CoSIDA Release

AUSTIN, Texas - Senior Matthew Leritz (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University HS) of the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team headlined the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America teams announced by the organization Tuesday, March 15. Leritz, who was voted a First Team Academic All-America honoree for the second straight season, was recognized as Division III's CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year in men's basketball. 

Leritz marks the eighth time a Titan has reeled in CoSIDA's Academic All-America of the Year award. He joins Meg Stanley (women's at-large - swimming - 2017), Rachel Anderson (women's track and field - 2008), Keelan Amelianovich (men's basketball - 2006), Korey Coon (men's basketball - 1999 & 2000), James Rinne (baseball - 1998), and Lon Erickson (football - 1997). 

With his selection, Leritz is the program's 26th Academic All-America selection, increasing IWU's national lead on UCLA, Indiana, Kansas, and Duke who have 20 all-time honorees each. He is the eighth Titan to receive Academic All-America accolades multiple times, while he joins Korey Coon, Dean Gravlin, Jack Sikma, Bob Spear, and Greg Yess as a two-time first team selection. 

Furthermore, IWU's all-time Academic All-American list now sits at 143, which is 25th across NCAA Division I, II, and III, as well as ninth-best in Division III. To view the list of Illinois Wesleyan's all-time awardwinners, click here.



A finance major boasting a 3.96 grade point average, Leritz put together a sensational senior season for the Titans. The St. Louis, Mo. native was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's Fred Young Player of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-CCIW pick, earned CCIW Player of the Week accolades three times, was voted to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week on three occasions, was recognized as the US Basketball Writers Association's Division III National Player of the Week, and tabbed a Bevo Francis Award Top-50 finalist during the 2021-22 season. He led Illinois Wesleyan to the CCIW Regular Season Championship and a run into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. 

Leritz, who broke the IWU single-game rebounding record with 25 boards at Yeshiva, Dec. 30, averaged 17.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest this season. He shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 43.4 percent from three-point range. Leritz scored 535 points during the 2021-22 campaign, a total that ranks 16th in IWU single season history. Additionally, his 286 rebounds rank ninth in Illinois Wesleyan single season laurels and are the most by a Titan since Bill Braksick grabbed 347 (fourth-most) boards during the 1987-88 season.

A co-captain for the Titans, Leritz fueled the Green and White to a 24-6 overall record, highlighted by a 14-2 CCIW mark.