BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The finale of a three-game homestand pits the 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team against No. 11 University of Chicago in a top-25 matchup inside the Shirk Center Wednesday night, Nov. 19. The game, which features the undefeated Titans and Maroons, is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
    Illinois Wesleyan holds a 2-0 record ahead of the midweek matchup after winning the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational, Nov. 14-15. IWU defeated Illinois College, 71-67, Nov. 14, before besting University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 75-68, in the weekend's title game. Similarly, Chicago travels to Bloomington after winning its home tournament to start the year 2-0. The Maroons dispatched UC-Santa Cruz, 82-64, Nov. 15, and then trounced Trinity University (Texas), 87-57, Nov. 16.
    Fans can catch a live stream of the game on the CCIW Network with Eric Stock and Joel Swanson returning to the air waves as the voices of Titan basketball. Fans can also tune into an audio broadcast on 88.1 WESN, while live stats will also be provided. Links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

ROPE'S RETURN: A two-time First Team All-CCIW selection for the Titans, Nick Roper will make his return to the Shirk Center for the first time since graduating from Illinois Wesleyan last May. In his senior season for IWU, Roper scored in double figures 20 times, averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game. He led the Titans to a CCIW Tournament title and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
    Now, a graduate transfer for the Maroons, Roper was selected as a D3hoops Second Team Preseason All-American earlier this season. Prior to Wednesday's game, Roper will be presented with his CSC Second Team Academic All-America award, earned at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season.

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 319-68 record on their home floor (.824 win pct.).

MATCHIN' UP WITH THE MAROONS: Illinois Wesleyan leads the all-time series record against the Maroons 24-8, with the Titans victorious in the previous eight matchups. A season ago, then No. 4 ranked IWU bested Chicago 80-74 inside Ratner Athletic Complex, Nov. 27, 2024. Nick Roper led the Titans in scoring against his current team, finishing with 18 points and a 9-of-10 performance from the free throw line. Five Titans finished in double digits in the win, as Harrison Wilmsen had 14, Marko Anderson and Trey Bazzell each contributed 12, and Josh Fridman scored 11.

THE NORMAL KIDS: Staying in their hometown, Normal, Ill. natives Noah Cleveland and Mason Funk impressed in the 2025 Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational. In his collegiate debut, Cleveland was named the invite's most valuable player, averaging a double-double in wins over Illinois College and UW-Oshkosh, and reeling in D3hoops.com Team of the Week honors Tuesday, Nov. 18. Funk also landed on the all-tournament team, leading the team in scoring through the Titans first two games with 16.5 points per game.

D3HOOPS ACCOLADES: For the first time since Matthew Leritz on Feb. 14, 2022, a Titan made his way onto the D3hoops.com Team of the Week. Sophomore Noah Cleveland earned the program's 13th all-time national team of the week honor behind back-to-back double-doubles in his collegiate debut. Cleveland was named the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational MVP. Eamonn Kenah of Chicago was also named to the national team of the week, announced Nov. 18.

THREE-TIME SIKMA CHAMPS: Illinois Wesleyan claimed its third Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational title in the fifth annual tournament Nov. 16 with a win over UW-Oshkosh, 75-68. In the tournament's first edition in 2021, IWU also bested UWO, 65-63. In 2024, the Titans defeated then No. 2 ranked UW-Platteville, 86-66.
Noah Cleveland was named the invite's MVP, joining Hakim Williams and Cory Noe as Titans to earn the honor. Mason Funk was named to the all-tournament team, joining Williams and Noe, as well as Harrison Wilmsen and Matthew Leritz to be named to the All-Tournament team in Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational history.

BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DOUBLES: In Noah Cleveland's debut donning the Green and White, he recorded consecutive double-double performances of 16 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Illinois College, and 16 points, 14 rebounds over UW-Oshkosh. Cleveland is the first Titan to record back-to-back double-doubles since Cody Mitchell did so in the final two contests of the 2022-2023 campaign.

BENCH BOSS: In his 20th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 351-164 overall record. His career mark includes 187 CCIW wins, the most of any active CCIW head coach.
    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 2025 CCIW Tournament title.

POLLING STATION:  Illinois Wesleyan is one of nine programs that have appeared in at least 200 D3hoops.com Top-25 rankings. In fact, the Titans 204 appearances in the weekly poll are seventh-most all-time as well as the most in the CCIW. They are currently ranked No. 16 in the poll.

ON THE HORIZON: IWU has a quick turnaround from its three-game homestand, hitting the road to Michigan for the Albion Tournament. The Titans will take on Wisconsin Lutheran Friday, Nov. 21 inside Kresge Gymnasium at 5 p.m. ET before facing either Albion or Kenyon Saturday, Nov. 22.