CHICAGO – The UIC men's basketball team, along with head coach Luke Yaklich, announced its third offseason addition to the roster Tuesday, as local product Marquise Kennedy committed to UIC for the 2023-24 school year.
 
"We are excited to welcome Marquise Kennedy into our UIC Mens basketball family," commented Yaklich on Tuesday. "Marquise is no stranger to the Chicago area. He had an incredibly successful high school career at Brother Rice and has played the last 4 seasons at Loyola. Marquise is a versatile guard that adds skill, strength, toughness, and experience to our team. He is a tenacious defender and attacking combo guard. Marquise played an integral role in Loyola's success in the MVC and has earned All-League accolades during his time at Loyola. We are excited for him to help us win a championship here at UIC. Marquise will have one year of eligibility and be a graduate student in the supply chain management program."
 
After being named Missouri Valley Conference Sixth Man of the Year in his freshman campaign, the Chicago native continued to make his mark as a dynamic guard for the Ramblers. Averaging over 20 minutes a game in his four-year career, Kennedy averaged eight points and nearly two assists per contest during his time at Loyola.
 
Despite battling injuries the last two seasons, the skilled guard still managed to average over three and a half rebounds per game in his last two years. The Brother Rice alumnae capped off his senior season with a career-high 26-point effort against DePaul on Dec. 3, 2022.
 
The graduate transfer marks the third addition to the roster for the 2023-24 academic year, and the second to commit to UIC from the state of Illinois.