McLean County Times

Men's Hoops to Host Bluejays Wednesday Night

After a week-long roadtrip that took the Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball more than 4000 total miles, the Titans are back inside the Shirk Center Wednesday night, Feb. 1, as host to Elmhurst University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
    The Green and White is 10-9 on the season and 5-5 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. IWU looks to snap a three-game league losing skid that most recently saw the Titans fall at Augustana College, 89-80, Jan. 28. Meanwhile, Elmhurst owns a 13-6 record and sits tied with IWU at 5-5 in conference play. The Bluejays carry a bit of momentum into Wednesday's clash. Most recently, EU edged Millikin University, 75-73, in Elmhurst, Jan. 25, for its second straight win.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats, live stream, or radio broadcast. Links on how to follow along can be found on the men's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

HEFLEN HAULS IN WEEKLY HONOR: Senior Lucas Heflen was named the CCIW Player of the Week Monday, Jan. 30, for the first time in his career. Heflen led IWU to a 2-1 record last week, including a pair of road wins in Oregon. The senior co-captain averaged 19.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 steals over the three-game stretch. He shot 52.8 percent from the floor and 51.7 from beyond the arc, hitting five threes in each of IWU's three games.

(DEFENSIVE) BATTLE ROYALE: When IWU and Elmhurst go at it Wednesday night, fans will see two of the most dominant rebounding teams in Division III square off. IWU enters the game second in the league, and 23rd nationally, with a +7.8 rebounding margin, while Elmhurst leads the league at +8.1 (21st nationally).
    Additionally, IWU and EU are the top two in the CCIW in terms of field goal percentage defense. The Bluejays lead the way, holding opponents to a 40.7 clip, while the Titans opposition is shooting 40.8 percent on the season.

BATTLES WITH THE BLUEJAYS: Illinois Wesleyan holds a 116-26 advantage in the 142 all-time meetings between the Titans and Bluejays, and have won 11 of the past 14 contests between the two.
    Most recently, IWU blew by the 11th-ranked Bluejays, 68-54, at R.A. Faganel Hall, Nov. 30. Five players hit double digits in points in the win, with Ryan Sroka and Hakim WIlliams posting 11-point, 11-rebound double-doubles. The win marked the first setback of the year for Elmhurst, who had entered the contest 5-0.

FAMILIAR FACE: When the Titans take on the Bluejays Wednesday night, IWU fans may recognize a familiar face in Elmhurst bench boss John Baines. A 1998 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, he was a part of teams that compiled a 103-14 record, played in the NCAA Tournament four times, reached the Final Four twice, and won a Division III National Championship in 1997.

NO NEED FOR WINDEX: Illinois Wesleyan has been dominant on the glass this season, out-rebounding its opponents 754 to 504. The strong effort on the glass has IWU holding a +7.8 rebounding margin on the season, the 23rd-best in all of Division III. Senior Cody Mitchell leads the Green and White with 9.4 boards per contest. Ryan Sroka is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.

MAKING THEM WORK: Illinois Wesleyan has one of the top-ranked defenses in the CCIW this season. In fact, IWU is holding opponents to a 40.8 field goal percentage, which is not only second in the conference, but is also 66th nationally. Furthermore, the Titans are giving up just 68.7 points per game, the second-best scoring defense in the conference (99th nationally).

#23 IN 2023: Illinois Wesleyan has seen senior Cody Mitchell heat up inside the arc since the calendar turned to 2023. In fact, Mitchell is 41-for-65 inside the arc since Jan. 3, good for a two-point field goal percentage of 63.1 percent. The senior co-captain is averaging 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest over the nine-game span, both of which top the team.
    Furthermore, Mitchell is shooting 65.1 percent (56-of-86) from two-point range in conference play compared to 26-for-58 (44.8 percent) in non-CCIW games.

BALANCED BOX SCORE: Illinois Wesleyan has been at its best when the scoring has been balanced this season. In fact, IWU is 9-6 when three-or-more players score 10+ points, while the Titans are 0-3 when fewer than three players hit double figures.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Titans remain at home this Saturday to enjoy one of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III. The Shirk Center has been home to more than 650 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. The men hold a 297-63 record on their home floor, good for a .825 win percentage.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans remain at home Saturday, Feb. 4, for a doubleheader with the IWU women's basketball team against Carroll University. Tipoff of the annual PinkZone game is set for 7:15 p.m. 

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