UIC senior Filip Skobalj, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, is preparing for his senior season with the Flames under new coach Robert Ehsan. Skobalj, a starter and the Flames’ top 3-point shooter, is coming off a strong season where he earned Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete honors. Now, he’s focused on adapting to the new offensive-minded system Ehsan is implementing as UIC aims to rebound after four consecutive losing seasons.
Skobalj’s journey to UIC began in 2021 when former coach Luke Yaklich recruited him from Serbia, despite never having seen him play in person. Yaklich’s faith in Skobalj’s talent was a major factor in his decision to attend UIC.
“Coach Yak is going to be a friend and family member for life. He gave me a chance to play division one basketball, he gave a full-ride scholarship to a kid from Europe who he’d never even seen in person before,” Skobalj said.
The Flames, who lost their leading scorer Isaiah Rivera to DePaul in the transfer portal, want to establish a new identity. Skobalj also considered transferring, but after talking with Ehsan, he felt compelled to stay.
“With the coaching change happening in March, I had a lot of thinking to do. A lot of thinking about if I wanted to stay or what I wanted to do,” Skobalj said. “I talked to the new coaches, too. I love UIC, I love the environment here, and ultimately, I wanted to stay with my people. I wanted to stay with the entire program. If I was going to change schools, I would have had to change coaches anyways, so I’d rather stay somewhere I know and love.”
What made Skobalj’s decision easier was Ehsan’s excitement to have him in the program and make him a focal point on this season’s team. Last season, the 6-foot-7 forward started 30 of the 32 games he played in, averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting an impressive 42.4% from 3-point range.
“When Coach Ehsan came in, we had our introductory meeting with him and the team, and then literally five minutes later, he called me. ‘You’re my first call,’ he told me. ‘I want you to stay.’ I felt this enormous need and want from him to have me on his team. I feel like he wanted me from that first minute, and I just felt like he really fought for me, and I appreciate that,” Skobalj said.
With the Flames’ season opener against St. Francis (Ill.) on Nov. 4, Skobalj is optimistic about the team’s future under Ehsan. Practices have become faster-paced and more offensive-focused, and Skobalj believes the new approach will allow the team to maximize each player’s potential.
“I think I made a good decision in staying,” Skobalj said, eager to see how the changes will play out on the court.
