McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's basketball team is set to participate in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament, marking their return for the first time since 2022. The team will travel to Chicago for a regional event hosted by the University of Chicago on March 7-8. This announcement follows the release of the 64-team field by the NCAA on March 3.

Illinois Wesleyan, ranked as the top team in their pod, is scheduled to play against Bethany Lutheran College in their opening round match on Friday, March 7, at 4 p.m. The other game in this regional will feature Chicago facing St. John's (Minn.) at 6:30 p.m. The winners from these matches will compete in the regional championship game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

The Titans, ranked 16th nationally, secured their spot in the tournament by winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Championship. They entered as the No. 2 seed and defeated fourth-seeded Augustana with a score of 70-65 in the semifinals. In an impressive performance, they overcame top-seeded Carthage, ranked 23rd nationally, with a decisive victory of 79-60 to claim both the championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Details regarding ticket availability are expected to be released later this week. The complete NCAA Tournament bracket is available online.