McLean County Times

Illinois Wesleyan University's men's basketball team is set to start its season with an exhibition game against DePaul University this Sunday, October 27, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The match will commence at 6 p.m.

Last season, Illinois Wesleyan achieved a 19-8 record and won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Regular Season Championship outright. Meanwhile, DePaul is aiming for improvement under new head coach Chris Holtmann after a challenging 3-29 season.

Fans can listen to the game through an audio broadcast featuring Eric Stock and Joel Swanson. Information on how to access the broadcast is available on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

Prior to the game, Illinois Wesleyan will host a pregame reception at Fatpour Tap Works from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., located directly across from Wintrust Arena.

The Titans bring back key players from last year's championship team, including Nick Roper, Harrison Wilmsen, and Hakim Williams. Roper was recognized as a First Team All-CCIW honoree by D3hoops.com and NABC, while Wilmsen and Williams earned Second Team All-CCIW honors.

Illinois Wesleyan's defense was a major factor in their success last season, limiting opponents to a shooting percentage of 38.8%—the 21st-best mark in Division III—and holding them to an average of 64.3 points per game.

Ranked No. 16 in the D3hoops.com poll, Illinois Wesleyan has appeared in the Top-25 rankings 190 times, which is eighth-most all-time and leads the CCIW.

Head coach Ron Rose enters his 18th season with an overall record of 325-158 and has led the Titans to multiple conference titles during his tenure.

In the CCIW preseason poll released on October 25, Illinois Wesleyan was predicted to win the league with five first-place votes and a total of 61 points. Carthage followed closely with four first-place votes and 60 points.

Matthew Leritz recently became Illinois Wesleyan's program's 26th Academic All-America honoree for men's basketball. This achievement adds to IWU's lead over prestigious programs like UCLA, Indiana, Kansas, and Duke in this category.

Illinois Wesleyan boasts a rich history with notable achievements including winning an NCAA National Championship in 1997 and securing numerous conference championships and tournament appearances over the years.

Looking ahead, the Titans are scheduled for another exhibition match against Butler University on October 30 before officially starting their season on November 8-9 as hosts of the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational against Cal Lutheran.