Men’s basketball adds 6-foot-9 forward

Jason McClellan joins UIC after playing two seasons at Eastern Wyoming College.

Jason McClellan, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward, joins the men’s basketball team’s 2014-15 roster.

McClellan played two seasons at Eastern Wyoming College, averaging 11.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season.  McClellan is the sixth newcomer slated to join the Flames next season and the third standing 6-foot-9 or taller.

“Jason is a great addition to our frontcourt,” said head basketball coach Howard Moore.  “He has a tremendous mid-range game with the ability to step back and hit a three. He’s the type of player that does not shy away from contact, and at 240 pounds he has the ability to crash the boards extremely well. I have no doubt that Jason will compete for playing time right away.”

During his sophomore campaign at Eastern Wyoming College, McClellan scored in double figures more than 70 percent of his games with a career-high 20 points Nov. 16.  The Fort Collins, Colo. native shot nearly 40 percent from behind the arc last season and increased that number to 67 percent in conference play.  He finished the year on a high note, averaging 15.6 points per game over the last five contests.

“Jason is a very skilled big man,” Eastern Wyoming head coach Casey Jones said. “He can pass, shoot, rebound and even handle the ball pretty well. His ability to shoot will benefit UIC tremendously because he pulls his defender out of the post, which opens the floor for other players.  He is a great kid with a big heart, and everybody at EWC really liked him.”

With the addition of McClellan, UIC now houses six newcomers for the 2014-15 season.  He joins two other junior college transfers, including D’Juan Miller(Eastern Arizona College) and Kaylen Shane (John A. Logan College).  UIC also welcomes three incoming freshmen in center Tai Odiase(Flossmoor, Ill./ Homewood-Flossmoor), guard Grant Sims (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) and forward David Ramon (Madrid, Spain/Virgen de Atocha).