BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - In a year that saw the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team achieve great success on the hardwood, the Titans were recognized for their academic prowess Tuesday, March 24, as the College Sports Communicators released its Academic All-District list for men's basketball. IWU tied for the national-high across all levels with four selections by way of senior Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) and juniors Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community), Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township), and Casen Lawrence (St. Louis, Mo.-Westminster Christian Academy).

Colak, a Second Team All-College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin selection, was a co-captain for the Titans this past season. In his first year as a starter, Colak finished third on the team in scoring (13.0 rpg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg). He set career-highs in every statistical category, compiling 403 points, 191 rebounds, 90 assists, 23 steals, and 12 blocks. Colak was named the Mike Turner College Classic Tournament MVP. Studying finance, Colak carries a 3.81 grade point average. He scored in double-figures 21 times throughout the season, highlighted by four 20-point games and three double-doubles.

Funk, a biology major on the pre-med track, boasts a 3.95 grade point average. He put together a tremendous season in his junior year shattering his previous career-highs. Funk was named one of 11 finalists for the Josten's Trophy, while also reeling in D3hoops.com All-Region honors alongside First Team All-CCIW status. A CCIW Player of the Week pick, Funk averaged 15.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over 31 contests. He finished the year with 73 rejections, the second-most in a single season in school history, while also leading the team with 54 steals. Funk added 77 assists, the third-most on the team. He shot 47.7 percent from the floor and knocked down 41 three-pointers. The Normal, Ill. native collected 20+ points in 10 games and topped 30 points three times. 

Niego stepped into the role as IWU's starting point guard and flourished. The Western Springs, Ill. product totaled 170 points, 112 assists, and 43 steals as the main orchestrator of the Titan offense. He finished the year with a 2.95 assist-to-turnover ratio, a mark that leads the CCIW and is 12th-best nationally. He maintains a 3.86 GPA as a finance major.

Lawrence holds a 4.00 grade point average as a kinesiology and allied health major. In his first season donning the Green and White, Lawrence burst onto the D3hoops scene as a long-distance phenom. He knocked down 90 three-pointers on a 40 percent clip, both of which led the CCIW. His 90 triples made are seventh-most nationally and third-most in a season by a Titan in program history. 

Illinois Wesleyan returned to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022. The Titans concluded the year with a 26-5 overall record and grabbed College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament championships. IWU's wins marked the most since 2014, while it was the first time in program history that the Titans claimed the league's regular season and tournament titles in the same season.

Funk advances to the ballot for CSC Academic All-America. The teams will be unveiled Tuesday, April 14.