BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 5 Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team travels to Van Male Fieldhouse for a clash with Carroll University Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. and will serve as the second leg of a doubleheader with the IWU women's team.
    The Titans saw their six-game win streak snapped with a stunning, 77-68, home loss to Carthage College Wednesday, Dec. 4. IWU enters Saturday with a 6-1 overall record and 0-1 CCIW standing. Carroll is 2-5 on the year, 0-1 in league play, ahead of Saturday. The Pioneers have lost four straight, most recently dropping their CCIW opener against North Park University, 70-64, in Waukesha, Dec. 4.
    A live stream and live stats will be available, while the veteran broadcast duo 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.

FRESH, MAN: Emerging as a key contributor off the bench this season, freshman point guard Josh Fridman put together a strong performance in his first taste of CCIW action. 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. For the season, Fridman is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.0 points per game, and is tied for third with 12 assists.

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 39th nationally with 19 steals. His 2.71 thefts per game are second-most in the conference and good for 41st across Division III.
CLIPPED: Illinois Wesleyan's perfect start to the season was halted by its conference-opening loss to Carthage, Dec. 4. IWU's 6-0 start was its best since the 2021-22 campaign, while the Green and White posted its first six-game win streak since winning seven straight from Jan. 7-27, 2024.

CLASHES WITH CARROLL: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll have met on the hardwood a total of 91 times ahead of Saturday's league tilt, with the Titans holding a commanding 73-18 lead against the Pioneers all-time. IWU has won 11 straight against the Pioneers. CU's last win over the Green and White came back in the 2018-19 campaign, when the Pios upended Illinois Wesleyan, 90-83, inside the Shirk Center, Dec. 15, 2018.
    Last season, IWU topped CU, 79-69 at Shirk, Dec. 2, 2023, before cruising to an 86-72 win at Carroll Jan. 20, 2024. Four Titans hit double figures in points at Van Male Fieldhouse last season, with Harrison Wilmsen and Nick Roper leading the way. Wilmsen put up 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Roper went for 18 points on an 8-of-13 performance.

HAPPY TO C-U: The senior duo of Harrison Wilmsen and Nick Roper has fared well against Carroll over the course of their careers. Over five games, Wilmsen and Roper are a combined 38-of-66 from the floor, a field goal percentage of 57.6, and have averaged 19.8 points per contest even with Roper missing two meetings due to injury.
    Individually, Roper holds career averages of 14.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He has put up the numbers efficiently, shooting 58.6 percent from the field (17-of-29) and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Wilmsen has put up an average of 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds with a field goal clip of 56.8 percent.

BENCH BOSS: In his 18th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 331-159 overall record. His career mark includes 171 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 six games this season, putting Illinois Wesleyan among the best across Division III. IWU is limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of 35.9, 10th-best nationally, while IWU is holding opponents to 64.2 points per game. The Green and White's scoring defense tops the CCIW and ranks 41st 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.

CCIW PRESEASON POLL: IWU was predicted to win the CCIW Friday, Oct. 25, as the league office unveiled its annual preseason poll. The Green and White garnered five of nine first-place votes to earn the top spot in the poll with 61 points. IWU just slightly edged out Carthage, which ranked second with four first-place nods and 60 points. Elmhurst rounded out the top-three with 46 points.
Augustana (40), North Central (32), and Carroll (31) were slotted fourth through sixth, respectively. Millikin & North Park tied for seventh (19 points). Wheaton ranked ninth (16 points).

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan will take an extended break as the Titans focus on final exams before returning to the Shirk Center to host Elmhurst University Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff between the Titans and Bluejays is scheduled for 4 p.m.