CHICAGO – Entering his second season at the helm of the men's basketball program, head coach Luke Yaklich announced the addition of five student-athletes to the program. Brandon Battle, Damaria Franklin, Kevin Johnson, Marcus Larsson and Jalen Warren have all signed National Letters of Intent to join the Flames for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
 
Battle, a native of Warren, Ohio, joins UIC after spending the last two seasons at Alabama State. The 6-foot-8 forward appeared in 50 games over the last two seasons, making 40 starts. In his second season with the Hornets, Battle led the team in scoring, averaging 11.6 points per game, while also leading the rebounding effort with a team-high 7.7 rebounds per contest. Battle averaged 27.1 minutes per game, shooting a team-leading 47.6 percent from the field and blocking 15 shots on the year, tied for the second most on the program.
 
The forward was named the SWAC Player of the Week on Feb. 17 after scoring a career-high 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting and going 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Battle added four rebounds and four steals in the 72-58 victory over Alabama A&M.
 
"Brandon is a tough and hard-nosed player that competes at a high level from game to game," said Yaklich. "He has a passion for the game and wans to grow his skill set. He's a physical defender and rebounder that will provide a presence on the interior and at the rim. His motor and effort, we hope, will set the tone in practices, games and all workout sessions beginning this summer."
 
Franklin, a Chicago native, spent the past season at Tennessee Tech where he appeared in 21 games while making 18 starts. A graduate of Niles North high school, Franklin ranked second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), shooting 43.3 percent from the field. The 6-foot-4 guard burst onto the scene for Tennessee Tech, scoring 21 points in his debut against Jacksonville State, the most points by a player in their Tech debut since 2013.
 
Franklin scored in double figures in 14 contests a season ago, including a career high 25 points against Eastern Illinois, finishing the game 10-for-16 from the field and 4-for-7 from long distance. The guard fell one rebound shy of a double-double against Morehead State on Jan. 7, hauling in nine rebounds to go along with 15 points.
 
"Damaria experienced great success at Niles North and was a scoring guard at State Fair CC and Tennessee Tech where he averaged 13+ points and 5+ rebounds per game," noted Yaklich. "He's a physical wing that can get to the rim and finish. Damaria is passionate about representing the city of Chicago and growing his skill set. His competitiveness will be exciting to watch for Flames fans."
 
Johnson, a four-year member at Nicholls State, earned All-Southland Third Team and All-Defensive Team honors this past season. The Thibodaux, Louisiana, native ranked third on the team averaging 11.3 points per game, shooting 40.1% from the field. Johnson was just one of two players on the team to start all 25 games and ranked first on the team in steals (65) and minutes per game (32.5), while ranking second in assists with 81. His 65 steals were tops in the Southland Conference, with a career-high seven swipes coming in the Colonels contest against Houston Baptist.
 
The guard joins the Flames as Nicholls State's all-time leader in steals with 249 and minutes played with 3,793. Johnson scored in double figures in 14 games a season ago, including a season high 23 points in their conference semifinal game against Northwestern State. Johnson's career high of 33 points came against Sam Houston State on Feb. 8, 2020.
 
"Kevin is proven winner and has competed and worked for everything he has earned throughout his college career," said Yaklich. "His consistency and toughness have allowed him to become an elite defender on and off the ball. He will have a great impact on our team as a leader."
 
Larsson, who hails from Oslo, Norway, spent his first two seasons of college basketball at Incarnate Word, appearing in 44 games with 23 starts over the two years. In his sophomore campaign, Larsson led the team with 107 total rebounds and 13 blocks while ranking second on the team with 8.3 points per game. The 6-foot-11 forward helped his team to its first Southland Conference Tournament appearance in program history. Larsson recorded his fist collegiate double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Texas State on Dec. 5, 2020.
 
The big man added two-more double-doubles throughout the 2020-21 season with a career-high 20-point,13-rebound effort against McMurry on Jan. 1 before following with a 12-point, 13-rebound outing against Lamar on Feb. 3. Larsson shot an impressive 52% from the field and 73.1% from the free throw line.
 
"Marcus will provide us with a presence at the rim on both sides of the ball," added Yaklich. "He has a passion for the game and wants to learn and grow on both sides of the floor. He has a rebounding presence and competes hard every time he takes the floor."
 
Warren, a native of Milton, Ontario, spent the past two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast, ranking third on a team in scoring last year (12.3 ppg) while ranking first on the team in total assists (120) in his first season with the program. The 6-foot-3 guard appeared in 49 games over two years, making 39 starts, including a game against North Alabama on Feb. 6 in which he scored a career-high 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting and 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
Warren shot 47% from the field this past season while ranking third on the team in assists. The guard scored in double figures in 11 of FGCU's 17 games this past year and dished out at least three assists in seven contests, including a season-best six helpers in in a win against Florida National to go along with 20 points.
 
"Jalen is a dynamic combo guard that is coming off an All-Tournament Team performance last year at Florida Gulf Coast," said Yaklich. "He's a proven passer and has the ability to get into the paint and finish at a high level in the halfcourt and transition. Jalen has a desire and ability to be a consistent defensive presence."
 
The five signees come in addition to the three Flames, Jaden Brownell, Jace Carter and Filip Škobalj, who signed their NLI in the fall.
 
"We are excited about all eight of our signees this year," stated Yaklich. "Our three freshmen had incredible seasons with their respective teams. Jace eclipsed 2,000 career points and won Player of the Year in Florida. Jaden averaged 17 points and nine rebounds for his team in Utah and has added 15+ pounds since the end of his season. Filip will be playing with the Serbian U19 National Team in the upcoming FIBA World Cup and will join the team in late July."