BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team returns home this weekend and looks to bounce back as the Titans host a non-conference matchup with Concordia University-Chicago Saturday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
    The Titans saw their seven-game win streak come to an end on the road at No. 19 Elmhurst University, Wednesday, Jan. 26, by way of a 74-66 defeat. IWU sits at No. 2 in the nation and holds a 15-3 record, including a 8-2 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin record. The Cougars own an 8-7 mark on the season and are 6-4 in league play. Concordia-Chicago enters Saturday on the heels of a 71-58 setback at Benedictine, Jan. 25.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE: The Titans get a "break" from the gauntlet that is the CCIW by welcoming Concordia-Chicago to Bloomington on Saturday, January 29. IWU is 7-1 in non-conference games this season, with the Titan's only loss coming on the road to the current No. 3 team in the country, WashU. Additionally, the Titans are 4-0 in non-conference games inside the Shirk Center.

SMALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The Titans have been invited to partake in the Small College Basketball Champions Classic next season. The event, which will be hosted by Northern State University in Aberdeen S.D., will take place Nov. 18-19, 2022 and will feature IWU, Nebraska Wesleyan, St. Joseph, UW-Oshkosh, Carroll (Mt.), Morningside, Indiana Wesleyan, Dakota Wesleyan, Queens, Point Loma Nazarene, Northern State, and Ferris State.
    The Green and White will kick off the two-day extravaganza with a 10 a.m. game against Nebraska Wesleyan Friday, Nov. 18, before taking on St. Joseph Saturday, Nov. 19, at noon.

I FEEL THE NEED… THE NEED FOR THREES: Illinois Wesleyan's three losses this season have one thing in common: a below average three-point shooting performance. IWU, a historically successful three-point shooting team, has been off from deep in its three losses, which have all come on the road. In losses at Wheaton, Elmhurst, and WashU, the Titans have shot a combined 20.7 percent (11-of-53) from deep. Conversely, the Titans have shot a combined 36.2 percent (115-of-318) from downtown in their 15 wins.

KRYPTONITE?: The Titans' three losses have another commonality besides below average shooting from three point land: free throw attempts. In its three losses, opponents are averaging eight more free throw attempts than the Green and White. Furthermore, in each of those losses, opponents are also averaging eight more points from the free throw line than the Titans.
    In IWU's most recent loss, IWU was whistled for 19 fouls to the Bluejays' 12. Additionally, Elmhurst attempted 21 free throws, converting on 17, compared to the Titan's 14 attempts and 10 makes. Illinois Wesleyan is 10-0 this season when attempting more free throws than its opponent, compared to 5-3 when the opposition attempts more FTs.

CLASHES WITH THE COUGARS: Concordia-Chicago is in limited company when it comes to the Cougars history against the Titans. In fact, of all the current Division III teams IWU has played at least twice all-time, Concordia-Chicago is one of six to hold a winning record against Illinois Wesleyan, as the Green and White are 5-6 against the Cougars all-time. Joining CUC in this small group is Beloit (3-5), Gustavus Aldolphus (1-2), Ohio Wesleyan (1-3), Trinity (1-2), and UW-Whitewater (3-4).

COMMON BONDS: The Titans and Cougars have played one common opponent this year, CCIW member Carroll. Concordia-Chicago defeated the Pios on Dec. 20, 67-62. The Green and White have defeated the Pios twice, the first coming in the form of a 20-point home victory on Dec. 4. The Titans latest victory against Carroll came on Jan. 22 by a 72-54 score.

TAKING HIS PLAY TO ANOTHER LEVEL: Over Illinois Wesleyan's seven-game win streak, which dated back to a 73-59 win at then-No. 1 Yeshiva, Dec. 30, Matthew Leritz played on another level. Leritz was exceptional in leading IWU to wins over Yeshiva, Millikin, Augustana, then-No. 12 Elmhurst, North Park, Carroll, and Carthage. He averaged 20.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over the stretch, all while shooting 65.9 percent from the floor (54-for-82) and 16-for-27 (59.3 percent) from three-point range. Overall, he led the Titans in scoring, rebounding, assists (20), and blocks (6) over the seven-game span.

HOME COOKING: 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 287-56 record on their home floor, good for a .837 win percentage.

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 179 appearances in the weekly poll are ninth-most all-time. The Titans are currently ranked No. 2 in the poll.

FACING THE BEST OF THE BEST: The No. 2 Titans have played one of the more difficult schedules in all of Division III this season. IWU has faced five current top-25 opponents, including the current No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the country, WashU and UW-Oshkosh, respectively. The Titans are 3-3 against top-25 opponents this year, including wins against the current No. 4, No. 7, and No. 19 teams in the country. IWU's schedule is the 19th-toughest according to NCAA stats.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan's week-long homestand continues Wednesday, Feb. 2, when the Titans dip back into CCIW play against North Park University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.