Loyola and UIC have been active this spring, attempting to address different needs for the 2020-2021 season.
Jalon Pipkins transferred in early April, allowing the Ramblers to get involved with several athletes, including transfers and high school prospects. The current players Loyola is known to be pursuing are transfers Ishmael El-Amin and Joe Pridgen.
El-Amin is a rising senior transferring from Ball State, and will likely have to sit out the upcoming season. Loyola is familiar with him, as the Ramblers defeated Ball State 70-58 on December 3rd, 2019. El-Amin torched the Ramblers to the tune of 24 points, making 4-of-6 shots from three. Listed as a 6-foot-1 guard, he averaged 13.8 points per game, while making 77 3-pointers at 39.3%. El-Amin's scoring prowess earned him a Third-Team All-Mac selection. He has several mid-major and high-major programs after him, so he will be a difficult player to land.
Pridgen recently announced his transfer from Holy Cross, with Loyola mentioned as a school that immediately expressed interest. He was productive out of the gate, becoming the Patriot League Freshman of the Year thanks to a gaudy stat line: 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 35.2 minutes. Pridgen will be a sit-one, play-three sophomore when eligible in 2020-2021 and he is listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds. He played the combo-forward role for Holy Cross, which is a position of need for Loyola. Rising seniors Tate Hall and Aher Uguak will exhaust their college eligibility at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season, which leaves a big opening at the combo-forward spot. Much like El-Amin, Pridgen has no shortage of suitors, but he does fit in well with Loyola from a roster standpoint.
New UIC head coach Luke Yaklich has hit the ground running for the Flames. UIC landed two transfers, Zion Griffin from Iowa State and Teyvion Kirk from Colorado State. The Flames also signed a much needed wing in RayQuawndis Mitchell, a junior college transfer from Otero Community College.
Griffin, regarded as a four-star, #85 recruit in the class of 2018 by Rivals, left Iowa State in search of a fresh start and more playing time. He saw very few minutes in two years at Iowa State, injuries did not help matters. But the athletic, 6-foot-6 4-man from nearby Hinsdale, IL flashed immense potential as high-schooler. He chose Iowa State over Kansas and Pittsburgh, and should benefit from a year off to fully heal and get integrated into Yaklich's program. UIC will graduate Michael Diggins and Jacob Wiley his position, so there will be plenty minutes for Griffin.
Kirk graduated from Joliet West High School in 2017, where Yaklich coached from 2007-2013. He is a well-traveled player, as UIC will be his third college in three years. Kirk started his career at Ohio, where he was very productive in 2019: 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The 6-foot-4 guard then transferred to Colorado State, where he sat out this past season. Now listed as a graduate transfer by ESPN, Kirk should get lots of minutes as a combo guard.
Mitchell, also a 6-foot-4 guard, thrived this past season at Otero. He averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Mitchell really excelled from beyond the arc, making 83 3-pointers at 40.9% in 32 games. UIC graduated all of its guards, so Mitchell fills a big need on the perimeter, especially as a floor-spacer.
The Flames still have three openings on the roster, expect them to target more guards/wings. Pridgen, mentioned earlier as a transfer target for Loyola, has also heard from UIC.
