BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team welcomes Carthage College to the Shirk Center Saturday, Jan. 13, for a crucial College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin clash. Tipoff is set for 7:15 p.m. and will serve as the second leg of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team.
    The Titans and Firebirds enter Saturday tied atop the CCIW standings alongside Elmhurst. IWU is 9-6 on the season and 5-1 in the CCIW after a 72-50 win over Millikin University, Jan. 10. Carthage holds an 11-4 record with a 5-1 mark in league play. The Firebirds overwhelmed Wheaton College, 75-58, on the road Wednesday, Jan. 10.
    A live stream and live stats of the game will be available through links on the men's basketball schedule page of iwusports.com, while Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will also have the call on WESN.

RANDY REINHARDT RECOGNITION: Illinois Wesleyan has been incredibly fortunate to be part of a community with outstanding sports writers over the years. In a list that includes legends in Randy Kindred, Jim Benson, and Randy Sharer, among others, Reinhardt is the lone remaining at The Pantagraph. A near constant inside the Shirk Center during basketball season over the past few decades, Reinhardt has provided coverage to countless Titan student-athletes and some of the greatest moments in IWU athletics history during his tenure.
As our community, and many like it around the country, continue to see the support of the local sports writers dwindle, Illinois Wesleyan athletics is happy to recognize and truly thank Reinhardt for all that he does both for IWU and for the community at large.

PLENTY ON THE LINE: For the 51st consecutive season, there will not be a team that goes undefeated in CCIW play (Bob Quillman). With Elmhurst's loss to Carroll on Wednesday, Jan. 10, Carthage, Elmhurst, and Illinois Wesleyan are tied atop the conference standings at 5-1 in league play. With Elmhurst taking on Wheaton, and Carthage traveling to Bloomington this Saturday, a lot will be decided at the top of the CCIW standings after this weekend.

SWIPER KEEP SWIPING: Despite playing in just four of the Titan's six league games, junior Shane Miller leads the conference in steals per game. Miller is averaging 2.5 steals per game in under seven minutes per game in the Titan's conference contests. Miller's 10 total steals in conference play rank third behind two North Park players.

CONTRASTING STYLES: When the Firebirds enter the Shirk Center on Saturday, a Carthage offense averaging 81.0 points per game, will meet a Titan defense giving up just 62.0 points per game. The Firebirds are shooting .473, while the Titan defense is limiting opponents to a .388 clip from the floor. Surprisingly, however, the Firebirds do not lead the conference in team field goal percentage; the Green and White do with a .480 clip in league play.

WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU: The Green and White have been one of the best in conference play at erasing shots with 4.67 blocked shots per game. Additionally, the Titans boast three of the conference's top five shot blockers in juniors Hakim Williams (1.0) and Marko Anderson (0.8), along with freshman Mason Funk (0.8).

CLASHES WITH CARTHAGE: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage share a rivalry that dates back to the 1946-47 season. IWU owns a 107-30 lead in the 137-game history between the two conference foes, but Carthage has claimed the past three meetings.
    The Firebirds secured the rare three-game series sweep in 2022-23, as Carthage won both regular season meetings before bouncing IWU in the league tournament, 74-69, Feb. 21. It marked the first time Carthage had beaten Illinois Wesleyan multiple times in one season since the 2001-02 campaign. The only other time Carthage swept the regular season series was back in 1978-79, when the Firebirds edged the Titans 83-77 and 63-56. Additionally, Carthage notched multiple wins over the Titans in 2009-10, but one came in the CCIW Tournament and the other came in the NCAA Tournament.
    The Firebirds' three-game win streak against the Titans is Carthage's longest against IWU since CC won four straight between 1978 and 1979.

A PASSING GRADE: While 60 percent in the classroom is near the pass/fail line, a field goal percentage above .600 is a highly efficient clip, especially on the road. The Titans shot 60.8 percent from the floor in Sunday's win at Augustana, marking the first time since the 2021-22 season that the Titans eclipsed the 60 percent mark.
To find the last time the Titans shot so efficiently in a road win, however, you would have to look back to the 2013-14 season, when the Green and White went 43-of-62 (.662) from the floor in a 106-62 non-conference victory against Coe College.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Titans remain at home this Saturday to enjoy one of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III. The Shirk Center has been home to more than 650 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 303-66 record on their home floor, good for a .821 win percentage.

DIALED IN ON DEFENSE: The Titans have been one of the top defensive teams in all of Division III this season. In fact, IWU is limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of 38.6, the 25th-best in the country. The Green and White is holding opponents to 29.0 percent from three-point range, 47th-best nationally, and is giving up just 63.9 points per game (29th nationally).

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN W AND L: Illinois Wesleyan's record can be boiled down to its ability to take care of the ball. Through 15 games, IWU holds a 6-1 record when committing fewer than 15 turnovers. Conversely, when racking up 15-or-more miscues, Illinois Wesleyan is 3-5.

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 5-3 in white, 3-2 in green, and 1-1 in black.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan hits the road for a conference bout Wednesday, Jan. 17, as IWU travels to Wheaton College. Tipoff is scheduled 7 p.m.