James Earl Collins was an American basketball player and coach. He was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, where he attended Corcoran High School. Collins was the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1996 to 2010, becoming the program's all-time winningest coach and leading UIC to its first-ever postseason appearances - NCAA tournament appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2004, and an NIT showing in 2003.
Steven James McClain is an assistant basketball coach at Texas. He was most recently head coach at the University of Illinois Chicago. Prior to UIC, he had spent five seasons on the staff of Tom Crean at Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team.
Joanne "JoJo" McCarthy is an American former basketball player. She played college basketball for the University of Illinois Chicago before playing professionally for the Chicago Condors in the short lived American Basketball League. She is the UIC Flames women's basketball all-time leader in career points, career free throws made, career three-point shots made as well as single-season three-point shots made and was the first female Flames basketball player to have her number retired. She was the 1996 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year. She won an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) class AA championship in high school. She is the sister of Jenny McCarthy and cousin of Melissa McCarthy.
The UIC Flames are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Illinois Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Flames previously competed in the D-I Horizon League from 1994–95 to 2021–22; in the D-I Mid-Continent Conference from 1982–83 to 1993–94; as an NCAA D-I Independent during the 1981–82 school year; and in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1949–50 to about 1980–81. Michael Lipitz joined UIC in October 2019 as the athletic director.
The 2010–11 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Howard Moore, serving his first year. The Flames played their home games at the UIC Pavilion and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 7–24, 2–16 in Horizon League play. The Flames lost in the first round of the 2011 Horizon League men's basketball tournament to Cleveland State.
Lisa Ryckbosch is the current director of Professional, Corporate & Community Relations at DePaul University. She previously served as the head coach of the UIC Flames women's basketball team from 2002 to 2011 and holds the record for most wins in UIC women's basketball history. In her fifth season as head coach, the Flames made their first post-season appearance in the WNIT following their best-ever finish in the Horizon League. Upon completion of the 2010–11 season, her record with the flames was 128–139. Ryckbosch came to UIC after eleven seasons as an assistant coach at Depaul, from 1991 until 2002, and one season as an assistant coach at UIC from 1990 to 1991. Ryckbosch graduated from Loyola in 1984 after starting for the Ramblers for four years and serving as a team captain for two seasons, and in 2006 was inducted in Loyola's Athletics Hall of Fame. After graduation she began her coaching career at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois, where she served as the Head Girls' Varsity Basketball Coach and a math teacher for three years.
Martell Bailey is an American basketball player who is most notable for his time spent as point guard for the UIC Flames men's basketball team from 2001 to 2004. He was the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season assists leader and holds the Horizon League records for single-season and career assists in conference games. He was a two-time second team All-Horizon League selection, and he led the Flames to three of the four post season tournaments they have ever participated in, including two of their three NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments. Bailey's three seasons at UIC are the school's only consecutive 20-win seasons and culminated with a school record 24 wins. He was not accorded a fourth year of eligibility for academic reasons.
The UIC Flames men's ice hockey was an NCAA Division I ice hockey team that played in the CCHA for most of their 15-year tenure.
Mark Miller is a retired American basketball player and current assistant coach for Robert Morris University in Chicago. He was a standout college player for the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and played professionally in six countries before starting his coaching career.
The 2011–12 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Howard Moore, serving his third year. The Flames played their home games at the UIC Pavilion and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 18–16, 7–9 in Horizon League play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament to Green Bay. They were invited to the 2013 CIT where they defeated Chicago State in the first round before losing in the second round to Northern Iowa.
The 2013–14 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Howard Moore, serving his fourth year. The Flames played their home games at the UIC Pavilion and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 6–25, 1–15 in Horizon League play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the Horizon League tournament to Valparaiso.
The 2014–15 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Howard Moore, serving his fifth year. The Flames played their home games at the UIC Pavilion and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 10–24, 4–12 in Horizon League play to finish in seventh place. They defeated Wright State and Oakland to advance to the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament where they lost to Green Bay.
The 2015–16 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first-year head coach Steve McClain, hired in the offseason to replace Howard Moore. The Flames played their home games at the UIC Pavilion and were members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 5–25, 3–15 in Horizon League play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the Horizon League tournament to Wright State.
The 2016–17 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flames, led by second-year head coach Steve McClain, played their home games at the UIC Pavilion as members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 17–19, 7–11 in Horizon League play to finish in sixth place. They defeated Green Bay in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament before losing to Milwaukee in the semifinals. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they defeated Stony Brook and George Washington before losing in the semifinals to Coastal Carolina.
Luke Yaklich is an American college basketball coach and former men's basketball coach for the UIC Flames.
The 2019–20 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flames, led by fifth-year head coach Steve McClain, played their home games at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Horizon League. The finished the season 18–17, 10–8 in Horizon League to play to finish in a tie for fourth place. As the No. 4 seed in the Horizon League tournament, they defeated IUPUI, Youngstown State, and top-seeded Wright State to advance to the championship game. There they lost to Northern Kentucky.
The 2020–21 UIC Flames men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flames, led by first-year head coach Luke Yaklich, played their home games at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Horizon League.
Natasha Pointer is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 WNBA draft by the Portland Fire with the 52nd overall pick.
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.
The 2023–24 UIC Flames women's basketball team represented the University of Illinois Chicago during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Flames, led by second-year head coach Ashleen Bracey, played their home games at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
