Nov. 12--2014-15: 10-24 (4-12 Horizon League, 7th).
Top gun: Tai Odiase, F/C. The 6-foot-9 ace defender swatted 48 shots last season. "I like to run the court and crash the boards," he said. "And I love to block shots."
Impact newcomer: Dominique Matthews, G. The St. Rita product, whose brother Charles will be a freshman at Kentucky, turned down several other Division I offers and could emerge as the team's top scorer.
X-factor: Dikembe Dixson, F. He is a long (6-7), lean (200 pounds) high-riser who can get to the glass. He played at multiple high schools and attracted some attention from SEC schools.
Circle the date: Dec. 2 vs. DePaul. Two first-year coaches (Dave Leitao for the Blue Demons) will clash in a battle for attention in a pro sports town.
Reason for hope: New coach Steve McClain, who had a good run at Wyoming before taking an assistant's job at Indiana, brings major intensity to the job.
Reason to doubt: The Blue Ribbon Yearbook predicts a last-place finish in the Horizon League. Former coach Howard Moore had one winning season in five.
Forecast: McClain is determined to rebuild the Flames into a perennial NCAA tournament contender, but that's a long shot this season. A .500 record seems a reasonable goal.
