Illinois Wesleyan University men’s basketball players Noah Cleveland and Mason Funk received D3hoops.com Region 8 all-region honors on March 16, with head coach Ron Rose named Region Coach of the Year.
These awards highlight a successful season for the Titans, who finished with a 26-4 record and won both the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament championships. The recognition reflects the team’s strong performance in NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics, as reported by the official website.
Rose was recognized as regional coach of the year for the second time in his career. Cleveland was named both player and newcomer of the year for Region 8, becoming the first Titan to earn top player honors since Matthew Leritz in 2022. He is also the first student-athlete since D3hoops.com began awarding both distinctions in 2007 to win both specialty awards in one season. Cleveland’s achievements include being a unanimous First Team All-CCIW selection, earning four CCIW Player of the Week titles, three appearances on the D3hoops Team of the Week, and recording sixteen double-doubles this season. He averaged 18.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
Funk was selected to the First Team All-CCIW and has had a standout defensive season, leading his team in blocks and steals—the first player in over fifteen years to do so within the conference. He recorded seventy-three blocks this year, ranking second in school history and eighth nationally among Division III players. Funk is also a Josten’s Trophy finalist.
The Titans play their home games on campus in Bloomington, Illinois according to their official website. The team uses green and white colors and competes under the Titans nickname as part of NCAA Division III athletics within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will face No. 2 Emory University in Fort Wayne, Indiana on March 19 at 3:30 p.m., aiming to advance further into postseason play.
