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2023–24 UIC Flames men's basketball team

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2023–24 UIC Flames men's basketball
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record12–21 (4–16 MVC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Will Veasley (4th season)
  • Bill Wuczynski (3rd season)
  • Tony Wills (1st season)
Home arenaCredit Union 1 Arena
Seasons
2023–24 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Indiana State 17 3   .850 32 7   .821
Drake 16 4   .800 28 7   .800
Bradley 13 7   .650 23 12   .657
Northern Iowa 12 8   .600 19 14   .576
Belmont 12 8   .600 20 13   .606
Southern Illinois 11 9   .550 19 13   .594
Illinois State 9 11   .450 15 17   .469
Murray State 9 11   .450 12 20   .375
Missouri State 8 12   .400 17 16   .515
Evansville 6 14   .300 17 18   .486
UIC 4 16   .200 12 21   .364
Valparaiso 3 17   .150 7 25   .219
2024 MVC tournament winner

The 2023–24 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois Chicago in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flames, led by fourth-year head coach Luke Yaklich, played their home games at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Missouri Valley Conference. The team finished the season 12–21, 4–16 in MVC play to finish in 11th place. They defeated Southern Illinois in the opening round of the MVC tournament before losing to Bradley.

On March 10, 2024, the school fired head coach Luke Yaklich.[1] On April 1, the school named Stanford assistant coach Rob Ehsan the team's new head coach.[2]

Previous season

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The Flames finished the 2022–23 season 12–19, 4–16 in MVC play to finish in 11th place. They lost to Missouri State in the opening round of the MVC tournament.

Offseason

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Departures

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Departures
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Tre Anderson G 6'1 185 Graduate Student Tacoma, WA Graduated
Jace Carter G 6'5 210 Sophomore Titusville, FL Transferred to Texas A&M
Bessanty-Aime Saragba C 6'10 215 Freshman Marseille, France Transferred to Eastern Illinois
Shaun Williams G 6'4 190 Senior St. Louis, MO Graduated

Incoming transfers

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Transfers
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous school
Marquise Kennedy G 6'1 190 Graduate Student Chicago, IL Loyola
Isaiah Rivera G 6'5 210 Senior Geneseo, IL Colorado State
Yusef Sahil G 6'2 192 Junior Gainesville, VA Idaho

2023 recruiting class

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US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nathan Ojukwu
SF
Boise, ID DME Academy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) May 31, 2023 
Recruiting star ratings: RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

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2023–24 UIC Flames men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 0 Drew King 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 189 lb (86 kg) So Phoenix, Arizona
G 1 Isaiah Rivera 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Geneseo, Illinois
G 2 Steven Clay 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Milwaukee, Wisconsin
G 3 CJ Jones 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So East St. Louis, Illinois
G 4 Ethan Picket 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr Pensacola, Florida
G 5 Toby Okani 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Orange, New Jersey
G 10 Ethyn Brown 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Belleville, Illinois
G 13 Nathan Ojukwu 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Boise, Idaho
G 14 Marquise Kennedy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) GS Chicago, Illinois
G 15 Griffin Yaklich (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Sr Joliet, Illinois
G 21 Khaled Khaled (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Burbank, Illinois
G 22 Shaun Williams 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Sr St. Louis, Missouri
G 23 Yusef Salih 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) RS Jr Gainesville, Virginia
F 33 Jaden Bronwell 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) RS Fr Sandy, Utah
G 34 Grant Welch (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 187 lb (85 kg) Fr Moline, Illinois
F 50 Filip Skobalj 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Jr Belgrade, Serbia
C 54 Cameron Fens 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) So Dubuque, Iowa
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: October 31, 2023

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 31, 2023*
7:00 pm
Clayton State W 71–47 
                  Credit Union 1 Arena 
Chicago, IL
Regular season
November 6, 2023*
8:00 pm, ESPN+
at Cincinnati L 58–69  0–1
 20  Okani   11  Okani   3  Okani  Fifth Third Arena (9,936)
Cincinnati, OH
November 10, 2023*
7:30 pm, ESPN+
Little Rock W 86–71  1–1
 25  Rivera   10  Okani   3  Tied  Credit Union 1 Arena (2,593)
Chicago, IL
November 14, 2023*
7:00 pm, NBC Sports Chicago
at Loyola W 72–67  2–1
 23  Rivera   8  Okani   5  Jones  Gentile Arena (2,659)
Chicago, IL
November 19, 2023*
4:00 p.m., ESPN+
Aurora W 99–48  3–1
 14  Brownell   7  Fens   8  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,530)
Chicago, IL
November 24, 2023*
3:00 p.m., FloSports
vs. Middle Tennessee
Nassau Championship quarterfinals
W 70–40  4–1
 18  Clay   8  Okani   5  Jones  Baha Mar Convention Center (213)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 25, 2023*
6:00 p.m., FloSports
vs. George Washington
Nassau Championship semifinals
W 89–79  5–1
 23  Rivera   8  Okani   7  Jones  Baha Mar Convention Center (297)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 26, 2023*
6:00 p.m., FloSports
vs. UNC Greensboro
Nassau Championship Final
L 57–58  5–2
 14  Rivera   9  Okani   5  Jones  Baha Mar Convention Center (407)
Nassau, Bahamas
November 30, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Illinois State L 64–69  5–3
(0–1)
 17  Skobalj   6  Okani   8  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (2,090)
Chicago, IL
December 8, 2023*
6:00 p.m., ESPN+
at Jacksonville State W 55–49  6–3
 14  Rivera   10  Okani   4  Jones  Pete Mathews Coliseum (1,657)
Jacksonville, AL
December 12, 2023*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Green Bay L 68–70  6–4
 15  Okani   10  Okani   3  Tied  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,265)
Chicago, IL
December 16, 2023*
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Western Michigan W 89–68  7–4
 22  Brownell   8  Pickett   11  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,329)
Chicago, IL
December 21, 2023*
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Incarnate Word L 66–67  7–5
 16  Brownell   11  Pickett   9  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,154)
Chicago, IL
December 30, 2023
6:00 pm
at Southern Illinois L 50–62  7–6
(0–2)
 18  Rivera   5  Tied   3  Salih  Banterra Center (7,004)
Carbondale, IL
January 2, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
at Murray State L 73–85  7–7
(0–3)
 20  Okani   6  Okani   5  Jones  CFSB Center (4,616)
Murray, KY
January 6, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Valparaiso W 70–64  8–7
(1–3)
 24  Rivera   8  Kennedy   4  Rivera  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,689)
Chicago, IL
January 10, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Northern Iowa L 59–67  8–8
(1–4)
 13  Clay   6  Okani   4  Okani  McLeod Center (2,922)
Cedar Falls, IA
January 13, 2024
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Bradley L 59–77  8–9
(1–5)
 25  Jones   8  Okani   6  Okani  Credit Union 1 Arena (2,277)
Chicago, IL
January 17, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Murray State L 58–73  8–10
(1–6)
 16  Rivera   8  Okani   5  Okani  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,874)
Chicago, IL
January 20, 2024
3:00 pm, ESPN3
at Valparaiso L 77–84  8–11
(1–7)
 18  Jones   6  Skobalj   8  Jones  Athletics–Recreation Center (1,407)
Valparaiso, IN
January 24, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Indiana State L 83–89  8–12
(1–8)
 24  Rivera   6  Jones   7  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (2,174)
Chicago, IL
January 27, 2024
4:00 pm, ESPN+
at Belmont L 65–74  8–13
(1–9)
 16  Jones   7  Okani   8  Jones  Curb Event Center (2,429)
Nashville, TN
January 31, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
at Evansville L 60–77  8–14
(1–10)
 15  Rivera   12  Okani   3  Okani  Ford Center (3,679)
Evansville, IN
February 3, 2024
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Southern Illinois L 71–74  8–15
(1–11)
 28  Rivera   11  Okani   3  Okani  Credit Union 1 Arena (4,056)
Chicago, IL
February 7, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
at Illinois State W 61–56  9–15
(2–11)
 13  Jones   11  Okani   3  Jones  CEFCU Arena (4,394)
Normal, IL
February 11, 2024
3:00 pm, ESPN+
Northern Iowa W 71–65  10–15
(3–11)
 24  Jones   5  Tied   4  Rivera  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,426)
Chicago, IL
February 14, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
at Bradley L 73–85  10–16
(3–12)
 27  Rivera   5  Fens   3  Jones  Carver Arena (4,403)
Peoria, IL
February 18, 2024
1:00 pm, ESPN+
Belmont L 60–75  10–17
(3–13)
 17  Okani   8  Rivera   4  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,815)
Chicago, IL
February 21, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Evansville W 88–79  11–17
(4–13)
 25  Rivera   7  Brownell   10  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (1,918)
Chicago, IL
February 24, 2024
7:00 pm, NBC Sports Chicago
at Indiana State L 73–88  11–18
(4–14)
 16  Rivera   6  Brownell   4  Jones  Hulman Center (8,061)
Terre Haute, IN
February 28, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+
Drake L 105–107 3OT 11–19
(4–15)
 31  Okani   12  Rivera   14  Jones  Credit Union 1 Arena (2,126)
Chicago, IL
March 3, 2024
1:00 pm, ESPN+
at Missouri State L 59–69  11–20
(4–16)
 14  Okani   7  Okani   3  Jones  Great Southern Bank Arena 
Springfield, MO
Missouri Valley tournament
March 7, 2024
8:30 pm, MVC TV
(11) vs. (6) Southern Illinois
Opening round
W 84–82 2OT 12–20
 28  Rivera   9  Tied   6  Jones  Enterprise Center (4,435)
St. Louis, MO
March 8, 2024
8:30 pm, MVC TV
(11) vs. (3) Bradley
Quarterfinals
L 47–74  12–21
 10  Ojukwu   5  Tied   2  Jones  Enterprise Center (5,813)
St. Louis, MO
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time Zone.

Source[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Illinois-Chicago fires coach Luke Yaklich after 4 seasons". AP News. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  2. ^ Harris, Marshall (2024-04-01). "University of Illinois Chicago names new basketball head coach - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  3. ^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". UIC Athletics. Retrieved November 1, 2023.