NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Three seniors on the 11th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team were recognized on the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin teams unveiled Monday evening, Feb. 24. Illinois Wesleyan's three selections tied for the most in the conference.
Senior Nick Roper (St. Louis, Mo.-MICDS) was a unanimous First Team All-CCIW selection and was joined by Hakim Williams (Round Lake, Ill.-Round Lake) on the first team. Senior Harrison Wilmsen (St. Louis, Mo.-Priory) reeled in Second Team All-CCIW status, while freshman Josh Fridman (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbard North) was voted the CCIW First-Year Student Athlete of the Year. Senior Trey Bazzell (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) was named IWU's CCIW RESPECT Award selection.
Roper reeled in First Team All-CCIW status for the second straight season. The St. Louis, Mo. native averaged 17.0 points per game, fourth-most in the conference, and was seventh with 6.1 rebounds per game. Roper was hauled in CCIW Player of the Week honors once during the year and put up six 20-point efforts over the 16-game league schedule.
Williams earned All-CCIW honors for the second time in his career, jumping up to the First Team after garnering Second Team accolades in 2024. One of the top defenders in the league, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Williams ranked third across the CCIW in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio with a mark of 1.8.
Wilmsen, a repeat Second Team All-CCIW pick, averaged 10.4 points per game over the 16-game league schedule. He added 5.4 boards per game and was one of the more efficient shooters in the CCIW. Wilmsen converted 60 percent of his shots from the floor, second-best in the conference, and was 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, ranking seventh-best.
Fridman is the second Titan to receive the CCIW Newcomer of the Year honor since the league began dolling it out in 2013. He joins Luke Yoder who earned the award in 2020. In his first collegiate season, Fridman put up 9.1 points per game with 43 assists (2.7 per game). He led the conference in free throw percentage, knocking down 95.6 percent of his tries from the charity stripe. Fridman's 2.7 assists per game were slotted eighth across the conference.
The Titans travel to Kenosha, Wis. for the CCIW Tournament semifinals Friday, Feb. 28. IWU will play in the 5 p.m. game, with top-seeded Carthage set to battle in the 7:30 p.m. contest.
CCIW Fred Young Most Outstanding Student-Athlete: Ryan Johnson, Carthage
CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year: Josh Fridman, Illinois Wesleyan
CCIW Coach of the Year: Steve Djurickovic, Carthage
All-CCIW First Team
Tyler Knuth, Augustana
*AJ Johnson, Carthage
*Ryan Johnson, Carthage
Tagen Pearson, Elmhurst
Rico Powell, North Park
*Soren Richardson, Wheaton
* -- Unanimous selection
All-CCIW Second Team
Evan Ambrose, Augustana
Erik Victorson, Carroll
Riley Brooks, Carthage
Dominic Trelenberg, Elmhurst
Lane Thomann, Millikin
Terrance Moncrief, North Central
Lance Nelson, North Park
CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Nic Giliberto, Augustana
Dominic Burns, Carroll
AJ Williams, Carthage
Sebastian Blachut, Elmhurst
Anthony Lewis, Millikin
Tyler Swierczek, North Central
DJ Wallace, North Park
Nathan Clark, Wheaton
