BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - One day removed from the NCAA Division III National Championship, D3hoops.com unveiled its final top-25 poll of the 2025-26 season Monday evening, April 6. The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team moved up one spot into seventh in the national rankings with 475 points.
The Titans posted a 26-5 overall record this season, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022. IWU won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament championships. Illinois Wesleyan's 25 wins were the most for the program since 2014.
The season saw the Green and White haul in a number of awards and accolades. In all, IWU pulled in six CCIW Player of the Week honors. Junior Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.-University High) and sophomore Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) were voted D3hoops.com All-Americans, while Cleveland was recognized as the
D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year. Cleveland, the CCIW's Most Outstanding Player, was joined by Funk on the All-CCIW First Team. Senior
Karlo Colak (Glencoe, Ill.-New Trier) was a Second Team All-CCIW selection.
Ron Rose and staff was voted the CCIW's Coaching Staff of the Year.
On the academic front, the Titans tied for the national lead with four College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections. Funk, Colak, and juniors Jackson Niego (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) and Casen Lawrence (St. Louis, Mo.-Westminster Christian) reeled in the award. Junior Brady Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) received the CCIW's Elite 26 Award, while senior David Williams (Peoria, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame) was named IWU's recipient of the RESPECT Award.
D3hoops.com men's Top 25, 2025-26 final
Through end of 2025-26 season:
Dropped out: No. 13 Mount Union; No. 25 Rhodes.
Others receiving votes: Mount Union 62; Babson 45; Trinity (Texas) 44; Mary Hardin-Baylor 36; Amherst 28; New York U. 27; Rhodes 13; Catholic 12; Washington & Jefferson 8; Elmhurst 5; UW-Stevens Point 4; WPI 3; New Jersey City 1.
The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.
