CHICAGO – The UIC men's basketball program is building for the future as Jalen Jackson signed his National Letter of Intent Thursday, Nov. 11. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native will join the Flames starting with the 2022-23 season.
 
"Jalen is an outstanding student-athlete who we are so excited about having in our program," said head coach Luke Yaklich. "He is part of a tight-knit basketball family as his mom was a college basketball play and is a head basketball coach at his high school. Jalen is a tough-minded point guard that excels at both ends of the floor. He's a player that lives the game of basketball and has a high basketball acumen combined with a relentless work ethic and team-first mentality when he competes."
 
Jackson, a rising senior at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, spent his junior year at Carrol High School where he averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game for the Chargers, who advanced to the regional semifinals of the IHSAA Class 4A state tournament.
 
During his junior year, Jackson was named to the All-Summit Athletic Conference and the Underclass Supreme 15 All-State teams in addition to earning MVP honors. Jackson shot 60% from the field and 74% from the free throw line a season ago.
 
Jackson also plays on the AAU circuit for the Indy Heat EYBL team.
 
"We are so excited to welcome him into the Flames basketball family," added Yaklich. "He is a serious-minded student-athlete who will represent our program on the court, in the community and in the classroom. Jalen is an exciting addition to our program and we can't wait to watch him compete this year at Northrop High School. He's a winner and a young man that wants to run through the doors and be a part of the competitive championship culture we are building in our program."