BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A rematch of last season's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship will see the 10th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team play host to Elmhurst University inside the Shirk Center Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan bounced back with a 72-66 win at Carroll University, Dec. 7, to climb to 7-1 on the season. With the win, IWU boosted its CCIW standing to 1-1. Similarly, Elmhurst enters Sunday's bout off a conference win and holds a 1-1 CCIW record. The Bluejays edged out Wheaton College, 73-67, Dec. 7, to level their record at 4-4.
    A live stream and live stats will be available, while the veteran broadcast duo of Eric Stock and Joel Swanson on the call on WESN. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

BATTLES WITH THE BLUEJAYS: Illinois Wesleyan holds a 117-29 advantage in the 146 all-time meetings between the Titans and Bluejays, and have won 12 of the past 18 contests between the two. However, Elmhurst has come out on top in four of the last five meetings.
    After splitting the regular season series with each team defending its home court, Elmhurst knocked off the top-seeded Titans, 68-64, in the CCIW Tournament Championship Feb. 24, 2024. Marko Anderson put up a team-high 15 points off the bench, while Hakim Williams added a near double-double with 11 points and eight boards.

FAMILIAR FACE: When the Titans take on the Bluejays Sunday evening, 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.

VETS LEADING THE WAY: Illinois Wesleyan has leaned on its veterans through the early part of the season, with IWU's top-five scorers all being seniors. Nick Roper paces the Titans with 15.9 points per game, good for fifth-best in the conference. Hakim Williams is second with 9.6 points per game, while Harrison Wilmsen (8.6 ppg), Marko Anderson (8.1 ppg), and Trey Bazzell (8.0 ppg) round out the group. Together, the five seniors have accounted for 402 points or 64.8 percent of Illinois Wesleyan's scoring this season.

FRESH, MAN: Emerging as a key contributor this season, freshman point guard Josh Fridman has quickly adjusted to the level of play around the CCIW. Through two conference games, Fridman ranks third on the team with 9.0 points per game, doing so on a field goal percentage of 55.6 percent. In his CCIW debut, Dec. 4, Fridman scored 13 points, finishing one off his career-high, on a perfect shooting night. The Northbrook, Ill. native went 4-for-4 from the floor, 2-for-2 from distance, and 3-for-3 at the charity stripe while adding a pair of rebounds.

BENCH BOSS: In his 18th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 332-159 overall record. His career mark includes 172 CCIW wins, the most of any active head coach in the conference.
The Titans won the 2013, 2014, 2022, and 2024 CCIW titles outright and shared the 2018 regular season championship with Augustana. Illinois Wesleyan claimed the 2021 CCIW Championship in a COVID-shortened season as well as the regular season title last season.

NOTHING COMES EASY: The Titans have stymied the opposition defensively though eight games this season, putting Illinois Wesleyan among the best across Division III. IWU is limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of 36.5, 11th-best nationally, while IWU is holding opponents to 66.0 points per game. The Green and White's scoring defense is second in the CCIW and ranks 51st in all of Division III.

ROSES GET THEIR FLOWERS: The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association announced its 2025 Hall of Fame class Tuesday, Dec. 3, and two Roses made the list. Current head coach Ron Rose will be inducted alongside his son, Brady Rose, in the upcoming year. Rose is second on the all-time wins list at his alma mater with 331 under his belt, while Brady put together a prolific career repping the Green and White after a strong prep career at Bloomington High School.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Titans enjoy one of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III. The Shirk Center has been home to more than 750 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 309-68 record on their home floor (.820 win pct.).

HAKIM WILL TAKE THAT: Senior Hakim Williams was credited with a career-high six steals against Carthage in IWU's league opener, Dec. 4. An elite defender, Williams' single-game total ranks second-most in the Illinois Wesleyan record book and is one off the record of seven set by Nathan Hubbard against BYU-Hawaii Jan. 2, 1999. Williams is one of just six Titans all-time to accrue six-or-more steals in a game, joining Eliud Gonzalez, Jason Jones, Peter Lambesis, and Jim Lehan. The Round Lake, Ill. native is the first to notch six thefts since Lambesis swiped six at Carroll Jan. 23, 2021.
    For the season, Williams leads the CCIW and ranks 62nd nationally with 20 steals. His 2.50 thefts per game are second-most in the conference and good for 58th across Division III.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan remains at home for one last game before the holiday break as the Titans and Bears renew the greatest non-conference rivarly in #D3hoops. IWU will tipoff against No. 2 WashU Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.