Courtesy of Eurobasket LLC We bring you last week's top former Flames players who are currently playing in pro basketball.
Especially interesting is good performance of Tai Odiase (4 points), Robert Howard (11 points), and Jamie Ahale (21 points).
#1. Puerto Rican champion Tai Odiase, a 6'9'' center who graduated from UIC in 2018 and received the All-Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year award that same year, is currently playing professionally in Israel. In a recent match, he contributed significantly to Hapoel Shlomo Tel-Aviv's 81-75 victory over the tenth-ranked Ironi Nes-Ziona, scoring 4 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 1 assist during his 22 minutes on the court. Hapoel Shlomo Tel-Aviv, with a record of 22-4, holds the second position in the league standings. Odiase's performance helped his team secure its third consecutive win. This victory was crucial as it came at the end of the Regular Season. Notably, this is Odiase's debut season with the team, and his impact has been remarkable. Throughout the season, Odiase has maintained solid statistics, averaging 12.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in the 19 games he has played so far. Despite being a naturalized American, Odiase continues to showcase his skills as a champion player, proving to be a valuable asset to his team.
#2. Robert Howard, a 28-year-old Flames alumnus who stands at 6'8'' and currently plays professionally in Slovakia, unfortunately could not help Slovan in their recent game. Despite his commendable performance, Slovan lost 65-69 at home to the leading Levice team. Howard, the second-best scorer for Slovan, contributed 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 28 minutes of play. This marks Howard's first season with the team. In the game against Levice, Howard showcased his skills by scoring 11 points and securing 9 rebounds. Despite his impressive individual performance, Slovan was unable to secure the victory. Throughout the season, Howard has maintained solid statistics, averaging 10.9 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game (ranking fourth best in the league), and 1.1 assists per game over the course of 25 games.
#3. Australian Jamie Ahale, a 6'5'' guard who recently graduated from UIC in 2022, showcased his talent in the recent game for Kilsyth Cobras. Despite his exceptional performance, the team couldn't secure a win against the leading Tigers in the South group. Ahale, the top scorer of the game with 21 points, also contributed significantly with 9 rebounds and 3 assists during his 37 minutes on the court. This season marks Ahale's debut with the team, and he has been making a notable impact with impressive stats. Averaging 15.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in 12 appearances, Ahale has been a standout player for Kilsyth Cobras. In a recent match against Melbourne T., he displayed his skills once again, delivering a strong performance despite the team's inability to clinch the victory.
#4. Lithuanian champion Modestas Kancleris, a 24-year-old forward standing at 6'9'' and an alummi of Flames from 2025, currently plays professionally in Italy. In a recent game, the finalist Vigevano (28-8) suffered a narrow 74-72 defeat on the road against Livorno Pielle, who are ranked fourth in Group A. Despite Kancleris' solid performance of 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 31 minutes, his team was unable to secure the victory. Throughout the season, Kancleris has been excelling individually with impressive statistics. He boasts an average of 16.3 points per game, 8.9 rebounds (the second best in the league), 2.1 assists per game, and leads the league with 1.4 blocks per game in 38 appearances.
Other former University of Illinois at Chicago players, who play in pro basketball:
Filip Skobalj (6'7''-F-2002, played in 2021-25) plays for Crvena zvezda in Serbian KLS
Marcus Ottey (6'2''-G-1997, played in 2016-20) plays for Tamis PN in Serbian KLS
Michael Diggins (6'9''-F/C-1998, played in 2017-22) plays for Cheshire Phoenix in British SLB
Kevin Johnson (6'0''-PG-1999, played in 2021-22) played for Blue Wings in Slovakian Tipos SBL few monts ago
Trevante Anderson (6'1''-G-2000, played in 2022-23) played for Sokhumi in Georgian A League last year
Gary Talton (6'1''-PG-1990, played in 2009-13) played for WAC in Moroccan DEX-H last year
Jalen Warren (6'2''-G-1999, played in 2021-22) plays for Kretinga in Lithuanian NKL
Jordan Blount (6'8''-F/C-1997, played in 2016-16) plays for Killorglin in Irish Super League
Jacob Wiley (6'8''-F-1998, played in 2017-21) plays for Gence in Azerbaijani ABL
Dikembe Dixson (6'7''-F-1996, played in 2015-18) plays for Al Ittihad Tripoli in Libyan D1
Tyem Freeman (6'6''-F-2000, played in 2024-25) plays for Val de Seine in French NM1
Godwin Boahen (5'11''-PG-1997, played in 2016-20) plays for Jaen CB in Spanish Segunda FEB
Notice: The list above includes only some of alumni playing currently in pro basketball. Check complete list of University of Illinois at Chicago basketball alumni.
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Ex-Players
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