D3hoops Region 8 Teams

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team swept D3hoops.com Region 8 specialty awards as sophomore Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) and Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) garnered all-region honors Monday, March 16. Ron Rose was voted the Region Coach of the Year, while Cleveland was tabbed the region's player and newcomer of the year.

Rose guided the Titans to a 26-4 overall record, highlighted by College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament championships. The conference's coach of the year, Rose earned the regional honor for the second time in his career.

Cleveland, the CCIW most outstanding player and newcomer of the year, is the first Titan to be voted the region's top player since Matthew Leritz reeled in the distinction in 2022. Additionally, Cleveland is the first student-athlete, since D3hoops.com began doling out both awards in 2007, to sweep the region's specialty awards. Cleveland is IWU's second straight regional rookie of the year following Josh Fridman's selection last year. 

The sophomore rookie has taken D3hoops by storm, establishing himself as one of the premier players across the country. A unanimous First Team All-CCIW selection, he made history as the league's first student-athlete to take home Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season. He was a four-time CCIW Player of the Week selection and was voted to the D3hoops Team of the Week three times throughout the year. 

A double-double machine, Cleveland has racked up 16 on the season, good for sixth-most in Division III. He is averaging 18.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, while adding in 52 assists, 49 blocks, and 43 steals. Cleveland has posted 11 20-point games, including topping 30 points on three occasions. 

Funk, a First Team All-CCIW selection, is amid a breakout season. He is second on the team in points and rebounding averages, going for 15.3 and 6.5, respectively. He has assembled one of the best defensive campaigns IWU and the greater CCIW have seen in more than 15 years. Funk became the first player in the league in more than 15 years to lead the conference in both blocks and steals. He has swatted 73 shots on the year, the second-most in school history as well as the eighth-most in Division III this season. A Josten's Trophy finalist, Funk was named CCIW Player of the Week and also reeled in a spot on the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational All-Tournament team. He has posted double-digit scoring in 21 games with eight 20-point showings and two 30-piece efforts.

IWU meets No. 2 Emory University in the Elite Eight Thursday, March 19, in Fort Wayne, Ind. The matchup is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff and will serve as the second game of the first session of the day.