Aug. 3, 2011

CHICAGO -UIC head men's basketball coach Howard Moore's frontcourt for the upcoming season just got deeper. The UIC Athletic Department announced Wednesday that Toledo transfer Hayden Humes was granted a legislative relief waiver, allowing him immediate eligibility to play for the Flames this season.

Humes started 26 games for Toledo last season and averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. He transferred from Toledo after the program's scholarships were reduced due to its Academic Progress Rate.

Humes, who compiled a 3.43 grade-point-average in two academic years at Toledo, averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in his two games against UIC last season. He will have three years of eligibility with the Flames.

Moore was elated about the news, and excited to officially welcome Humes as a member of the 2011-12 Flames.

"This is tremendous news," Moore said. "Hayden has been on campus with the rest of our new players since June, and has been a tireless worker. As we indicated to the NCAA during the waiver process, Hayden didn't deserve to have his eligibility affected for something he wasn't a part of, and the committee viewed things the same way. Hayden has a fresh start, and is going to be an outstanding addition to our program. I'm extremely happy for him."

Humes is thrilled to have the opportunity to play for the Flames next season.

"I never planned on leaving Toledo, but when the APR ruling was revealed and I found out that my scholarship was one of the ones affected, I decided to transfer and hope that the NCAA viewed the situation in the same way that I did," said Humes. "The past few months at UIC have been unbelievable - I'm around a great group of coaches and teammates, and I can't wait to contribute this season. I'm thrilled with the decision that the NCAA made, and would like to thank everyone that supported me during this process."