CHICAGO (June 14, 2024) – UIC head men's basketball coach Rob Ehsan has announced the final additions to his first Flames' roster with the signings of freshman forward Iker Garmendia (Barcelona, Spain/Joventut Badalona) and redshirt senior guard Koby Jeffries (Olive Branch, Miss./The Skill Factory/UAB/UT Martin) on Friday.
 
With the additions of Garmendia (first name pronounced E-ker) and Jeffries, UIC will have 11 newcomers on its 2024-25 roster, including eight NCAA Division I transfers. Along with Jeffries, the Flames are welcoming a transfer contingent that features sophomore forward Saša Ciani (Nova Gorica, Slovenia/Koder School/Xavier), graduate student guard Tyem Freeman (Springfield, Mo./Hillcrest/UCF/Kent State), sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice/Niagara), junior guard Javon Jackson (Houston, Texas/C.E. King/Utah State), redshirt senior forward Modestas Kancleris (Kaunas, Lithuania/Varpas Gimnazija/Creighton/Cal State Bakersfield), junior guard Jordan Mason (San Antonio, Texas/Clark/Texas State) and graduate student guard Joshua Reaves (Hamden, Conn./South Kent School/Mount St. Mary's).
 
Garmendia will be one of three freshmen to suit up for the Flames next season, joining guard Carlos Harris III (Chicago, Ill./Curie) and forward Jayce Nathaniel (Buford, Ga./AZ Compass Prep).
 
Garmendia is a 6-foot-9, 190-pound swingman who brings a strong blend of club and international experience to Chicago's College Team. The past two seasons, he has suited up for the Joventut Badalona club in Spain's Liga EBA, averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while appearing in 30 games. Most recently in 2023-24, he averaged 15.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and led the team with 31 three-pointers in 15 games.
 
Along with his club team, Garmendia has been a key contributor to Spain's U16 and U18 national teams for the past two summers, helping his country earn silver medals at the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championships and 2023 FIBA U18 European Championships. In 2022, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in seven tournament games, including 12 points against Poland in the round of 16 and 10 points (on near-perfect 4-of-5 shooting) in the semifinals against France. In 2023, he added 2.1 points and 2.1 rebounds while appearing in six of Spain's seven tournament games.
 
"Iker is a terrific young prospect from Spain," Ehsan said. "He's a versatile offensive player who is a great shooter and has tremendous length. His high basketball IQ and skill set will make him an important asset for us at a number of areas on the floor."
 
Jeffries comes to UIC after three seasons at UT Martin, where he played in 91 games and started 43 times for the Skyhawks. During his career at UTM, he averaged 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, including a career-high 6.3 ppg. and 3.3 rpg., while starting all 30 games in 2021-22. He also scored in double figures 13 times for the Skyhawks and helped them win the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, the program's first conference crown in 15 years.
 
Prior to UT Martin, Jeffries began his collegiate career at UAB, where he played in 10 games during the 2020-21 season, tallying five points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 40 minutes. Jeffries matriculated to UAB from The Skill Factory prep school in Woodstock, Ga., where he was selected to participate in the Nike Global Jam in Gran Canaria, Spain, as well as the prestigious All-American Jamboree and National Prep Showcase events. He subsequently captured first team all-tournament accolades and earned the "Best Point Guard" award at the Nike Global Jam after averaging 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.9 steals per contest.
 
"Koby is another veteran guard who brings a championship mindset to our program," Ehsan said. "He's a great facilitator and an athletic defender who can play multiple positions."
 
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).