BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team looks to keep things rolling Saturday, Feb. 1, when it plays host to Carroll University in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will serve as the night cap of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team. Additionally, the Titans will celebrate 1977 graduate Jack Sikma's induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame prior to tip.
IWU is looking to build off a 77-71 win over No. 13 North Central, Jan. 29. With the win, the Titans moved to 12-6 overall and 6-3 in the CCIW. Meanwhile, Carroll has lost seven straight since the New Year and sits at 9-10 overall (2-8 CCIW) following a 67-63 setback at Carthage, Jan. 29.
Fans can tune into the game 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.
HONORING A HALL OF FAMER: Saturday will see the Titans celebrate Jack Sikma's induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
A 1977 IWU graduate, Sikma is the school's all-time leading scorer (2,272 points) and rebounder (1,405) and, in each of his last three seasons, the Titans won College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships and advanced to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament in Kansas City. He was also a two-time Academic All-American and was selected in 1999 to the CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame.
The No. 8 pick in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, Sikma scored 17,287 points and got 10,816 rebounds in the NBA and was a key player on Seattle's 1979 NBA championship team. He holds Seattle's team records for rebounds (7,729) and free throws made (3,044).
YOUNG GUNS: Illinois Wesleyan has relied on plenty of underclassmen all season, and that was no different in it's thrilling 77-71 win over No. 13 North Central Wednesday night, Jan. 29. In fact, 72 of IWU's 77 points, or 93.5 percent, were scored by freshmen and sophomores. Keondre Schumacher, Matthew Leritz, and Luke Yoder led the way with 17 points apiece, while Cory Noe and Peter Lambesis tallied 11 and 10, respectively.
Additionally, it was the first time all five players hit double figures since an 86-80 win at Carroll, Feb. 16, 2019. In that game, Brady Rose dropped 20 points, Colin Bonnett added 17, Grant Wolfe chipped in 14, Doug Wallen tallied 11, and Charlie Bair contributed 10.
FINDING HIS GROOVE: After missing the first month of the season due to injury, sophomore Matthew Leritz has found his groove as of late. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over IWU's last two games. He has also been rather efficient, converting 16-of-24 (66.7 percent) of his shot attempts and has gone 6-for-8 at the charity stripe.
HEAT CHECK: Perhaps an outstanding rendition of the national anthem sang by 1972 IWU graduate Wayne Messmer got the Titans out to a strong start in their win over No. 13 North Central, Jan. 29. Either way, Illinois Wesleyan put on a show for the Shirk Center with one of its best offensive performances of the season. IWU converted a season-high 56 percent of its field goal attempts and went 8-for-17 from three-point distance.
The Titans 56.0 field goal percentage was their highest since shooting 58 percent from the floor in a win over Carroll, Feb. 16, 2019.
BUCKLE UP: With its win Wednesday night, Illinois Wesleyan shook up the CCIW standings. Along with an Augustana buzzer-beating win over Elmhurst, the Titans find themselves at 6-3 in the league. North Central and Elmhurst lead the conference at 8-2, followed by Augie (7-3), IWU, and Wheaton (6-3).
CASHING IN: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the best when it comes to cashing in at the free throw line this season. In fact, the Titans rank second in the conference and 46th nationally with a free throw percentage of 75.1. North Central leads the conference at 77.2 percent from the line. Individually, Luke Yoder ranks second in the CCIW and ninth in the country at 90.5 percent from the charity stripe.
ANOTHER RANKED OPPONENT: IWU's clash with No. 13 North Central Wednesday night, Jan. 29, marked the Titans sixth game against a top-25 opponent this season. With a 77-71 triumph, IWU moved to 3-3 against nationally ranked oppositions. The Titans have now topped No. 23 Augustana, No. 21, Carthage, and No. 13 North Central.
CLASHING WITH CARROLL ALL-TIME: Saturday's showdown in Waukesha will pit the Titans and Pioneers against one another for the 84th time. Illinois Wesleyan holds a 65-18 lead in the all-time series, including a 6-2 record under Ron Rose.
The Titans topped the Pioneers 71-67 in Waukesha when the two teams met back on Jan. 18. Doug Wallen and Peter Lambesis scored 16 points each, while Luke Yoder tallied 11 and Charlie Bair notched a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double.
SCOUTING REPORT - CARROLL: Since an up-and-down start to the year, No. 13 North Central has rattled off 11 straight wins to enter Wednesday night with a 15-3 record. The Cardinals, who are on top in the CCIW standings, are 8-1 in league play.
Four double digit scorers lead a Carroll offense that averages 70.1 points per game. Nick Penny paces the Pioneers with 14.1 points per game, followed by Charlie Soule (11.9), Kale Maupin (10.3), and Blake Williams (10.2). Soule is also Carroll's top rebounder, as he pulls down 5.5 per contest. Ryan Clarey rounds out the starting five as the distributor with a team-best 85 assists. He also has a team-high 30 steals to his credit.
Carroll has been fairly strong on the offensive end, shooting 45.7 percent for the season and 36.6 percent from distance. Opponents have converted 43.9 percent of their attempts from the field and 35.4 percent of their three-balls, but have held a +2.0 rebounding margin on the glass.
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 272-55 record on their home floor, good for a .832 win percentage.
KEEPIN' IT CLEAN: The Titans are averaging just 12.7 turnovers per game, the third-best mark in the CCIW and the 88th-best nationally. IWU is forcing an average of 14.72 turnovers per game, the second-most in the league, and hold the league's second-best turnover margin at +2.1 (81st nationally).
BAIR'S BOARDS: Junior Charlie Bair has owned the glass this season, pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game. Bair ranks top in the conference and 53rd nationally in rebounding average, while his 3.56 offensive boards per contest are 30th-most nationally and lead the CCIW. Additionally, Bair is one of three players in the conference with six-or-more double-doubles this season and his 168 rebounds are the most in the CCIW and 57th-most in all of NCAA Division III.
YEAR 111: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 1675-915 record in its history, good for a .647 winning percentage. Additionally, the Titans 1675 wins are the fourth-most all-time in NCAA Division III. Meanwhile, IWU's 743 CCIW wins are by-far-and-above the most in the league. In fact, the Titans have more than 100 conference wins than any other school in the CCIW.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan hits the road for a midweek matchup at Millikin Wednesday, Feb. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Titans won the initial meeting 80-71 back in Bloomington, Jan. 4, behind an 18-point effort from Luke Yoder.
