CHICAGO (Feb. 16, 2026) – For the second time this season, UIC men's basketball sophomore guard Elijah Crawford (Augusta, Ga./Brewster Academy/BYU) has been selected as the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Crawford was also chosen for the award on Jan. 26 and becomes the third Flames' player ever to be a multi-time weekly conference newcomer selection, joining Dikembe Dixson (eight-time Horizon League Newcomer of the Week in 2015-16) and Josh Crittle (two-time Horizon League Newcomer of the Week in 2012-13).
 
Crawford is among three UIC players who have received the MVC Newcomer of the Week honor this season — junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery on Nov. 24 and graduate student forward Abdul Momoh on Jan. 12.
 
Crawford turned in a pair of balanced lines in UIC's two Valley wins last week over Drake and Illinois State, averaging 15.0 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game with a 4.33 assist/turnover ratio. Crawford scored a game-high 18 points and added five rebounds and five assists in a Feb. 12 road win at Drake, the Flames' first in Des Moines since 1978 (and second all-time). He then tallied 12 points, a game-high eight assists (one off his career high), a career-best four steals and four rebounds in Sunday's home victory over Illinois State, contributing to UIC's first regular-season sweep of the Redbirds since joining the MVC in 2022-23. 
 
For the season, Crawford ranks second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and tops in both assists (4.1 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (1.85) despite missing the balance of the first two months of the season with an injury. As a result, he has not yet played in enough games to qualify for ranking in the MVC stats (minimum 65 percent of team's games), but were he to qualify, he would be second in the Valley in assists, seventh in assist/turnover ratio and 14^th in scoring. Crawford has also scored in double figures in 11 of the 15 games he has played in this year (including a pair of 20-point outings), and he has eight games with at least five assists, including a career-high nine helpers in a Jan. 13 road win at Northern Iowa.
 
Winners in 10 of its last 12 games, UIC (15-12, 10-6 MVC) is back on the hardwood at 7 p.m. (CT) Wednesday for an MVC road contest at Evansville. The Flames then return home to Credit Union 1 Arena Saturday for a 2 p.m. (CT) matinee against Valparaiso. It will be Senior Day, with UIC's four graduate students to be honored in a pregame ceremony. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with the Valparaiso game also available on the Flames Network at UICFlames.com.
 
UIC basketball season and single-game tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster (Men's Basketball or Women's Basketball), UICFlames.com/Tickets or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421) or athleticsticketing@uic.edu. UIC students are admitted free for all Flames' home games.
 
In addition, the US Solar Courtside Club is open for each game at Credit Union 1 Arena, with Club passes available for purchase through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or at the Courtside Club entrance on game nights. Located just steps away from the action on the event level at Credit Union 1 Arena, the US Solar Courtside Club provides a premium experience for all UIC basketball fans, including enhanced food and beverage options. The Club also offers luxury seating and flat-screen televisions, and fans will have earlier access to the arena through a dedicated separate gate entrance, allowing them to get a quicker start on supporting their Flames each and every night.
 
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).