BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Looking to avenge an early season loss, the second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team travels to Tarble Arena this Saturday, Feb. 8, for a clash with Carthage College. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. and will be the back end of a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team.
    The Titans make the trip looking to improve on their 18-3 record, which includes a 10-2 league standing. IWU most recently saw an eight-game win streak snapped with a 72-64 loss at North Central College, Feb. 5. Carthage carries a 15-5 overall record into the game, with a 9-2 CCIW standing. The Firebirds earned an 84-75 win at Carroll University, Feb. 5.
    Saturday's CCIW doubleheader between the Titans and Firebirds will be broadcast on the Marquee Sports Network. Fans who do not have the Marquee Sports Network included in their normal television package can purchase a subscription through the Marquee Sports Network app, while Illinois Wesleyan will offer a radio broadcast on WESN. Matt Sosler will call the action on the radio alongside Joel Swanson, while live stats will also be provided. Links on can be found on the basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

PLENTY ON THE LINE: Saturday's showdown between the Titans and Firebirds is a big one in terms of the pursuit of a CCIW Regular Season Championship and hosting rights for the league tournament. Currently, the two are tied in the loss column with two losses each. With a win Illinois Wesleyan can level the regular season series at one apiece and take a one-game lead in the standings. Meanwhile, a Carthage victory would put the Firebirds in the drivers seat as CC would sit one game ahead of IWU and own the head-to-head.

FACING THE FIREBIRDS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage share a rivalry that dates back to the 1946-47 season. IWU owns a 109-31 lead in the 140-game history between the two conference foes, but CC has won four of the past six meetings.
    The Firebirds grabbed a 77-68 win at Illinois Wesleyan, Dec. 4, on the first day of conference play. The Titans, trailing by one at the half, never claimed a lead as IWU was dealt its first defeat. Nick Roper scored 24 points in the loss.

HELPING HANDS: Senior Hakim Williams dished out a career-high 10 assists in IWU's win over Wheaton, Jan. 25, as the floor general became the 13th Titan to dole out double-digit assists. It is the 33rd time in program history that a player has notched 10+ helpers and is tied for 16th-most in a game all-time. Williams' 10 assists are the most since Luke Yoder tallied 10 against Redlands Dec. 19, 2023.
    With four assists in a win at Elmhurst, Feb. 1, Williams surpassed 200 for his career. He is the 29th player in program history with 200+ assists. For his career, Williams has been credited with 206 helpers and ranks 29th all-time in program history. He is five assists behind Jason Jones mark of 211 dished out between 1987 and 1981.

COME ONE, COME ALL: The Titans have long been known for their strong community support, as evident by the regular crowds that visit the Shirk Center to cheer on IWU basketball. In fact, Illinois Wesleyan is averaging a crowd of 1332 over nine home games, the second-highest average across Division III. Additionally, IWU is one of four Division III programs averaging 1000+ fans alongside Hope (1718 per game), Calvin (1208 per game), & Trine (1200 per game).

TAKE WHAT'S FREE: Illinois Wesleyan's aggressive offensive play and willingness to attack the rim has led to a lot of trips to the free throw line this season. In fact, IWU is averaging 24.9 free throws per contest, the 14th-most across Division III. More importantly however, the Titans are 15th nationally with 17.5 free throws made per contest. The scary part? Illinois Wesleyan has the opportunity to improve the second ranking, as the Titans are converting 70.5 percent of their free throws - a mark that sits seventh in the CCIW and 182nd nationally. IWU is 9-1 when making 70-percent-or-better of its free throw tries this season.

IT'S FRIDMAN: Since assuming the starting point guard role, freshman Josh Fridman has come into his own, even taking his game to another level in CCIW play. Through 12 conference games, the rookie is averaging 9.1 points per game. He is the team's fifth-leading scorer in league contests and is second on the team with 32 assists (2.7 per game).
    Around the conference, Fridman leads the league in free throw percentage (97.2) and is eighth in assists (2.7 apg).

TWO BIGS, BETTER THAN ONE: The five-man platoon of seniors Harrison Wilmsen and Marko Anderson  has been a crucial component to Illinois Wesleyan's success this season. Together, the duo is averaging 17.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and poses a consistent challenge for the opposition. Anderson is IWU's top rebounder with 6.8 boards per game, including a team-high 60 offensive rebounds, to go along with 7.9 points per game. Wilmsen's numbers sit at 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

POLLING STATION:  Illinois Wesleyan is one of 28 programs that have appeared in at least 100 D3hoops.com Top-25 rankings. In fact, the Titans' 199 appearances in the weekly poll are eighth-most all-time as well as the most in the CCIW. The Titans are currently ranked No. 2 in the poll as of Feb. 3.

HARD TO COME BY: Through 20 games this season, Illinois Wesleyan has established itself as one of the stingiest defenses in all of Division III. The Titans are ranked 17th nationally in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 38.3 percent. IWU is allowing just 67.9 points per game, a mark which is slotted 72nd-best across Division III.

BENCH BOSS: In his 18th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 343-161 overall record. His career mark includes 185 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.

WHO NEEDS WINDEX?: There's no need to clean the glass when the Titans are taking the court, as IWU has established itself as one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The Green and White hold a +10.3 rebounding margin, ninth-best nationally, and have averaged 43.3 rebounds per game (14th nationally). Illinois Wesleyan is also ranked in the top-50 in offensive rebounding, averaging 13.85 boards on the offensive end per contest, a mark that Bob Spear would surely like to see higher, but one that ranks 35th across Division III.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans will take a week-long break with a bye in the midweek before returning to action as host of Millikin University, Feb. 15, for Senior Day. Illinois Wesleyan will recognize its six-man senior class prior to the 4:15 p.m. tipoff. The game will serve as the second leg of a double feature with the IWU women's basketball team.