CHICAGO – UIC head men's basketball coach Luke Yaklich announced on Wednesday the addition of Shaun Williams and Christian Jones to the Flames roster for next season.
 


Williams joins the Flames after spending the last three seasons at CSU Bakersfield. The 6-foot-4 guard sat out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules before playing in 32 games over the last two seasons.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Shaun Williams to UIC and our men's basketball program," said Yaklich. "Shaun can play on and off the ball and enjoys competing on the defensive end of the floor. He is an experienced guard that has played at Kansas State and CSU Bakersfield during his college career. Shaun is very motivated and driven to make an impact upon winning and continuing to enhance the culture we are building in our program here at UIC. He takes pride in being a two-way player and we are looking forward to working with Shaun this upcoming summer."
 
Williams appeared in 10 games this past season, making five starts. The St. Louis, Mo., native scored a season-best 16 points in a season-high 27 minutes against Northern Arizona on November 18. In his first season on the floor with the Roadrunners, Williams played in 22 games to go along with three starts. The guard ranked second on the team in scoring average (9.3) and total assists (68) while shooting 38.1% from 3-point range. Williams scored in double figures nine times during the 2020-21 campaign, including in five of the last seven games with a career-high 24 points against UC San Diego.
 
Williams enrolled at CSU Bakersfield after spending his first collegiate season at Kansas State, where he helped the Wildcats to a 25-9 record and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. During his rookie campaign, Williams averaged 13 minutes per game over the final 18 contests of the season and scored a season-high 10 points against Oklahoma State.
 


Jones joins the Flames as a three-star prospect according to Rivals and 247 Sports. Ranked as the No. 8 player in the state of Illinois, Jones helped East St. Louis High School to a 28-6 record and a perfect 11-0 mark in the Southwestern Conference.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Christian Jones to UIC and our men's basketball program," added Yaklich. "Christian is a 6-foot-5 athletic guard that can play and defend multiple positions. Christian has a serious and dedicated mindset and approach to the game. He embraces competition and has contributed to winning during this high school season playing for Coach Chambers at East St. Louis Lincoln and then for Bradley Beal Elite in the Nike EYBL. Our staff loves his approach to the game in both practice and in competition."
 
Jones averaged 15.4 points per game this past season while leading the team in assists (6.9) and steals (2.1). A stat-sheet stuffer, Jones also ranked third on the team in rebounding (5.3). Jones helped his team to a No. 1 seed in the IHSA Class 3A tournament, as the Flyers won the sectional title and advanced to the supersectional round of the state tournament.
 
"Christian plans on majoring in sports management," said Yaklich. "We are very excited to work with Christian as well as our three other freshman this summer. We had an amazing official visit with he and his parents and quickly learned that he is the type of student, athlete, player and young man that will help us to continue to build the competitive championship culture in our program on and off the court."

The pair will join fellow incoming Flames Jalen Jackson, Steven Clay, Tre Anderson, Toby Okani, Tyler Stevenson and Cameron Fens next season.