BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Looking to bounce back, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball returns to the Shirk Center for a pivotal College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin game against 21st-ranked Elmhurst University Wednesday, Feb. 7. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
    The Titans hold at 14-7 overall record, with a 10-2 CCIW record and enter Wednesday atop the league standings. IWU most recently saw a last minute comeback fall short, 59-56, at Millikin University, Jan. 31. Elmhurst carries an 18-4 record into the Shirk Center, including a 10-3 record in league play. The Bluejays are coming off of back-to-back blowout wins, including an 84-66 victory at North Central College, Feb. 3.
    Live stats and a live stream of the game will be provided, while Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will also have the call on WESN. Links on how to follow the game can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of iwusports.com.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT: Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst have taken different routes to their spots at the top of the CCIW. When the two meet on Wednesday, an Elmhurst offense, who is averaging 79.2 points per game will meet a Titan defense that is giving up just 64.4 points per game. In fact, Elmhurst has the top two scorers in conference play, as John Ittounas and Ocean Johnson are averaging 17.9 and 17.3 points per game, respectively. Illinois Wesleyan's top scorer, Nick Roper, is 12th in the conference with 13.2 points per game.

VIEWS FROM THE TOP: Despite Wednesday night's loss to Millikin, the Titans still hold the top spot in the CCIW regular season standings with a 10-2 conference mark. Illinois Wesleyan is a half game ahead of Elmhurst, who holds a 10-3 CCIW record, while Carthage is a couple games back at 8-4. With just four games until conference tournament play begins, there is still much to be decided as the Titans take on Elmhurst this Wednesday, Feb. 7 before traveling to Carthage on Saturday, Feb. 10.

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 700 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 305-66 record on their home floor (.822 win pct.).

BATTLES WITH THE BLUEJAYS: Illinois Wesleyan holds a 116-28 advantage in the 144 all-time meetings between the Titans and Bluejays, and have won 11 of the past 16 contests between the two. However, Elmhurst has come out on top in three of the last four meetings.
Most recently, the Titans saw a halftime lead slip away as IWU dropped its league opener at Elmhurst, 90-73. The Green and White led by as many as six in the game, but EU used six three-pointers and hot second-half shooting to spurn Illinois Wesleyan.

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.

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 27th-best in the country. The Green and White is giving up just 64.4 points per game (30th 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 21 games, IWU holds a 11-1 record when committing fewer than 15 turnovers. Conversely, when racking up 15-or-more miscues, Illinois Wesleyan is 3-6.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The junior duo of Nick Roper and Harrison Wilmsen have seemingly found a second home inside the Shirk Center this season. The St. Louis, Mo. natives have accounted for 216 of IWU's 656 points scored at home this season, good for 33 percent. Not only have the two posted plenty of points, they have done so at an incredibly efficient rate. Together, they have combined to go 81-of-142 (57.0 percent) from the floor and 14-of-32 (43.8 percent) from three-point range.  In nine home games, Roper leads the team with 12.9 points per contest, while Wilmsen is second with 11.1 points per game.

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT: Junior guard Hakim Williams contributes in just about every way possible for the Titans, whether it be distributing the ball, scoring himself, or playing some of the best defense in the conference. Williams' all-around strong play has him scattered throughout the CCIW's top-25 in several statistical categories. In fact, he is the only player ranked in the CCIW's top-15 in both blocked shots and steals in league play. Williams leads the conference with 1.9 steals per game and is second in blocks per contest at 1.0. Elsewhere, he is tied for 13th in assists (2.1 apg) and tied for 14th in rebounding (4.9 rpg).

LET HIM WORK: Harrison Wilmsen put together a career-day to help IWU hold off Wheaton, Jan. 17. The St. Louis, Mo. native scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting with six rebounds and a pair of assists. Illinois Wesleyan holds a 7-1 record this season when Wilmsen scores 15+ points, while the Titans are 10-1 when he meets that mark over his career.

NEW YEAR, NEW ME: Since the calendar flipped over to 2024, senior Ryan Sroka has found his footing. In seven games in the new year, Sroka has drained 34-of-62 shots, good for a 54.8 percent clip. Surprisingly, in this stretch, Sroka is just 5-of-20 from three, making his efficient shooting from two-point range of 29-of-42 (69.0 percent) even more impressive.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans travel to Kenosha, Wis. this Saturday, Feb. 10. for a date with Carthage College. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. inside Tarble Arena and will serve as the back half of a doubleheader with the Titan's women's basketball team.