CHICAGO (May 13, 2024) – The UIC men's basketball program added further young talent to its 2024-25 roster when forward Jayce Nathaniel (Buford, Ga./AZ Compass Prep) committed to enroll at the University, Flames head coach Rob Ehsan announced Monday. Nathaniel is the second prep standout to sign with UIC for the coming season, joining Chicago Public League guard and two-time all-state selection Carlos Harris (Chicago, Ill./Curie), who pledged his commitment to the Flames during the November 2023 signing period.
 
"Jayce is an athletic hybrid forward who can not only play inside, but also on the perimeter," Ehsan said. "He's got a relentless motor and is a versatile defender who can slide and contest shots at the rim. In addition, he's got experience playing at a high level in both AAU ball with Team Curry and in high school at AZ Compass Prep. We believe he's got tremendous upside and is someone who's best basketball is in front of him."
 
At 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds, Nathaniel is a three-star athlete who was ranked among the top 50 power forwards in the country by 247Sports and selected UIC over offers from power conference programs Georgia and Cincinnati. He played three seasons at Buford (Ga.) Lanier High School before moving to Chandler, Ariz., to attend AZ Compass Prep and playing for its EYBL Scholastic Program during his senior year. While there, he averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, including a season-high 17 points in a win at Bartlett (Tenn.) High School and a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) at Whitehaven (Tenn.).
 
During his three years at Lanier, Nathaniel was a 1,000-point scorer, a Georgia Basketball Coaches Association (GBCA) Junior All-Star and a consensus all-state selection in 2023 after helping the Longhorns to a school record-tying 26 wins and a berth in the Georgia Class 6A Final Four. On the AAU circuit, Nathaniel was a standout for Team Curry, notably averaging 9.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game at last summer's Sportradar Showdown in Las Vegas.
 
Along with Nathaniel and Harris, UIC has announced the addition of four transfers to next season's roster — redshirt senior forward Modestas Kancleris (Kaunas, Lithuania/Varpas Gimnazija/Creighton/Cal State Bakersfield), sophomore forward Saša Ciani (Nova Gorica, Slovenia/Koder School/Xavier), sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice/Niagara) and graduate student guard Joshua Reaves (Hamden, Conn./South Kent School/Mount St. Mary's).
 
Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC scholar-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective. In addition, season ticket deposits for the 2024-25 Flames' men's basketball campaign are currently being accepted online through Ticketmaster or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312.413.8421; athleticsticketing@uic.edu).
 
For more information on UIC men's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_mbb and @uicflames).