BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A trip to Fort Wayne, Ind. is on the line this weekend as the eighth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team welcomes No. 11 Endicott College  to the Shirk Center for a NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen showdown Friday night, March 13, inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
    The Titans advanced to the third round of the tournament and bumped their record to 25-4 on the year with a pair of wins, March 6-7. Their win total is the highest for the program since 2013-14 (27-5). IWU downed Heidelberg University, 62-51, before besting John Carroll University, 73-60, in the second round. Endicott makes the lengthy trip to Bloomington amid a 22-game win streak. The Gulls are 28-1 on the season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with wins over Neumann College (96-82) and No. 23 Cortland (58-57).
    Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will call Friday's action on the NCAA Champs Pass. Live stats will also be available, while the postgame press conference will air on the CCIW Network. Links can be found on the men's basketball page of iwusports.com.

POWERED BY DEFENSE: Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the top defensive teams in Division III this season as evident by its opponent field goal percentage of 38.3, good for fifth-best in the nation. That was no different in IWU's first two NCAA Tournament games, as the Titans held both Heidelberg and John Carroll to 60-or-fewer points.
    Most impressively, perhaps, was Illinois Wesleyan's defensive showing against JCU, March 7. The Blue Streaks entered as the 10th-best scoring offense in Division III at 90.7 points per game. The Green and White limited JCU to 60 points, more than 30 below its average.

NICE TO MEET YA: Friday will serve as the first-ever meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and Endicott. In fact, it will mark just the third time IWU has faced off against a Conference of New England opponent. Both of the previous instances came against Johnson & Wales, with the Titans coming out on top in both. The Green and White downed J&W, 73-54, in North Miami, Fla. back during the 2003-04 campaign. IWU toppled Johnson & Wales, 101-62, in Bloomington Nov. 21, 2009 as part of the IWU Tip-Off Tourney.

AGAINST THE REMAINING 15: Illinois Wesleyan compiled a 3-0 record against teams still standing in the national tournament. IWU picked up road wins at WashU (78-76) and Yeshiva (72-71), while downing Chicago (72-69) inside Shirk back in November. On the flipside, Endicott holds a win over Tufts.

POSTSEASON PLAY AT SHIRK: The NCAA Tournament returns to the Shirk Center this weekend,
after hosting the first two rounds, March 6-7. It marks IWU's first time hosting the Sweet Sixteen since the Green and White's 2022 tournament run. The Titans hosted the first four rounds of the tournament that season, defeating Franklin (73-55), UW-La Crosse (65-56), and Wheaton (77-73). The Green and White were halted in the Elite Eight, 81-75, at the hands of Wabash.

SHARP SHOOTER: In his first year donning the Green and White, junior Casen Lawrence has quietly established himself as one of the great three-point shooters IWU's storied program has seen. Lawrence has made 85 three-pointers on the season, the most in the CCIW and the 10th-most across all of Division III, while shooting 40.1 percent from beyond the arc. His clip is 36th nationally and tops the CCIW, while he sits 24th with 2.93 three-point makes per game.
    Furthermore, Lawrence's 85 three-pointers are tied for third-most in single season history alongside Brady Rose (2018-19). He is 12 behind Keelan Amelianovich's mark of 97 during the 2005-06 season. Jordan Zimmer holds the record with his 107 triples made during the 2011-12 campaign.

MADE FOR MARCH: The Titans will make the program's 36th all-time postseason appearance, including the 28th in the NCAA Division III Tournament. IWU boasts a 61-27 record in the Division III tournament since first qualifying for it in 1984.
    Of the 64 teams in the field, no school has won more NCAA Tournament games than IWU. Info courtesy @BQuillmanQcast.

STRONG ON BOTH SIDES: Illinois Wesleyan was one of 23 schools across Division III to have both its men's and women's basketball teams competing in the NCAA Tournament this season. In fact, IWU's combined history ranks the Titans among the top in Division III. In research compiled by former WashU SID Chris Mitchell, the Titans enter the weekend with 82 combined wins - the fifth-most in Division III.

FUNK RISING THE CHARTS: Mason Funk, who would have been a lock for CCIW Defensive Player of the Year if the award existed, became the first player in conference history to lead the league in blocks and steals in the same season in more than 15 years. Funk's noteworthy defensive season does not stop there though, as the junior has posted 71 blocks this season - the second-most in single season program history. He is four off the record held by David Caldwell (1990-91). Meanwhile, his 50 steals are tied for fourth-most alongside Todd Wente (2000-01) & Eliud Gonzlez (2011-12) & just one behind Nathan Hubbard's third-ranked total of 51 (1998-99).
    For his career, Funk has rejected 123 shots. He stands 18 behind Caldwell's mark of 141.

KEYS TO VICTORY: Through 29 games, IWU has established several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 22-1 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 9-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 17-1 when taking a lead into the half compared to 7-3 when trailing or tied at the break.

NIEGO, WE GO: Jackson Niego has emerged as one of the top orchestrators in Division III. Niego has served as a steady hand all season long with 105 assists to 36 turnovers. His 2.92 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the CCIW and is 16th-best nationally.

IT'S A BLOCK PARTY: The Titans have not only been the best shot-blocking team in Division III with 197 blocks (6.8 bpg), but this year's squad is one of the greatest shot-altering squads in IWU history.  Through 29 games, this year's total ranks as the most in program history, breaking the mark set by the 1987-88 squad.
Individually, Mason Funk leads the CCIW and is eighth nationally with 71 blocks. Noah Cleveland has 47 to his name, second-most in the league and 36th-most nationally.

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 800 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 331-70 record on their home floor (.825 win pct.).

BENCH BOSS: In his 20th season leading his alma mater, Ron Rose has compiled a 374-168 overall record. His career mark includes 201 CCIW wins, the most of any active CCIW head coach.
The Titans won the 2013, 2014, 2022, 2024, and 2026 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.

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' 216 appearances in the weekly poll are fifth-most all-time as well as the most in the CCIW. They are currently ranked No. 8 in the poll.