ACC's Kelley signs letter of intent at UIC

UIC Flames men's basketball coach Jimmy Collins announced the signings of 6-foot-7 forward Brad Birton (North Lawndale College Prep/South Suburban College) and 6-foot-6 guard Anthony Kelley (Aurora Central Catholic) to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

Birton played two seasons at South Suburban under coach John Pigotti. He averaged 11.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in 21 contests as a sophomore at South Suburban, guiding the Bulldogs to the 2009 NJCAA Division II National Championships.

Birton, who can play both small and power forward spots, was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 NJCAA Region IV Championships after leading the nationally ranked Bulldogs to a third consecutive regional title. Prior to his two-year stay at South Suburban, Birton played high school basketball less than four miles from the UIC campus at city power North Lawndale under head coach Lewis Thorpe. There he averaged 9.0 ppg and 7.6 rpg as a senior and helped the Phoenix advance to the 2007 IHSA Class A title game, where future UIC teammate Robo Kreps' Maroa-Forsyth squad edged North Lawndale in a 59-56 thriller.

"Brad is a tough, versatile athlete who plays hard and plays a number of different positions," said Collins. "He is a high-energy guy, a winner and a very coachable young man who played under great coaches in high school and at South Suburban. We expect Brad to come in and play right away."

Kelley averaged just over 20 points and 2.0 steals per game as a senior for the Chargers under head coach Nate Drye. He led Aurora Central Catholic to two straight Suburban Catholic Conference championships, helping the Chargers finish 23-4 overall during his final prep campaign. Kelley also helped ACC go 26-5 and claim a regional crown as a junior in 2007-08.

A sharpshooter who can play shooting guard and small forward, Kelly was also a multi-sport prep standout with a background in track and field.

"Anthony is very athletic, he can shoot the ball, he can really jump and he is a long defender," Collins said. "He has a ton of great upside, and his willingness to work will turn that potential into success very quickly. With his natural ability and work ethic combined with some more weight and strength added on him when he gets here, Anthony can be a major factor for us."

Birton and Kelley join 6-foot-9 Louis Green (St. Joseph H.S.) as part of the Flames' incoming crop for 2009-10.

"This is a class of players that work hard and listen well," Collins concluded. "These three young men are all long, athletic players who can defend and finish offensively. This class will excite Flames fans for years to come."