CHICAGO – UIC head coach Luke Yaklich announced Thursday (May 14) the addition of Chicago native Maurice Commander to the men's basketball roster. Commander, who will be a junior in 2020-21, joins the Flames after spending the past two seasons at Chattanooga.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Maurice and his family to the UIC Flames basketball program," said Yaklich. "Maurice has played an integral role in the success at Chattanooga and was part of a very strong program on and off the court under Coach Paris and staff."
 


A graduate of Curie High School in Chicago, Commander started all 32 games last season for the Mocs, averaging 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and a team-high 2.6 assists per game. The six-foot guard scored a career-high 22 points, all in the second half, in a conference win at Wofford.
 
As a freshman, Commander appeared in 23 games with two starts. His first collegiate start came against Tennessee where Commander finished with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in a win over Tennessee Tech. Commander added a season-high 16 points against Eastern Kentucky, finishing 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.
 
"We are excited to have Maurice help create and grow our culture at UIC. Maurice is excited about being able to return to the Chicagoland area and play basketball for the Flames and be around his family. Maurice is a hard worker who loves the game of basketball and the daily process of growing his game. He has proven to be a committed academically as finished this past semester on the Dean's List. He has a desire and is driven to become an elite two-player," added Yaklich.
 
Commander earned Chicago Sun Times All-City and All-Area honorable mention honors as a senior in 2018 after helping lead Currie to a 23-5 record and an 8-1 mark in league play. The guard spent his first three years of high school at Marist and was named the East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year as well as an IBCA All-State Fourth Team selection as a junior in 2017. A 3-star recruit per PrepHoops.com and Scout.com, Commander was a Top-20 prospect coming out of the state of Illinois.