Elliott Poole was given the nickname “Butch” by his family after watching a cartoon character on television, but it may be his other nickname that might be more appropriate for what he and the UIC Flames are looking to accomplish this season.

Poole (pictured) was given the nickname “Snacks” by his Farragut High School teammates and former UIC guard Marcetteaus McGee for his penchant for indulging in food away from the court.

“I like candy,” Poole said.

“Little Debbies … anything that comes out of a vending machine,” shouted one of his teammates, listening in the interview with Poole.

While the nickname itself was a joke, Poole’s objectives on the court for the 2005-06 season are not.

Simply stated, Poole and the Flames are hungry for respect after being picked sixth in the Horizon League preseason poll.

Just because the team lost its leading scorer and leading rebounder in Cedrick Banks and Armond Williams doesn’t mean that UIC is going to disappear from the Horizon League race.

Many will point to the hulking 6-foot-7, 255-pound Poole as a leader of this year’s team, something that he embraces.

“I feel I have to show some leadership to these guys,” Poole said. “Get our guys motivated to win.”

Poole started to mature at the end of last season, finishing with averages of 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds and shooting 52 percent from the field while playing in 29 games.

He promised a victory against Loyola in the second round of the Horizon League tournament. While Poole played one of his best games, the Flames suffered an overtime defeat to their crosstown rivals. After the game, Poole held himself accountable for the loss.

“I think I grew up a bit,” Poole said. “I’m a little older now. I just need to work harder, stay in better shape and stay motivated through thick and thin.”

Part of the maturation process has fueled Poole to finish his degree requirements in the spring and return for a fourth season of eligibility like Banks and Williams before him.

“I’m right on track,” Poole said. “I want to return.”

Poole has already proven to be clutch in his Flames career, evidenced by his game-winning spin move and layup in the Horizon League championship game in March 2004.

“He’s playing great right now [in preseason practice],” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said. “He has to continue to round himself into shape and stay focused.”

Poole is joined by nine other returning players, including forwards Justin Bowen and Jovan Stefanov. Both Bowen and Stefanov showed flashes of brilliance at times last season.

Bowen is a 6-foot-7, 210-pound athletic machine, and now in his senior year, perhaps he will break out as the player that Collins needs him to be. Bowen averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds and led UIC in scoring in rebounding in seven contests.

“I think Justin is a really good role player,” Collins said. “He is now willing to accept that. He’s a senior and he understands what he needs to help us win. He’s a smart kid.”

The 6-foot-9 Stefanov can legitimately play four positions and can pass the ball as well as score and rebound. He also has a deft touch from beyond the three-point arc.

Stefanov (pictured) overcame two seasons of limited action due to injury and sickness to become one of the Flames’ hardest working players last season. He averaged 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point land as a sophomore.

“I’m more confident this year,” Stefanov said. “but I have to be more vocal and contain drivers better.”

Collins like to put the lanky Stefanov on defense against quality players like Loyola’s Blake Schilb and Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Joah Tucker.

“I like guarding the other team’s top player,” Stefanov said. “That challenges me. Playing against those guys makes me more aggressive.”

Waiting in the wings and just as hungry as Poole is a young man named Othyus Jeffers. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Jeffers, who transferred from Los Angeles Southwest Community College, has three years of eligibility and helps continues the Flames’ pipeline to the Chicago Public League.

Joining the veterans and Jeffers in the frontcourt are newcomers Danijel Zoric and Jovan Ignajtovic. This Serbian combination measure 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-9, respectively.

Zoric was heavily recruited as a junior college center. He played his sophomore season at Collin County Community College and dominated with averages of 19.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest, while shooting 56 percent.

“I believe Danijel is best post player we’ve ever had come through here,” Collins said. “With his size and offensive prowess, once he learns our offense, he’s going to be hard to stop.”

Courted by Big 12 and Pac-10 schools, Zoric was a steal for the Flames and assistant coach Mark Coomes, who was the Flames’ primary recruiter in the pursuit of the scoring and rebounding machine. Expect Zoric to get major minutes, along with Jeffers.

Ignajtovic did not get a lot of publicity in his senior season at Whitney Young High, but was heavily praised by his coach Ron Branch for his shooting ability. He may see some minutes in the post as a freshman.

On the wing, Kevin Bond and Robert Bush played solid ball in limited minutes as true freshmen. Bond is never afraid to shoot the ball, especially from 8-to-10 feet out. Bush works hard and should get some time at the 2 and 3 positions.

The leaders of the returning backcourt are sophomore Karl White and senior point guard Rocky Collum. Junior D.J. Smedley and freshman Josh Mayo will also see a lot of playing time (For an in-depth look at the backcourt, see here).

Collins also has several walk-ons on the squad that will contribute, whether it’s in games or running the scout team. The veterans are senior guard Etienne Nelson and sophomore Alok Aiyar. The newcomers are guard Greg Zimny, a transfer from Samford, and 6-foot-4 forward Ebenezer Noonoo from Loyola Academy.

Collins expects seven players to compete for the five starting spots – Poole, Bowen, Stefanov, Zoric, Jeffers, White and Smedley.

“There’s so much competition at every position,” Collins said. “These guys are going to be focused, because somebody else is ready to take a spot.”

They’ll have to be hungry and focused with schedule that includes a season-opening trip to Alaska for the Top of the World Classic and non-conference games with Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Northwestern, Mississippi and Davidson.

“There’s no question this is the toughest schedule we’ve had,” Collins said. “When we recruit, we tell the kids we’re going to play a competitive schedule. It’s good for the kids. It will make us ready to compete for the Horizon League title.”