Former Purdue guard joins UIC
Former Purdue guard Kelsey Barlow joins UIC.
Former Purdue guard Kelsey Barlow, a member of the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team three years ago, will join the Flames, transferring to UIC to complete his final season of eligibility.
Barlow will sit out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer regulations; with one year of eligibility left, he will play in 2013-14.
“We’re excited to bring a player of Kelsey’s caliber into our program,” said head men’s basketball coach Howard Moore.
“I coached against Kelsey during his great freshman season when I was at Wisconsin, and have always been impressed with his skill-set.
“He will be a great asset to our younger players every day in practice during his transfer year and as a senior, I expect him to be one of the better players in the Horizon League.”
Barlow played in 93 games for the Boilmakers over the last three seasons, including 29 starting assignments.
In 26 games last season, he averaged 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest. As a sophomore, he scored 5.1 points, pulled down 2.9 rebounds and dished out 1.6 assists per game, starting in seven contests and playing as first substitute off the bench in 20 other games.
He was named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team in 2009-10 after seeing action in all 35 games, tying for the second-most by a freshman in Purdue men’s basketball history.
“Kelsey’s transfer to UIC will be very beneficial for both him and our program,” Moore said.
“He is excited and humbled about this next phase of his college basketball career, and to be a teammate again.
“Kelsey is a kid with great character, and my discussions and interactions with him have proven that. We’re excited for him to join our team.”
The Indianapolis native attended Cathedral High School as a prep, earning Honorable Mention All-State honors as a junior and senior. He was ranked the No. 41 small forward in the country by ESPN coming out of high school and tabbed a three-star recruit by Scout.com.
Moore also announced two freshmen walk-ons to this year’s roster: Austin Angel (Wilmette, New Trier) and Ngijol Songolo (Madison, Wis., Memorial).
Angel led New Trier to a 23-6 record and a regional championship last season, while Songolo helped the Spartans capture two consecutive conference championships, including a state title as a junior.
“Besides being very good basketball players, these guys are both going to be huge assets to our program off the floor and behind the scenes,” Moore said.
“There is no doubt in my mind that they will both earn playing time and help this program win basketball games during their careers at UIC.”
