April 24, 2009
CHICAGO- UIC assistant men's basketball coach and former Flames great Bryant Lowe will be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame this Saturday, Apr. 25 at Illinois State University's Union Ballroom in Normal, Ill.
Lowe earned the distinction for his achievements and contributions to the game of basketball as a player on the prep and collegiate levels.
"It's definitely a great honor," said Lowe. "It's a privilege that I was even nominated for this outstanding award, and I'm flattered to be considered among the elite in the state of Illinois by earning induction into the IBCA Hall of Fame.
"There are many people who helped me achieve this honor," Lowe continued. "I am very thankful to Coach [Jimmy] Collins and Coach [Mark] Coomes. One thing that stands out on my resume is being a part of the first UIC team to get into the NCAA Tournament, so it definitely was a wonderful opportunity to play under these two distinguished coaches. I want to thank them first.
"I also want to thank Tommy Ellis, my high school coach, and Ted Wills, my coach at Rend Lake, for everything they have done to get me to this point.
"I am flattered to be inducted into such a well-respected Hall of Fame that features players with such phenomenal careers," he concluded. "This is something that you definitely look back on, and it brings meaning to your career and makes you grateful for the opportunities."
"Bryant is so deserving of this accolade," said Collins. "During my tenure here as the head coach at UIC, I have never had a player who worked as hard or who focused as well as Bryant Lowe. He was a constant coachable athlete."
Lowe was a two-year letterwinner for the Flames from 1996-98. He was a team captain on the 1997-98 UIC squad that won 22 games and gained the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, earning All-Midwestern College Conference First Team accolades after averaging 15.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
In his first season with the Flames, Lowe was named to the MCC's All-Newcomer Team.
Lowe came to UIC after a record-setting career at Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill. He was a 1996 NJCAA Division II All-American after averaging 27.3 ppg and 11.7 rpg, averages that ranked among the top five in the nation. Lowe left Rend Lake as the program's single-season and all-time leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder.
Lowe was an all-state prep performer for Cairo High School.
In addition to Lowe, other notables that are a part of the IBCA Hall of Fame's Class of 2009 include Peoria Manual and Illinois star Sergio McClain, Gordon Tech and DePaul standout Tom Kleinschmidt and a host of others across the state's basketball spectrum. Click here for a complete list of this year's IBCA Hall of Fame class.
Other UIC greats who have earned induction into the IBCA Hall of Fame in the past include Tracy Dildy (Class of 1998), coach Bob Hallberg (Class of 1992), Kenny Williams (Class of 1996), Tony Freeman (Class of 2001), coach Tom Meyer (Class of 2000) and women's basketball star Joanne McCarthy (Class of 2004).
The IBCA Hall of Fame, in its 37th year of existence, consists of six categories: players, coaches, news media, officials, friends of basketball and teams. The permanent IBCA Hall of Fame Room, which features plaques and photos of inductees, is located inside the Holiday Inn North in Normal, Ill. and is open to the public 24 hours a day.
Browse the official website of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association at ibcaillinois.org
