Danny Ocean has nothing on Charley Nelson.

The Vegas heist mastermind of movie fame was known for recruiting teams of 11, 12, and even 13 members, each with a specific skill, to pull off his capers against significant odds.

The UIC men's gymnastics coach has 15 returning gymnasts on his 2019 squad, each with skills on one or more events that will give him the flexibility to assemble a strong, deep lineup in every meet.

Add in seven highly touted freshmen, and Nelson believes he has the team to compete for UIC's first conference title since 2011.  Many outside observers would call that a feat against significant odds, but that sentiment is not shared in the Flames' gym.

"We are capable of being in the mix for the conference championship," Nelson stated.  "There are lots of reasons to be excited about Flames gymnastics in 2019.  We have a lot of depth.  For me, that's a good problem to have.  Everyone is in the mix for a lineup spot and I'll have some tough decisions on who sits and who goes in.  At the same time, I can rotate guys into the lineup to help us stay fresh into the final stretch.

As the team prepares to begin the season Saturday afternoon with a dual meet at Illinois, Nelson is eager to see the growth in his team from 2018.  "We have the most returning veterans since 2015, including 12 sophomores.  Last year as freshmen they were a little starry eyed in some of our meets.  Seeing our progress from a year ago to Mixed Pairs [the intrasquad exhibition] shows that we'll be right in the mix with Army, Navy, and the rest of the ECAC."
 

The team's lone senior is co-captain Wes Diveney.  He finished seventh in the ECAC on rings last season, and according to Nelson, "has upgraded his skills.  He should contend for the conference title."  Fellow co-captain James Marden and Michael Peluso comprise the junior class.  "Peluso is very consistent on pommel horse, high bar, and still rings.  We'll be counting on him a lot," Nelson said.

The sophomore class will give UIC strong depth in several events.  A.J. Hardin has experience on floor, vault, and high bar.  Sam Montague had the highest average on floor and was a regular in the all-around.  "I want to see Montague take the next step forward," Nelson said.  "Colin Schwartz is our top returner on pommels and parallel bars." 

Classmates Sam Forbes and James Strevey will be key contributors, according to Nelson, and two gymnasts who give the Flames consistency.  "That's the name of the game for us.  No falls and stick our landings.  We can't give away execution points."

Nelson will count on getting execution points from newcomers who will have to replace Asad Jooma, an NCAA qualifier on the vault, and Satchel Hudson, the team's top scorer on still rings and the all-around; both of whom transferred.  "We are losing some heavy hitters," Nelson acknowledged, "but we have several guys coming up through the pipeline to fill in.  We have some X-factors in returning gymnasts who have developed a lot and are maturing, or coming back from injury.  Eric Barnd had surgery last year.  We'll depend on him on pommel horse."

The pipeline includes several freshmen who come to UIC with impressive resumes.  "Nick Smiley was the junior national champion on parallel bars.  He should be one of the top performers in the conference and can be a top-10 gymnast in the nation.  If he does what he can do, the question will be not will he make it to nationals, but will he win it all."

Nelson also pointed to a trio of freshmen who could set the standard on the high bar.  "Paul Burney is a standout on the high bar.  Kaleb Booth and Xan Weaver are as well.  Weaver is consistently clean, works well, and has minimal form deductions.  After his very impressive all-around win at Mixed Pairs, he'll have more opportunities in all-around this year as well."
 

UIC will start the season with a dual meet at Illinois, and then will host the 49^th annual Windy City Invitational at Credit Union 1 Arena January 19.  Road meets against some of the nation's top teams, including Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and defending national champion Oklahoma, will provide stiff competition throughout the season.  A tri-meet with Penn State and ECAC foe Springfield, and a Senior Night dual with conference rival William & Mary highlight the remainder of the home schedule.

"We spend so much time in the Big 10, and it gives us more opportunities with next-level teams to see how we match up with the better programs in the nation," Nelson said when reflecting on the schedule.  "Washington, who will be at Windy City, is in our tier.  Penn State is coming in for our first dual meet against them since 1990.  It will be fun competing against them in the regular season.  Springfield and William & Mary appear on our regular season dual meet schedule. 

RELATED: 2019 Schedule

"We'll have opportunities to see those conference opponents and build on our performances.  It's one thing to lose to a powerhouse by 20 points, but if we lose to someone by a point and a half, it really shows us how close we are."

Still, for the 2019 Flames, the season will come down to the ECAC Championships on April 6 at Springfield.  "We have a very strong team, with one of the better rings teams in the conference.  Our depth in parallel bars is similar," Nelson summed up.  "Winning an individual championship or finishing in the top three at conference shows that our training is moving in the right direction.  All it will take to compete for the team title is a few extra tenths per competitor.  We are already working our way there with higher start values and higher execution scores. 

"We will have a nice rebound from last year.  We had some individual success but we are gearing up as a team to make a run at the ECAC title and qualifying for the NCAA tournament."

Coming together under the radar?  Each individual contributing in his own way to the team's success?  Danny Ocean would approve.