CHICAGO – UIC men's basketball head coach Luke Yaklich announced the addition of Zion Griffin, Teyvion Kirk and RayQuawndis Mitchell to the men's basketball roster on Wednesday, April 15 as the NCAA spring signing period began.
 
"We are so excited about our three signees," said Yaklich. "Teyvion Kirk, Zion Griffin and RayQuawndis Mitchell bring size, skill, versatility and toughness to our program. They love being in the gym and want to contribute to winning in every way they can on the court and are committed to building our basketball culture at UIC. We are equally excited to help each of them earn their degree and grow as students, athletes, players, and young men. We cannot wait to have them and the rest of the team on campus when we are able to do so."
 

 
Griffin joins the Flames after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Iowa State. The native of Darien, Illinois played in 17 games as a freshman before appearing in 30 contests and averaging 10.8 minutes per game this past season. The 6-foot-6 forward scored a career-high 11 points and brought in a season high six rebounds in the Cyclones' season opener against Mississippi Valley State, connecting on 5-of-9 field goals. Griffin matched his six-rebound effort against Mississippi Valley State with six boards in a Big 12 contest against Texas while adding eight points on 3-for-4 shooting against Big 12 foe Kansas.
 
A graduate of Hinsdale South High School, Griffin was a four-star recruit by 247sports, ESPN and Rivals. He was the No. 116-ranked recruit by 247sports composite rankings (247sports, Rivals and ESPN), was ranked No. 95 individually by 247sports and No. 81 by Rivals and was the 3rd-best player in Illinois according to 247sports. Griffin averaged 21.1 points and 9.0 rebounds in leading Hinsdale South to a 21-7 record and West Suburban Gold title as senior and scored more than 1,000 career points in two varsity seasons. Griffin was a USA Today All-USA Illinois Boys Basketball Second Team selection while being named Chicago Sun-Times All-Area and Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Basketball Team Captain.
 
"We are ecstatic to welcome Zion and his family to the UIC Flames basketball program," said Yaklich. "Zion will redshirt this upcoming season; our entire coaching staff is so excited to be able to implement our skill development plan with him. Zion has the size, athleticism, and skill set to play multiple positions within our offense. Zion is excited about the year ahead and attacking his skill development plan. He is driven to become a versatile two-way player. Zion had a great high school career as well as a great AAU playing experience that allowed him to become one of the top prospects in our state. We look forward to bringing his experience as well as his talents to the practice floor and the locker room each and every day. I am looking forward to watching Zion #bringtheheat as a Flame!"
 

 
Kirk played his first two seasons at Ohio University before redshirting this past season as a junior at Colorado State due to NCAA transfer rules. In his two seasons at Ohio, Kirk started in all 62 games, averaging 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 31.3 minutes per game. The 6-foot-4 guard scored in double figures in 27-of-31 games as a sophomore, including three games of 20 or more points. As a freshman in 2017-18, Kirk was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team after leading the team and ranking 12^th in the conference in scoring (15.3 ppg), scoring 10+ points 28 times.
 
Kirk was a standout at Joliet West, where Yaklich last worked in the high school ranks, helping the Tigers to a 24-6 record and a second-straight appearance in the IHSA Class 4A sectional title game as a senior in 2016-17. During his final season, Kirk averaged 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game, earning Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A/4A Second Team All-State honors, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-State and Southwest Prairie Conference Most Valuable Player awards.
 
"We are really excited to welcome Teyvion to UIC," stated Yaklich. "I have been fortunate to know "TK" and his family for some time as a result of my time teaching and coaching at Joliet West High School, where he had a very successful high school career. Our coaching staff is really excited about the diverse skill set that Teyvion brings to our team on both ends of the floor. Teyvion is a great competitor and teammate and playmaker. His love and passion for the game and desire to be in the gym hasn't changed since I had the opportunity to be around him as a junior high school and high school student-athlete. His experience will be a huge asset to our team this year as we will look forward to teaching and coaching him for the next two years. He is excited to be back in Illinois and we are happy to have him at UIC. I am looking forward to watching Teyvion #bringtheheat this upcoming season."
 

 
Mitchell joins the Flames after spending his sophomore season at Otero Junior College where he averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. The 6-foot-4 guard shot over 40% from the field and 3-point range and excelled at the free throw line, connecting at an 88.1% rate. Mitchell scored 10 or more points in 27-of-31 contests last year and scored 20+ points on five different occasions. The native of Blaine, Minnesota spent his freshman season at the University of Idaho, where he appeared in 31 games while making 10 starts. Mitchell scored in double figures on three different occasions, including a season-high 15 points against Montana State and 12 points in a win over Sacramento State.
 
A graduate of Blaine High School, Mitchell averaged 22.1 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game as a senior, while adding 6.7 assists per game to earn all-conference honors.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Ray and his family to the city of Chicago and to our UIC Flames basketball program," added Yaklich. "Ray has a love and passion for the game of basketball that was evident when I saw him play this past season at Otero, where I watched him improve all year and lead his team to a 25-7 record. I look forward to having Ray bring his experience every day to our program in practice and games. His dedication and passion for the game have allowed him to become one of the more dynamic junior college guards in the country. He can affect the game in a variety of ways on both ends of the floor. Ray is a competitor who cares about winning and will be counted on to be a playmaker in our backcourt for the next two seasons. I am looking forward to watching Ray #bringtheheat this upcoming season."