BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The D3hoops community is in for a treat this week as the fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team travels to the Big Apple for a non-conference clash with No. 1 ranked Yeshiva University. Tipoff of the highly-anticipated matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Thursday night, Dec. 30, inside the Max Stern Athletic Center.
    Illinois Wesleyan will return to action after an extended break with hopes of improving on its 8-2 overall record. IWU came up short in its last outing, at No. 15 Washington University in St. Louis, 71-61, Dec. 19. Yeshiva, which has garnered national attention for its 50-game win streak, is 14-0 on the season. The Maccabees  most recently held off New Jersey City University, 93-86, Dec. 15.
    A live stream of the game will be produced by MacsLive, while Eric Stock, the voice of Titan basketball, will also have the call on the Titan Broadcast Network. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

SPECTATORS FOR THE SPECTACLE: Spectators are welcome to attend the IWU-Yeshiva game, while capacity will be limited to 70 percent. All attending must show proof of being fully vaccinated (defined as two weeks after their final dose) in order to gain entry.
Masking for all individuals other than game participants and coaches is mandatory throughout the contest. Additionally, children under 12 are not permitted at this time. Food and drinks are not permitted within the gymnasium.

A TASTE OF SKYLINE: This week's game at Yeshiva will mark the first time IWU has competed against a member of the Skyline Conference in program history. The New York City-based league is home to 12 schools: Farmingdale State, Manhattanville, Maritime, Mount Saint Mary, Mount Saint Vincent, Old Westbury, Purchase, Sarah Lawrence, St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, St. Joseph's-Long Island, Merchant Marine, and Yeshiva.

HOLD THE WHISTLE: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the top defensive teams in the country this season, and have done so rather cleanly. The Titans, who rank first in the CCIW and 35th in Division III in scoring defense (64.0 ppg), are second in the conference and 39th nationally in fouls per game (14.2). The Green and White have committed just 128 fouls, the fewest in the CCIW (54th nationally).

TITANS VS. NO. 1: The Titans' game against the No. 1 ranked Maccabees Thursday night, Dec. 30, will be mark IWU's 13th game against the top nationally ranked team in the D3hoops.com era. IWU, which holds a 5-7 record in such contests, last met a No. 1 ranked Augustana squad during the 2015-16 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament semis.

IWU AND THE BIG APPLE: Illinois Wesleyan's trip the New York City is the first trip to New York for the Titans since taking part in the Staten Island Tournament, Dec. 29-30, 2016. IWU split its games in the Empire State, falling in a tight 77-75 game to Middlebury, Dec. 29, before blowing by Bridgewater, 79-60, Dec. 30.

LONG DISTANCE LOVE, OR LACK THEREOF: The top-five matchup between IWU and YU will feature two of the best beyond the arc that Division III has to offer. Yeshiva, which averages 9.9 three-pointers made per game, is fifth in all of Division III in three-point field goal percentage (41.6). The Maccabees' 139 made triples are the third-most nationally. Meanwhile, Illinois Wesleyan has held opponents to 26.5 percent from beyond the arc this season, the 21st-best three-point field goal percentage defense in DIII. Additionally, IWU has held opponents to eight-or-less three-pointers in each of its games this season.

DENY! DENY! DENY!: Illinois Wesleyan will have its work cut out this Thursday, as the Titans will be tasked with defending one of the most prolific scoring teams in all of Division III. Yeshiva ranks ninth nationally in scoring offense at 92.0 points per game, led by Ryan Turrell's 29.8 ppg average. Individually, Turrell is slotted second nationally in scoring average across NCAA Division I, II, and III.
    No stranger to outstanding offensive threats, Turrell will be the third player among Division III's top-25 scorers the Titans have faced this season. Matt Helwig, who is third in the country at 29.2 points per contests, scored just 13 points in IWU's bout with North Central, Dec. 15. Wheaton College's Nyameye Adom finished with 24 points, aided by 11 free throws, on 6-of-17 shooting against the Titans, Dec. 11. Adom's 22.7 ppg are 21st-most in Division III.

FINDING HIS STRIDE: Since returning to the starting lineup against Carroll, Dec. 4, senior Peter Lambesis has seemingly found his stride. Lambesis is averaging 14.0 points per game over IWU's last four games. He has converted 57.1 percent of his shot attempts (24-for-52), and has also added 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game over the four-game span.

RANKINGS ON REPEAT: Illinois Wesleyan is one of 20 programs that have appeared in at least 100 D3Hoops.com Top-25 rankings. In fact, the Titans 175 appearances in the weekly poll are ninth-most all-time. The Titans are currently ranked No. 4 in the poll.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL: Including wins at Alma and Calvin, Nov. 19-20, the Titans are 17-8 in the past five seasons in out of state, non-conference games. Over the holiday break, the Titans have taken trips to Texas, California, Georgia, and New York in the past five seasons for competitive, non-conference matchups.

ROAD RECORD: Illinois Wesleyan owns an 91-56 away from the Shirk Center over the past 11 seasons, good for a .619 win percentage on the road over that span.

REACHING 1700: As a program, IWU men's basketball is currently sitting at 1,698 wins. With two more wins this season, the Titans will join an elite club as just two other current Division III men's basketball programs have reached the 1,700-win threshold. Wittenberg leads Division III in wins with 1,817, while Wooster is in second with 1,774 program wins.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans will begin 2022 with a home game against CCIW foe Elmhurst University Wednesday night, Jan. 5. Tipoff against the 14th-ranked Bluejays is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.