BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 12th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team hosts North Central College in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin battle inside the Shirk Center Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. and will come on the heels of IWU women's basketball's game with the Cardinals.
    The Titans are looking to bounce back after seeing their win streak snapped at nine, Jan. 28. IWU faltered against Carthage College, 80-65, to fall into a tie for first in the league standings at 7-3 in CCIW play. The Green and White boasts a 15-4 overall mark. Similarly, North Central eyes an opportunity to move back into the win column when it visits Bloomington. The Cardinals have dropped their last two outings, including a 64-55 setback against Millikin University, Jan. 28, and stand at 6-13 on the year. NCC is 2-8 in conference play, with one of its two wins coming over IWU.
    Eric Stock and Joel will call the action on the CCIW Network. Live stats will also be available. Links can be found on the men's basketball page of iwusports.com.

PINK ZONE PARTY: Illinois Wesleyan will host North Central Saturday as part of its annual PinkZone game. Clothing with this year's PinkZone logo will be sold throughout the day while a silent auction will take place, as IWU raises money for Mary Kate Kroesch, a local high schooler battling a rare and aggressive form of sarcoma.

UNVEILING THE LATEST BANNER: The 2025 Illinois Wesleyan men's golf team will be honored at halftime of Saturday's contest for its runner-up finish at last spring's national championship. The Titans placed second at the national tournament hosted at Midvale Country Club in Penfield, N.Y. for their third top-four finish since 2019. Griffin Pohl paced the Titans with a seventh-place finish indvidually, while Michael Spitzer (t-14th) and Juney Bai (t-29th) also finished in the top-30.
The team will hold a short ceremony near the putting green in the Shirk Center fieldhouse, including unveiling the banner, at 3 p.m.

ACCESS DENIED: In Illinois Wesleyan's battle with Carthage, Jan. 28, Mason Funk rejected six Firebird shot attempts. His six swats are the most in the "modern statistical era" (since 2000), while they are believed to be the most since David Caldwell notched eight rejections against Wheaton in January of 1991.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Saturday's contest will serve as the 178th all-time meeting between the Titans and Cardinals. Illinois Wesleyan holds a 126-51 lead in the all-time series.
IWU has won four of the last six against NCC, including a 99-91 triple-overtime win inside the Shirk Center, Jan. 11, but the Cardinals have claimed the last two outings.
Earlier this season, Illinois Wesleyan slipped up, 68-57, at North Central. Noah Clevleand went for an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, but the Cardinals hit 10 three-pointers to stun the Titans in Naperville.

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 324-70 record on their home floor (.824 win pct.).

SUFFOCATING DEFENSE: The Titans have made it hard on opponents to score this season as IWU is limiting opponents to 66.2 points per game, good for 30th-best across Division III. Illinois Wesleyan's stingy defense has come behind the most blocks per game (7.1) and the 12th-best field goal percentage defense (38.5) in the country.

IT'S A BLOCK PARTY: The Titans have not only been the best shot-blocking team in Division III with 134 blocks (7.1 bpg), but this year's squad is one of the greatest shot-altering squads in IWU history.  Through 19 games, this year's total ranks as the third-most in program history. Additionally, IWU's 134 rejections are the most since the 1990-91 squad.
Individually, Mason Funk leads the CCIW and is 15th nationally with 42 blocks. Noah Cleveland has 38 to his name, second-most in the league and 26th-most nationally. Brady Kuehl's 16 swats are seventh in the CCIW, with Nathan Boldt's 12 ranked 14th.

KEYS TO VICTORY: Through 19 games, IWU has established several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 13-1 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 5-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 10-1 when taking a lead into the half compared to 5-3 when trailing or tied at the break.

JAXED UP: With Josh Fridman sidelined to injury, Jackson Niego has stepped into the role and emerged as one of the top orchestrators in Division III. Niego has served as a steady hand all season long with 81 assists to 25 turnovers. His 3.24 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the CCIW and is 10th-best nationally.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: With 19 collegiate games under his belt, sophomore Noah Cleveland has established himself as one of the great bigs in NCAA Division III this season. The Normal, Ill. product leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with his averaged of 18.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 59.0 percent from the field on the year and has added 38 blocks with 32 steals and 30 assists.
    Nationally, Cleveland is fourth with 218 rebounds, while he is fourth with 12 double-doubles. The sophomore rookie sits 13th nationally in rebounds per game (11.5), and 26th in blocks (38). He is a three-time CCIW Player of the Week, two-time D3hoops Team of the Week selection, and Bevo Francis Top-100 Watch List honoree.

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' 211 appearances in the weekly poll are fifth-most all-time as well as the most in the CCIW. They are currently ranked No. 12 in the poll.

LAWRENCE LOCKS IN: Over the last 10 games, junior Casen Lawrence has served as quite the spark for the Green and White. The sharpshooter has seemingly found his groove from distance, knocking down 37-of-72 three-point attempts over the past nine games. Lawrence, who is connecting on 51.4 percent of his three-balls since Dec. 18, is averaging 12.4 points per game over the stretch. A weapon from beyond the arc, he has hit four-or-more three pointers in six of IWU's past nine games.

BENCH BOSS: In his 20th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 364-168 overall record. His career mark includes 195 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.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans host Wheaton College in a crucial CCIW contest Wednesday, Feb. 4,  as IWU's homestand rolls on. The Green and White will tipoff against the Thunder at 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center, with Tropical Smoothie Cafe on site offering $5 smoothies. In addition, halftime will include an opportunity for one lucky fan to take home free smoothies for a year courtesy of Tropical Smoothie Cafe.