BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After a five-game road stint, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team returns to the Shirk Center Wednesday night, Jan. 10, when Millikin University visits Bloomington for a 7 p.m. College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tilt.
    The Titans are 8-6 on the year and 4-1 in the conference following a win at Augustana College, Jan. 7. Meanwhile, Millikin sits at 6-8 overall and 2-3 in the league standings. The Big Blue are coming off conference losses to Elmhurst University (76-62) and Carthage College (88-78), Jan. 3-6.
    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.

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 302-66 record on their home floor, good for a .820 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 38.9, the 32nd-best in the country. The Green and White is holding opponents to 29.4 percent from three-point range, 62nd-best nationally, and is giving up just 64.9 points per game (44th nationally).

LONG-STANDING RIVALRY: IWU and Millikin have met on 238 occasions, with the first match-up held in the 1909-10 season. The 238 total contests rank second in Division III men's basketball in most-played rivalries. The Titans hold a 160-78 advantage against the Big Blue all-time, including winning the past 14 meetings and 31 of the last 33.
    The Titans swept two matchups with the Big Blue last season, including a six-point road win, Feb. 8. Ryan Sroka led the team with 15 points, and Harrison Wilmsen tacked on 10 points.



THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN W AND L: Illinois Wesleyan's record can be boiled down to its ability to take care of the ball. Through 14 games, IWU holds a 6-1 record when committing fewer than 15 turnovers. Conversely, when racking up 15-or-more miscues, Illinois Wesleyan is just 2-5.

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 4-3 in white, 3-2 in green, and 1-1 in black.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns back home for the first time in over a month when Wheaton College travels to the Shirk Center Wednesday night, Jan. 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will mark IWU's first home game since Dec. 6.