CHICAGO (Feb. 23, 2026) – UIC men's basketball sophomore guard Elijah Crawford (Augusta, Ga./Brewster Academy/BYU) reached a noteworthy milestone on Monday when he was chosen as the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week for a conference-leading third time this season, and the second week in a row. Crawford, who was also selected for the award on Jan. 26, is just the second Flames' player ever to be a three-time weekly conference newcomer selection, a feat previously only achieved by Dikembe Dixson, who was an eight-time Horizon League Newcomer of the Week in 2015-16.
 
Crawford is among three UIC players who have received the MVC Newcomer of the Week honor this season, along with junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery on Nov. 24 and graduate student forward Abdul Momoh on Jan. 12. The Flames are the only Valley team with three different players chosen for Newcomer of the Week this season, and UIC is one of only two schools to have two different players selected as Newcomer of the Week honorees in 2025-26.
 
Last week, Crawford averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, highlighted by his first career double-double, as the Flames split their two conference outings to remain firmly in the thick of the race for one of the five MVC Tournament first-round byes heading into the final week of the regular season. Crawford turned in his double-double in a Feb. 18 win at Evansville with 10 points and a career-high 10 assists, followed by a game-high 22 points (including a career-high 9-of-10 free throws) in a four-point loss to Valparaiso on Feb. 21. It was Crawford's third 20-point game of the season, while his 10 assists at Evansville made him just the third Valley player with double-digit assists in a game this year.
 
Despite missing most of the first two months of the season with an injury, Crawford leads UIC in scoring (12.6 ppg.), assists (4.4 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (1.74), and is in a virtual tie for the lead in steals (1.4 spg.). Due to his early-season injury, 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 lead the conference in assists, while ranking fifth in steals, seventh in assist/turnover ratio and 12^th in scoring.
 
During MVC play, Crawford has appeared in the requisite number of games, leading the MVC in assists (4.7 apg.) while placing fifth in both steals (1.4 spg.) and assist/turnover ratio (1.94), and 13^th in scoring (13.3 ppg.).
 
All told, Crawford has scored in double figures in 13 of the 17 games he has played in this year (including his three 20-point outings), and he has nine games with at least five assists, including last week's career-high 10 helpers at Evansville.
 
UIC (16-13, 11-7 MVC) wraps up its home schedule at 7 p.m. (CT) Tuesday when it plays host to Bradley (19-10, 12-6) at Credit Union 1 Arena in a game that will air live on ESPN+ and the Flames Network at UICFlames.com. It will be Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Night, while early-arriving UIC students may receive a replica UIC basketball jersey. In addition, it will be the last of this season's Faculty and Staff Appreciation Nights, with UIC faculty and staff able to purchase up to nine complimentary tickets by showing their University ID at the arena box office on game night, while UIC Alumni (with valid ID) can purchase tickets for $1 each through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or at the arena on Tuesday evening.
 
What's more, there will be another free UIC Flames Force Pre-Game Tailgate Party for all UIC students from 5-6:30 p.m. (CT) Tuesday at the Student Center East Bowling Alley, while shuttle buses will be stopping at East Campus dorms, as well as Student Center East, to bring students, free of charge, to and from Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
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).