CHICAGO – UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy and head men's basketball coach Steve McClain have unveiled a new initiative – the UIC Basketball Excellence Fund - that will help to build, grow and sustain the program's success now and well into the future.

The 2017-18 campaign, the third with McClain at the helm, was one of the most successful seasons in more than a decade. The Flames won 20 games for the first time since the 2003-04 season, including 12 in Horizon League play en route to a third-place finish. UIC won nine consecutive true road games between January 4 and March 28, a program record. The year concluded with a memorable postseason run that saw the Flames win three games, including two away from home, and reach the championship game of the 10^th CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Over the past two seasons under McClain's guidance UIC has won 37 games and made back-to-back postseason appearances. There have been only three prior instances in program history that the Flames have won at least as many games in back-to-back seasons including: 1996-98 (37), 2001-03 (41) and 2002-04 (45). UIC advanced to postseason play in consecutive seasons for only the third time since 2001.
 
Recent gifts have helped the Flames in a variety of ways. Since McClain arrived on campus in 2015, UIC has upgraded the team locker room and built a new team lounge and film room in the Flames Athletic Center, the daily hub of basketball activity on campus. Recruiting efforts have been bolstered and academic support at home in the Port Academic Center, and on the road, has increased significantly. UIC has also been able to add one additional non-conference game at the UIC Pavilion in each of McClain's three seasons, going from six in 2015 to eight in 2017.

In order to continue to grow and sustain the program additional assistance is needed to support areas such as nutrition education and team training table, strength and conditioning, team travel to alleviate missed class time and enhanced academic support.

"It is no secret that we strive for excellence in everything we do," said McClain. "When I arrived at UIC in 2015, I told everyone that it would not be a quick fix, but that we would build a program the right way from the ground up. This past season we won 20 games for the first time in 14 years and went to our second consecutive postseason tournament, where we reached the championship game. We have not reached our ultimate goals and we will continue to aim high, but with the help of so many loyal UIC supporters and fans, we are well on our way."

"Coach McClain and his staff have done a tremendous job in elevating our men's basketball program," said Klassy. "We now have the opportunity to grow and reinvest in our basketball program in order to sustain our commitment to winning championships and developing a successful culture. There is no better time to pledge to the future of UIC basketball than right now."

The UIC Basketball Excellence Fund can be supported at varying membership levels. A complete breakdown can be found on the chart below:
 

For more information about the UIC Basketball Excellence Fund, please contact Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement Amanda Mener at 312-355-0715 or via e-mail at amener2@uic.edu.