junior Elyjah Goss is currently second in the nation with 362 rebounds, having surpassed the IUPUI single-season record of 337 by Dale Taylor in 1975-76. He ranks No. 5 nationally in rebounding at 11.7 per contest and owns six of the eight highest single-game totals in the Horizon League this season, including grabbing a school record 21 against IUSB (Dec. 10), 18 three times and 17 twice. His 21 boards against IUSB is tied for the eighth-highest single-game total in NCAA Division I this season. 
    All total, Goss has led the Jaguars in rebounds in 28 of the team's 31 games and 24-in-a-row. 
    Five games into this season, he was averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, but has since grabbed at least 10 boards in 20 of the Jaguars' 25 games and all but one league contest. In league play, Goss leads the league in rebounding (13.4 rpg) and has eight double-doubles in 17 games. He now has 14 career double-doubles, including 11 this season, which is second-most in a season in IUPUI's Division I era.   

    SLIM MARGINS
    IUPUI is now 2-10 this season in games decided by two possessions (six points) or fewer and 2-6 in Horizon League games decided by six or less. The two victories have both come against Oakland following last Thursday's 71-68 win over OU.  

    ROOKIE RECORD
    Freshman Mike DePersia has handed out an IUPUI record 81 assists this season - the most by a freshman during the Division I era. The previous record was Taj Hawkins, who delivered 71 in 1998-99. The program's all-time freshman record is 106, distributed by Chad Pate in 1991-92. 

    LOTS O' KIDS
    IUPUI packed in more than 2,000 third-graders at Thursday's 3rd annual NCAA 'Readers Are Leaders' game to celebrate a yearlong partnership and commitment to reading. IUPUI is now 2-1 in the 'Readers Are Leaders' games and have upped the attendance number in each of the three years. Below are the results from the three events.
    Feb. 6, 2020 - Green Bay 91, IUPUI 85 // attendance 2,394
    Jan. 24, 2019 - IUPUI 73, Oakland 71 // attendance 2,285
    Feb. 23, 2018 - IUPUI 66, Wright State 56 // attendance 2,263    

    DUELING DOUBLE-DUBS
    Both Marcus Burk (25 pts, 10 reb) and Elyjah Goss (15 pts, 12 reb), had double-doubles in the Jan. 23 loss at Detroit Mercy. It marked the 1st time two IUPUI players had a double-double in the same game since Jan. 2, 2014 when Donovan Gibbs (32 pts, 11 reb) and Khufu Najee (11 pts, 11 reb) both had double-doubles in a win over Judson. 

    BETTER THAN ALL THE REST
    IUPUI's early season win at South Florida (70-53 on Nov. 13) was widely considered the best non-conference victory by a Horizon League team this season. The Jags entered play as a 17-point underdog before defeating the AAC foe by 17 points. In addition, it was IUPUI's first-ever victory over an AAC opponent in program history. 
    IUPUI has two wins this season as a double-digit underdog as IUPUI was a 10-point underdog prior to beating Green Bay, 93-78. 

    THE BEST ABILITY...
    ...is availability. IUPUI players have struggled to stay healthy and available this season as only five players - Burk, Minnett, DePersia, Goss and Weatherford - have played all 30 games. Redshirt freshman Marlon Taylor is the only other IUPUI player who has been available for all 30 games. 

     STORY TELLER
    In IUPUI's seven wins this season, the Jags have held opponents to 38 percent shooting overall and 27.2 percent from three-point range while making 7.4 threes per game. In addition, Burk (25.9 ppg) and Minnett (20.9 ppg) have been lethal in Jaguar wins.
    In the Jaguars' 24 losses, foes have shot 48.4 percent overall and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc while making 9.5 threes per game. Twelve of the 24 opponents to have beaten the Jags have shot 50 percent or better from the floor. 

    FREEBIES
    IUPUI enters play ranked 328th of 350 teams in free throw percentage at 64.2 percent, which is on pace to be the lowest mark in the program's Division I era. The current low mark was a 65.4 percentage for the 2008-09 season. The lowest single-season mark on record in program history was a 62.7 percentage in the 1976-77 campaign. 

    STARTERS DOING IT ALL
    Head coach Byron Rimm has shown a reluctance to delve too deeply into his bench as IUPUI reserves accounted for just 10.0 points per game this season. IUPUI is getting just 14 percent of its points from reserves and has had 17 games in which the bench has provided fewer than 10 points. The IUPUI bench has outscored the opposition's just twice this season as opponents' benches are averaging 22.9 points per game against the Jags. 
    The Jags' bench has scored a season-high 29 points at Wright State on Feb. 16, fueled by Minnett coming off the bench for 18 and Weatherford scoring nine.  

    GRADE CHECKS
    Six different Jaguars posted a grade point average of 3.0 or better during the fall - Mike DePersia, Elyjah Goss, Brandon Kenyon, Sawyer Stoltz, Grant Weatherford and Taveion White. Weatherford, who is pursuing his Master's degree in Organizational Leadership, had the team's top GPA for the fall at 3.67. Kenyon and Weatherford were recently named to the Horizon League's Academic Honor Roll for the fall semester.