CHICAGO - UIC Head Basketball Coach Howard Moore announced the addition of Chicago native Paris Burns (G, 5-11, 165) to the Flames' 2014-15 roster on Monday afternoon. Burns has two years of eligibility remaining after playing his freshman season at Central Wyoming College and last year with Vincennes University.

"Paris is exactly the kind of hard-nosed player we look for," said Moore. "His athleticism and toughness make him a great on-the-ball defender. He has championship experience so I look for Paris to come in and compete right away."

During his sophomore season at Vincennes, Burns averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 assists per game with 28 starts. He scored in double figures on 17 occasions and shot nearly 35 percent from behind the arc. Burns helped the Trail Blazers reach the NJCAA Final Four and take home the third-place team trophy. VU also amassed an overall record of 34-3, which set a program record for wins.

As a freshman at Central Wyoming, Burns played in 22 games and averaged 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.

During his senior year in high school, Burns led Proviso East to a runner-up title in the Illinois 4A State Basketball Championship, falling by two points against Simeon and current Milwaukee Buck Jabari Parker. The Pirates finished the 2011-12 campaign with an overall record of 32-1 as Burns averaged 15 points and five assists per outing. He earned All-State special mention laurels from the Chicago Tribune and All-State honorable mention from the Associated Press. Burns played his first three high school seasons at Curie.

With the addition of Burns, UIC houses seven newcomers for the 2014-15 season. He joins four other transfers, including Jay Harris (5th-Yr. Sr., G, 6-1), D'Juan Miller (Jr., G, 5-8), Kaylen Shane (Jr., C, 6-10) and Jason McClellan (Jr., F, 6-9). UIC also welcomes two incoming freshmen in Tai Odiase (Fr., F/C, 6-9) and David Ramon (Fr., F, 6-7).

The UIC men's basketball team is scheduled to depart Chicago tomorrow morning for its first ever foreign tour in Canada. The Flames will play five exhibition games against Canadian university teams, while spending time in Ottawa and Toronto. Burns will not be making the trip.

List of Newcomers for 2014-15 Season
Tai Odiase - Fr., F/C, 6-9 (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor)
D'Juan Miller - Jr., PG, 5-8 (Kent Wash./Eastern Arizona College)
Kaylen Shane - Jr., C, 6-10 (Chicago, Ill./John A. Logan College)
David Ramon - Fr., F, 6-7 (Madrid, Spain/ Virgen de Atocha)
Jason McClellan - Jr., F, 6-9 (Fort Collins, Colo./Eastern Wyoming College)
Jay Harris - 5th-Sr., G, 6-1 (Aurora, Ill./Wagner)
Paris Burns - Jr., G, 5-11 (Chicago, Ill./Vincennes)