McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team is set to face Butler University in an exhibition match on Wednesday, October 30, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET as part of the Titans' ongoing engagements with Big East Conference teams.

Illinois Wesleyan recently competed against DePaul University on Sunday, October 27, resulting in a 76-60 loss for the Titans. This upcoming match marks Butler's first exhibition game of the season before their official opener against Missouri State University on November 4. Last season, Butler concluded with an 18-15 record and participated in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Eric Stock will provide live audio commentary for fans wishing to follow the game, accompanied by analysis from Joel Swanson. Further details are available on IWUsports.com.

Prior to the game, Illinois Wesleyan will host a pregame reception at The Bulldog Bar and Lounge from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., ahead of the game's tipoff.

In their recent encounter with DePaul, Illinois Wesleyan saw contributions from several players. Nick Roper led with 13 points, supported by Mason Funk and Hakim Williams who scored 12 and 10 points respectively.

Illinois Wesleyan's roster includes key returning players such as Nick Roper, Harrison Wilmsen, and Hakim Williams—all recognized for their performance last season in conference play. The team's defensive efforts previously ranked them highly nationally within Division III basketball statistics.

The Titans hold a notable presence in D3hoops.com Top-25 rankings with their current standing at No.16. They have appeared in these rankings a total of 190 times historically.

Under head coach Ron Rose's leadership since his appointment at his alma mater eighteen seasons ago, Illinois Wesleyan has achieved multiple conference titles and championships.

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) preseason poll placed Illinois Wesleyan as favorites to win this year’s title based on five first-place votes out of nine possible.

Matthew Leritz was recently honored as an Academic All-American—adding to IWU's lead over prestigious programs like UCLA and Duke—with a total of 160 all-time selections across various sports divisions.

Following this exhibition match against Butler University, Illinois Wesleyan plans to begin its regular season by hosting the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational starting November 8 against Cal Lutheran.