Division I transfer joins Flames basketball

“I’m really excited to be able to finish my career at UIC,” says Jordan Harks.

Jordan Harks, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward/center, will join the men’s basketball team this fall.

Harks, from Lombard, will complete his final year of eligibility at UIC after transferring from Central Arkansas. He begins his graduate coursework this summer.

“We’re excited to welcome Jordan to our program for his senior season,” head coach Howard Moore said. “He made contact with us after the season and expressed his interest in returning home to finish his college career and pursue his master’s degree.

“He’s a great student and a player that comes into our program with invaluable experience at the Division I level. We expect Jordan to have an immediate impact on our team next season, and to be a great representative of this university.”

Harks played at Glenbard South High School, collecting IHSA 3A Associated Press All-State Honorable Mention plaudits during his senior season, when he averaged 20.8 points and eight rebounds per game.

A top-60 recruit in Illinois, Harks received several Division I offers but began his college career at Olivet-Nazarene in Bourbonnais. In one season with the Tigers, he averaged 10.9 points and seven rebounds per game. He received Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors and honorable mention NAIA All-American recognition.

After transferring to Central Arkansas, Harks sat out the 2010-11 season because of NCAA transfer regulations. During the 2011-12 season, Harks started eight games of the 25 he competed in. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor.

Last season, Harks averaged 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 58.6 percent from the field in an average of 19.9 minutes per game.

“I’m really excited to be able to finish my career at UIC and to be given the opportunity to pursue my master’s degree,” Harks said.

“The campus is only 25 minutes from my hometown, and to be able to play in front of my friends and family during my senior year is really a dream come true. I can’t wait to get to work this summer.”