BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team turns its attention to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action this week as the 20th-ranked Titans travel to R.A. Faganel Hall for a battle with Elmhurst University. Tipoff of the CCIW opener is scheduled for 7 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan, which jumped into the D3hoops.com Top-25 at No. 20, is 4-2 ahead of Wednesday night's bout. The Titans most recently rallied in the second half to defeat the University of Chicago, 75-69, Saturday, Nov. 25. Elmhurst, which received votes in the latest national poll, is unblemished at 4-0 on the season. The Bluejays closed out a three-game road stint with a 76-64 win at The University of Olivet, Nov. 25.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats, live stream, or radio broadcast. Eric Stock will call the action on the court on 88.1 FM WESN as well as the live stream. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

SCARY HARRY: Junior Harrison Wilmsen was inserted into the starting lineup Saturday in IWU's win against Chicago. The St. Louis, Mo. native went off for a career-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 2-for-2 performance from distance. The game marked the fourth straight with double-digit points for Wilmsen.
    The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 18-5 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over the past two games, all while shooting 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range. For the season, Wilmsen is converting 69.4 percent of his shots, good for eighth-best in across Division III.

BATTLES WITH THE BLUEJAYS: Illinois Wesleyan holds a 116-27 advantage in the 143 all-time meetings between the Titans and Bluejays, and have won 11 of the past 15 contests between the two.
    The two teams split last season's series, with the road team coming out on top in each bout. Illinois Wesleyan blew by the 11th-ranked Bluejays, 68-54, Nov. 30 to kickoff CCIW play, but EU took down IWU 74-64, inside the Shirk Center, Feb. 1.

FAMILIAR FACE: When the Titans take on the Bluejays Wednesday night, IWU fans may recognize a familiar face in Elmhurst bench boss John Baines. A 1998 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, he was a part of teams that compiled a 103-14 record, played in the NCAA Tournament four times, reached the Final Four twice, and won a Division III National Championship in 1997.

LOOKING THE BEAST IN THE EYE: Shying away from tough competition has never been the Ron Rose style, so it should come as no surprise that IWU holds the 29th-toughest strength of schedule according to the Massey ratings as of Nov. 28. IWU's ranking is the second-highest of any CCIW program, trailing only North Park (20th).

PAYING OFF: The 2022-23 season saw Hakim Williams thrust into point guard duties for the Titans, leaving Williams to play out of his usual position for most of last season. The time as IWU's point guard is paying off for Williams, who has the Green and White's best assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.43. His mark, which is second-best in the conference, ranks 32nd nationally. The Round Lake, Ill. native is averaging 4.0 assists per game with 24 dimes to his credit this season, both of which lead the team.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!: The Titans have been elite defensively through the team's first six games of the season. Not only is Illinois Wesleyan one of the top defensive teams in the CCIW, IWU is among the top in Division III. IWU is holding opponents to a field goal percentage of 37.0 percent, the best mark in the CCIW and the 27th-best nationally. Additionally, IWU is giving up just 61.8 points per game, good for 31st in Division III. The Green and White's stingy defense has also limited opponents to a three-point field goal percentage of 28.9, the best mark in the conference and the 92nd-best in the country.

MEN IN BLACK: Illinois Wesleyan sported its alternate uniforms in its win at WashU, Nov. 22, picking up the Titans first win in the black uniforms. The alternate was introduced last season. IWU's record by uniform this season stands at 2-2 in white, 1-0 in green, and 1-0 in black.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan is back at home Saturday, Dec. 2, for a CCIW double feature against Carroll University. The Titans and Pios will play at 7:15 p.m. and serve as the second leg of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team.

CCIW PRESEASON POLL: IWU was predicted to finish fourth in the CCIW according to a tight poll of the coaches, announced by the league office Tuesday, Oct. 24. The CCIW's nine first-place votes were split between North Park, Carthage, and Elmhurst, as NPU topped the poll with 55 points. Carthage followed in second with 54 points, while Elmhurst (53) ranked third just ahead of the Titans (51).