BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball opens up the New Year with a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin clash when the Titans host one of their oldest rivals, Millikin University. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 4 p.m. inside the Shirk Center and will follow the IWU-MU women's basketball game.
Illinois Wesleyan returns home following a two-game stint in Texas that saw the Titans go 1-1 at the Concordia Classic to move to 8-4 (2-1 CCIW) overall. Millikin shocked No. 10 WashU 63-61 on New Years Eve to improve its record to 3-9 on the season.
Fans can tune into the games via live stats or live stream, while Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will have the call on 98.3 FM WEXG. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
A DIII RIVALRY UNLIKE MANY: The 230-game history between Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin is believed to be the second-most-played rivalry in Division III based on research done by D3Playbook. The two teams first met in 1909-10 and have played every season since with the exception of the 1943-44 and 1944-45 campaigns.
BEAST MODE: In Illinois Wesleyan's 82-81 win over Sul Ross State, Dec. 30, Charlie Bair put together a performance for the record book. Bair grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, the most by a Titan since Darius Gant grabbed 21 against North Park, Feb. 23, 2008, while nabbing his fifth double-double of the year.
MAKING THE MOST OF HIS MINUTES: Playing a season-high 10 minutes, junior Colin Cheaney made the most of his time on the floor in IWU's win over Sul Ross State, Dec. 30. Coming off the bench, Cheaney scored a career-high eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists, and tallied a steal. His eight points were one more than what he had scored in his previous four games combined this season.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOCATION: The New Year has brought about a change in location for the weekly coaches show. Fans can catch Illinois Wesleyan Head Basketball Coaches Ron Rose and Mia Smith every Thursday night at 7 p.m. hosted by Cheeks Bar and Grill located at 1206 Towanda Ave. in Bloomington, beginning Jan. 9. Those unable to attend the weekly show can listen in on 98.3 FM WEXG.
BATTLING THE BIG BLUE: Saturday will represent the 231st all-time meeting on the hardwood between IWU and Millikin. Illinois Wesleyan holds a comfortable 152-78 lead in the series all-time, and has won the past six meetings, dating back to the 2015-16 season. Most recently, IWU swept the season series against MU with an 87-71 victory in Decatur, Jan. 12, 2019, and an 84-72 home win, Jan. 31, 2019. The Titans are 22-3 against the Big Blue under Ron Rose.
SCOUTING REPORT - MILLIKIN: Returning to action for the first time since defeating No. 10 WashU, Dec. 31, Millikin sits at 3-9 on the season and will be in search of its first CCIW victory when it travels to Bloomington.
The Big Blue were hit hard with injuries over the first 12 games of the season, but have seen several key players return to action since the end of classes. Zach Fisher is the team's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game despite missing the first seven games of the season. Calvin Fisher ranks second on the team in scoring (14.3 ppg) and leads MU in rebounding at 6.0 rebounds a game, while Jake Hampton adds 14.0 points a contest.
As a team Millikin is shooting 42.0 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from three-point range, but has struggled to contain opponents. MU has allowed the opposition to boast a 48.4 field goal percentage and convert 42.4 percent of their three-point attempts this season, leading to the opposition averaging 78 points per game to Millikin's 66 point average.
DOUBLE THE DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Doug Wallen and Charlie Bair posted double-doubles in IWU's win over Sul Ross State, Dec. 30, marking the second time this season the duo has posted double-doubles in the same game this season. Bair grabbed 17 rebound and added 15 points, while Wallen tallied 14 points and 10 boards as they became the third tandem in IWU history to accomplish the feat multiple times.
When Wallen and Bair registered a pair of double-doubles versus Carthage, Dec. 7, it marked the first time two Titans recorded a double-double in the same game since Feb. 14, 2007 when Zack Freeman (23 pts, 15 rebs) and Darius Gant (12 pts, 10 rebs) accomplished the feat.
BAIR'S BOARDS: Junior Charlie Bair has owned the glass this season, pulling down 10.0 rebounds per game. Bair ranks second in the conference and 38th nationally in rebounding average, while his 4.17 offensive boards per contest are 11th-most nationally and lead the CCIW. Additionally, Bair is one of two players in the conference with five-or-more double-doubles this season and his 120 rebounds are the most in the CCIW and 15th-most in all of NCAA Division III.
YEAR 111: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 1671-913 record in its history, good for a .647 winning percentage. Additionally, the Titans 1670 wins are the fourth-most all-time in NCAA Division III. Meanwhile, IWU's 740 CCIW wins are by-far-and-above the most in the league. In fact, the Titans have 118 more conference wins than any other school in the CCIW.
HEAT CHECK: Sophomore Keondre Schumacher has been a great addition to the Titans backcourt this season and has been one of the more efficient shooters in the country. Schumacher is converting 50.0 percent of his three-pointers, the best mark in the conference. Nationally, the Bloomington native ranks 11th in three-point field goal percentage and 42nd with 33 three-pointers made this season.
KEEPIN' IT CLEAN: The Titans are averaging just 12.8 turnovers per game, the third-best mark in the CCIW and the 82nd-best nationally. Illinois Wesleyan is also second in the league in turnover margin at +2.1, which ranks 98th-best in the country.
SHIRK'S 25TH BIRTHDAY: The 2019-20 season marks the 25th anniversary of the Shirk Center. One of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 600 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 269-55 record on their home floor, good for a .832 win percentage.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan hits the road for a CCIW showdown at North Central Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tipoff between the two league rivals is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Naperville, Ill.
