BLOOMINGTON — Illinois Wesleyan will begin the men’s basketball season with a national ranking and much of the scoring depth from its last tournament run. The Titans are No. 6 in the D3hoops.com preseason poll reproduced in the university’s October 22 release, earning 430 points after a 26–5 season that reached the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.
The ranking places Illinois Wesleyan near the front of a poll that also recognizes other Illinois programs. Elmhurst appears at No. 13 with 300 points, and the University of Chicago is No. 24 with 80. Wheaton received three points outside the ranked 25. Those totals reflect national preseason voting, rather than a set of results from games already played this season.
Illinois Wesleyan returns seven of its top 10 scorers. Its returning group includes Mason Funk, Casen Lawrence and Jackson Niego, along with Josh Fridman and Brady Kuehl. Fridman’s sophomore season was shortened by injury, making his place in the returning group relevant to the team’s available depth. The university’s preview provides the roster context; the preseason ranking remains an assessment to be tested once games begin.
There is a useful distinction within the local picture. Elmhurst was selected as the CCIW preseason favorite, while Illinois Wesleyan sits higher in this national poll. The two votes answer different questions and come from different voting groups. A national ranking does not decide the conference standings or replace the head-to-head games that will shape them.
Illinois Wesleyan’s published schedule opens against Yeshiva on November 14. That date falls beyond the next seven days, leaving the Titans in preseason preparation during the current newsroom calendar window. The CCIW opener is listed for December 2 against Elmhurst, placing an early conference meeting between the two nationally ranked programs on the longer-range schedule.
For now, the clearest established foundation is the combination of last season’s results and returning personnel. The Titans have a recent postseason standard and a substantial group back to pursue it. Their No. 6 position supplies a starting point for national attention, while the season itself will determine whether that standing holds.
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois brings its preseason schedule to State Farm Center on Friday, October 23, when Baylor visits for a 7 p.m. Central exhibition. The game is scheduled to stream on B1G+ and gives the Illini a home setting for another competitive evaluation before games begin counting toward their regular-season record.
