Illinois Wesleyan 2005-06 Men's Basketball Stories

Contact: Stew Salowitz (309) 556-3206

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July 1
Illinois Wesleyan 2006 graduates Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich have agreed to contracts to play basketball professionally for the Sedesa Lliria team in Lliria, Spain. The 6-foot-3 Dauksas and the 6-foot-6 Amelianovich were two of three captains on an IWU team that finished 25-7 and finished third in the NCAA Division III tournament in March. Dauksas and Amelianovich will leave sometime in August and will share an apartment in Lliria. Sedesa Lliria is in the LEB2 league. Dauksas averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 assists as a senior. He finished his Titan career as the No. 9 scorer in school history and IWU's career assist leader. Amelianovich averaged 18.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in his final season and is the No. 7 career scorer at IWU.

May 12
Ron Rose, who played on two conference championship teams and three NCAA Division III tournament teams at Illinois Wesleyan from 1984-88, has been named the 14th head coach at his alma mater, IWU athletic director Dennie Bridges announced on May 12. Rose, who has a 154-93 (.623) record in nine seasons as a high school coach (the last five years at Bloomington High School), will be formally introduced at a news conference at 11 a.m. Sat. (May 13) at IWU's Hansen Student Center. Rose was a four-year letterman for Bridges and started 68 career games. His career assist total of 356 is No. 6 all-time at IWU and his 137 assists in 1987-88 is seventh most in a Titan single season. For complete bio, click here.

May 10
Illinois Wesleyan 2006 graduate Keelan Amelianovich worked out May 10 for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association at the team's first draft prospect workout in St. Francis, Wis. Dave Babcock, the Bucks' director of player personnel, said: "Amelianovich is one of the top Division III (Illinois Wesleyan) players in America and he showed why." For complete information on Keelan's workout with Milwaukee, click here. The Bucks have one selection, No. 39, in the June 27 NBA draft.

April 12
After compiling a 101-37 record in five seasons at Illinois Wesleyan, head men's basketball coach Scott Trost has accepted the same job at Division II Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. Trost compiled a 50-20 (.714) mark in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with three consecutive CCIW titles (2003-05) and made four successive NCAA Division III championship tournament appearances (2003-06) under his guidance, including a third place national finish last month.

April 4
Illinois Wesleyan seniors Keelan Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas have been named to the first team of the college division men's basketball All-American squads chosen by Chuck Mistovich in Basketball Times magazine. The two were also first team selections this season on the D3hoops.com All-American squads. They were joined on the first team by Basketball Times' "Player of the Year" Kyle Myrick of  Lincoln (Pa.), Kris Clarkson of Widener (Pa.), and Sekani Francis of Lehman (N.Y.). Rick Harrigan of Augustana was named to the second team and Wittenberg's Bill Brown was named "Coach of the Year."

March 24
A public reception honoring the Illinois Wesleyan University men’s basketball team and women’s indoor track team will be held Tues., March 28, in the Shirk Center on campus. The free event to celebrate the men’s third place finish and the women’s fourth place finish in their respective NCAA Division III championships will begin at 6:30 p.m. with an informal autograph session featuring all players and coaches. At 7 p.m., head basketball coach Scott Trost and head track coach Chris Schumacher will speak about their teams and introduce their student-athletes. IWU President Richard Wilson will also speak and the Titan Band will provide music. Free concessions will be available during the reception, along with a limited supply of free souvenir team photographs suitable for autographs.

March 22
Seniors Keelan Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas have been named to the first team of the D3hoops.com All-American squads. Dauksas is a repeater as a first team member and Amelianovich was a second team selection as a junior and as a sophomore. Amelianovich led the 25-7 Titans with an 18.6 scoring average and set a new season record with 97 3-pointers. Dauksas holds both the career and season assist record and averaged 13.6 points per game this year. Augustana's Rick Harrigan was named to the second team and Elmhurst's Chris Martin was a third team honoree. Go here for full team.

March 18
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team finished third in the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament with a 71-68 win over Amherst (Mass.) on Sat., March 18 in Salem, Va. The Titans' season ends at 25-7 and it is the third third-place finish for IWU (1996, 2001, 2006) in the national event. Senior Keelan Amelianovich led IWU with 21 points and eight rebounds while junior Zach Freeman scored 19 with seven boards. Senior guard Jason Fisher had his season-high with 16 points. (Go here for box score.) The Titans never trailed in the game, leading by as many as 16 in the first half but Amherst (28-4) closed to within 1 point with 51 seconds left.

March 17
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team will play Amherst (Mass.) for third place in the 2006 NCAA Division III championship after losing, 81-79, to Virginia Wesleyan on Fri., March 17 in Salem, Va. (Go here for box score.) The Titans got 28 points from Keelan Amelianovich and Zach Freeman scored 27 to pace IWU (24-7) while Brandon Adair scored 29 for the Marlins (29-3), who will play Wittenberg for the title. The Titans held a 30-24 rebound edge in the game and shot .603 from the field (35 of 58) in the game that saw nine ties and 11 lead changes.

March 16
Go Here for ESPN SportsCenter Feature on IWU Basketball

March 14
Senior Adam Dauksas was named to the first team and senior Keelan Amelianovich and junior Zach Freeman were chosen for the second team of the NCAA Division III all-Midwest Region squads selected by D3hoops.com. Dauksas became IWU's all-time assist leader this year and is scoring 14.3 points per game. Amelianovich is averaging 18.2 points and 4.3 rebounds and has connected on a school-record 90 3-point field goals. Freeman is shooting .581 from the field and is scoring 5.8 points while snaring 7.6 rebounds per game for the 24-6 Titans.

March 14
Illinois Wesleyan NCAA Division III Championship Page
Game Notes for IWU Appearance in NCAA Semifinals, Finals

March 11
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team will be making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division III semifinals after a 113-99 win over Puget Sound in the sectional final on Sat., March 11 in Appleton, Wis. The Titans (24-6) will play Virginia Wesleyan on Fri., March 17 in Salem, Va. at 7 p.m. (CST) in the semifinals. Keelan Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas each scored 26 to pace IWU in the win while Matt Arnold and Zach Freeman each had 19 and Freeman grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. IWU won the national title in 1997 and finished third in 1996 and 2001. Ticket information will be available at the start of the week.

March 10
Illinois Wesleyan erased a 15-point first half deficit and a 12-point halftime disadvantage to rally for a 71-68 win at No. 1-ranked Lawrence in the NCAA Division III Sectional at Appleton, Wis. on Fri., March 10. The Titans (23-6) were behind by 11 with 13:20 to play but charged back to take a 64-63 lead on a Matt Arnold 3-pointer with 3:57 to play. Zach Freeman led IWU with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Keelan Amelianovich added 14 and Arnold scored 10. At 7 p.m. on Sat., March 11 in Appleton, in the final eight of the tourney, IWU plays Puget Sound (23-4), who defeated Augustana, 92-86.

March 7
Illinois Wesleyan Game Notes for NCAA Tournament Sectional Round

March 6
Illinois Wesleyan (22-6) will play at No. 1-ranked Lawrence (25-0) in Appleton, Wis., at 8 p.m. on Fri., March 10 in the sectional round of the 2006 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament. It is the third time in the last four years and the 13th time overall for IWU to advance to the final 16 in the national tournament. The other sectional game in Appleton (at 5 p.m.) is Augustana (23-5) vs. Puget Sound (22-4) with the two winning teams to play at 7 p.m. Sat., March 11 for the chance to play in the final four. Go here for ticket information for the sectional in Appleton.

March 4
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team advanced to the final 16 of the 2006 NCAA Division III tournament with an 85-71 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wis., on Sat., March 4. Seniors Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich scored 31 and 20 points, respectively, as the Titans improved to 22-6 and will play No. 1-ranked Lawrence in the sectional on Fri., March 10. Cory Jones had nine points and nine rebounds for IWU and Dauksas' 31 points was a career-high. The sectional site will be announced on Sun., March 5.

March 3
Illinois Wesleyan improved to 21-6 with an 81-68 win over Carroll in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament on Fri., March 3 in Whitewater, Wis. Junior Zach Freeman scored 29 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to pace IWU while Keelan Amelianovich scored 13 and Cory Jones added 10. Adam Dauksas snared nine rebounds and Andrew Freeman came off the bench to score eight points. The Titans outrebounded the Pioneers, 50-36, and led by a 38-34 margin at halftime. Carroll (21-5) was led by the 19 points of Jason Scheper.

March 1
Senior Keelan Amelianovich was named to the first team of the ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-American team and was chosen as the College Division "Academic All-American of the Year." Amelianovich has a 3.82 grade-point average as an accounting major and was a second team selection last year. Go here for full story. West Virginia's Johannes Herber earned the honor in the University Division. It marks the fifth time an IWU student-athlete has earned the top national distinction for their respective sport - Korey Coon won in 1999 and 2000 for men's basketball, Lon Erickson in football in 1996 and James Rinne for baseball in 1998.

February 28
Seniors Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich were named to the first team and junior Zach Freeman was chosen to the second team of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-star squads, chosen in voting by coaches on Tues., Feb. 28. Dauksas and Amelianovich are repeaters to the first team, as Freeman is to the second team. Dauksas was the league's "Most Outstanding Player" in 2005 and Amelianovich earned that honor in 2004.

February 28
IWU Game Notes, 2006 NCAA Division III Regional Tournament

February 27
Illinois Wesleyan NCAA Division III Tournament Page

Illinois Wesleyan will face Carroll (Wis.) in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Division III tournament on Fri., March 3 at a four-team regional in Whitewater, Wis. The host school, UW-Whitewater (22-5) will play DePauw (15-12) at 8 p.m. while the regional opener at 6 p.m. will feature the Titans (20-6) against the Pioneers (21-4), a former College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival. The winners would play at 7 p.m. Sat., March 4 with the chance to advance to the sectional. IWU is making its fourth straight NCAA showing and the 18th in the 23 years of NCAA affiliation. IWU has a 58-16 lead in the series vs. Carroll, who left the CCIW after the 1992 season.

February 25
Illinois Wesleyan battled back from an 18-point deficit in the second half to grab a 49-47 lead before losing to North Central, 51-49, in the championship game of the first-ever College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin men's basketball tournament in Rock Island. The Titans trailed, 41-23 with 17:10 left in the game, battled back for a 46-46 tie with 6:19 left and led 49-47 with 4:49 left. Zach Freeman led IWU (20-6 overall) with 17 points while Cory Jones had 10 points and nine boards. Anthony Simmons had 24 for the Cardinals (22-5). The NCAA announcement will be Sun., Feb. 26 with the pairings/brackets announced on Mon. (Feb. 27) morning.

February 24
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team will face North Central for the championship of the first-ever Colege Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship after defeating Augustana, 81-67, on Fri., Feb. 24 at Rock Island. Zach Freeman scored 19 points and Keelan Amelianovich added 16 while Adam Dauksas got 12 and Matt Arnold came off the bench to score 10. Cory Jones had seven rebounds for the Titans, who improve to 20-5 with the victory. The championship game is at 7:30 p.m. at Augustana's Carver Center.

February 21
IWU Game Notes, 2006 CCIW Postseason Tournament

February 19
The Illinois Wesleyan seniors went out in style with a 94-67 pasting of North Park at the Shirk Center on Sat., Feb. 18. Cory Jones led five players in double figures with 19 points while Keelan Amelianovich scored 16, Chris Jones added 14, Jason Fisher scored 13 and junior Zach Freeman had 11. Adam Dauksas had 10 assists, nine rebounds and nine points as the Titans improved to 19-5 overall and finish 9-5 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. IWU will play Augustana at 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 24 in the first round of the first-ever CCIW men's postseason tourney, held in Rock Island.

February 16
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team lost for the second straight time, dropping a 93-85 decision in overtime to Augustana in Rock Island on Wed., Feb. 15. Zach Freeman and Keelan Amelianovich each scored 17 to pace IWU, who falls to 18-5 overall and 8-5 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Andrew Freeman came off the bench to score 12 points and grab six rebounds. The score was tied at 78-78 at the end of regulation. IWU held a 38-33 rebound edge over the Vikings, who improved to 21-3, 11-3 CCIW, and Zach Freeman had a game-high 10 boards.

February 11
The No. 7-ranked Illinois Wesleyan Titans were stunned by a second half comeback at Wheaton, losing a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game, 69-66, on Sat., Feb. 11. The Titans fall to 18-4 overall and 8-4 in the CCIW while Wheaton improved to 9-13 overall and 5-6 in the league. The Titans, who led 42-27 early in the second half, were outscored 42-26 in the second half as the Thunder made nine 3-pointers, and the Thunder outrebounded IWU, 34-20, in the game with 15 offensive boards. Keelan Amelianovich led IWU with 19 points while Adam Dauksas (15), Zach Freeman (11) and Matt Arnold (10) all scored in double figures. Dauksas handed out five assists and became the career leader in that category at IWU.

February 9
For the second straight year, Illinois Wesleyan senior forward Keelan Amelianovich has been elected to the first team of the District Five College Division all-academic men’s basketball squad and will join representatives of seven other districts on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America national ballot. Amelianovich, a second team Academic All-American last season, is an accounting major with a 3.82 grade-point average. Senior guard Adam Dauksas was elected to the all-district second team and does not advance to the national ballot. Illinois Wesleyan has had 101 student-athletes honored by their election to the Academic All-America teams.

February 9
Illinois Wesleyan put four players in double figures and handily downed Millikin, 95-76, on Wed., Feb. 8 at the Shirk Center. The Titans got 26 points from Zach Freeman and 20 from Keelan Amelianovich while Adam Dauksas had 11 points and 10 assists and Cory Jones came off the bench to tally 12 points. IWU improved to 18-3 overall and 8-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Big Blue is 9-13, 2-9 CCIW. IWU shot 59 percent from the field (34 of 58) and were guilty of only six turnovers.

February 6
Senior Adam Dauksas has been chosen “Player of the Week” in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Dauksas averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 assists in two IWU league wins against teams that had earlier handed the Titans losses. In a 91-88 win at North Central, he had 14 points and seven assists with a steal. In an 88-87 OT win over Elmhurst, Dauksas had 29 points and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. His assist with two seconds left in the overtime gave Chris Jones the ball for the winning basket. He had six assists, made 10-of-16 from the field, 5-of-9 from three-point land, and hit four-of-five free throws. For the week he shot .533 from the field, .538 from beyond the arc, and had a 6.5 assist/turnover ratio.

February 4
Senior Chris Jones (Calumet City, Thornwood HS) made a basket as time expired to give Illinois Wesleyan an 88-87 overtime win over Elmhurst on Sat., Feb. 4 at the Shirk Center. Adam Dauksas scored 29 points and hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into the extra period and Keelan Amelianovich (Naperville, Neuqua Valley HS) added 24 as IWU improved to 17-3 and 7-3 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Elmhurst falls to 14-7, 6-4 CCIW. Zach Freeman (Bloomington, Normal Community HS) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in a game when the Titans were outrebounded, 38-29.

February 2
Illinois Wesleyan University senior Adam Dauksas (Homewood, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor HS) was named one of 16 finalists for the 2006 Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford, an annual honor bestowed to the nation’s top collegiate point guard. The announcement was made Thurs., Feb. 2, by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in conjunction with The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. People can vote for Adam by clicking on Cousy Award.
The finalists were chosen from across the country, with 12 coming from NCAA Division I institutions, including Dee Brown of last year’s national runner-up University of Illinois and Syracuse University’s Gerry McNamara, who led the Orange to the 2003 national championship, as well as two from Division II and two from Division III schools. Dauksas’s fellow Division III finalist is Kyle Witucky of the College of Wooster.

February 1
Illinois Wesleyan outscored North Central, 23-8, in the final 8:43 to come from an 80-68 deficit to post a 91-88 win at Naperville on Wed., Feb. 1. The Titans got 28 points from Keelan Amelianovich (Naperville, Neuqua Valley HS), 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds from junior Zach Freeman (Bloomington, Norman Community HS), while senior Adam Dauksas (Homewood, Ill., Homewood-Flossmoor HS) added 14 and Cory Jones (Calumet City, Thornwood HS) scored 10. Senior guard Matt Arnold (Bloomington, Ind., Edgewood HS) made a 3-pointer with 1:18 left to give IWU an 85-83 advantage and a lead the Titans never relinquished.

January 28
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team collected a 95-61 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin win over Carthage on Sat., Jan. 28 at the Shirk Center. Keelan Amelianovich scored 23 points and Zach Freeman had 20 to pace the Titans, who improved to 15-3 overall and 5-3 in the league. Adam Dauksas scored 15 with six assists and Andrew Freeman came off the bench to grab a team-high seven rebounds as the Titans held a 38-33 edge in caroms over the Red Men, who fell to 6-12 overall and 2-5 in the league. IWU shot 56 percent (32 of 57) from the field and buried 12 3-pointers.

January 25
Illinois Wesleyan lost its second home league game this season, falling by a 57-54 count to Augustana on Wed., Jan. 25 at the Shirk Center.  The Titans had a 13-point lead early in the second half but connected on only six of 25 from the field (24 percent) in the final period and committed 21 turnovers in the entire game.  Junior Zach Freeman and senior Adam Dauksas each scored 13 points to pace the Titans while Keelan Amelianovich gathered in a game-high 10 rebounds as IWU held a 40-29 rebound edge in the game.

January 23
Keelan Amelianovich of Illinois Wesleyan was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Men's Basketball Player of the Week Monday after his performance during the previous week of competition. Amelianovich, a senior from Naperville, averaged 22 points in leading Illinois Wesleyan to two conference wins. In an overtime win over Wheaton, Amelianovich scored 27 points and had five in the overtime. He was 10-for-19 from the field with four three-point field goals. In just 25 minutes against North Park, Amelianovich scored 17 points and handed out two assists while going 6-for-10 from the floor with three three-pointers. For the week he was 16 of 29 (.552) from the field and shot .438 from three-point land (7 of 16). He also made all five of his free throw tries.

January 21
After starting the game on a 10-0 run, the Illinois Wesleyan Titans led 44-26 at halftime and cruised to a 78-57 win over North Park on Sat., Jan. 21 in Chicago. Keelan Amelianovich scored 17 points, Matt Arnold added 13 and Chris and Cory Jones each added 11 as IWU improved to 14-2 overall and 4-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Adam Dauksas had only three points but handed out 11 assists and Steve Schweer came off the bench to gather in a team-high seven rebounds. IWU shot 60.8 percent in the game from the field (31 of 51) and held a 32-29 rebound edge in the win.

January 18
Keelan Amelianovich scored 27 points and Zach Freeman scored 16 points and snared 18 rebounds as Illinois Wesleyan escaped with an 87-81 overtime win over Wheaton at the Shirk Center on Wed., Jan. 18. The Titans improved to 13-2 overall and 3-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Thunder fell to 5-9 overall, 1-2 in the CCIW. IWU outscored the Thunder, 13-7 in the extra period as Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas each had five in the OT. The Titans shot .547 for the game from the field (35 of 64) and outrebounded Wheaton, 36-27. Dauksas had a game-high nine assists.

January 14
Illinois Wesleyan dropped to 2-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin after a 72-64 loss at Elmhurst on Sat., Jan. 14. The No. 5-ranked Titans got 28 points from senior Adam Dauksas, who connected on eight 3-point field goals, tying the IWU school record for 3-pointers in a single game. Junior Zach Freeman added 13 points and senior Cory Jones scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds. IWU is now 12-2 overall while the Bluejays improved to 10-5 overall and are also 2-2 in the league.

January 11
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team improved to 12-1 overall and 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin with a 68-60 overtime win against Millikin in Dectaur on Wed., Jan. 11. Junior Zach Freeman scored 22 points and connected on 16 of 19 free throws, Keelan Amelianovich tallied 21 points and Adam Dauksas scored nine of his 11 points in the overtime session to lead the Titans. The Titans trailed the Big Blue (8-6, 1-2 CCIW) at the half 25-20 but outscored Millikin, 34-29 in the second half and by a 14-6 margin in the extra period.

January 7
A free throw by Keelan Amelianovich with 37 seconds left in the game proved to be the winning margin as Illinois Wesleyan earned an 80-79 win over Carthage in Kenosha, Wis., on Sat., Jan. 7. The No. 1-ranked Titans improved to 11-1 and 1-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Red Men fell to 4-8, 0-1 CCIW. Amelianovich led five Titans into double figure scoring with 16 while Chris Jones scored 15, Cory Jones and Zach Freeman each had 14 and Adam Dauksas scored 10 with five assists. In the game, IWU held a commanding 39-25 rebound edge and shot 57 percent from the field (27 of 50). The Titans play next at Millikin on Wed., Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

January 4
The North Central Cardinals came into the Shirk Center and defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 74-70, in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener for both teams on Wed., Jan. 4. The Cardinals built up a 34-30 lead at halftime and never trailed, leading by as many as 12. Adam Dauksas had 23 points to lead IWU while Keelan Amelianovich scored 15 and Cory Jones and Zach Freeman each had 12. Freeman led the Titans (10-1, 0-1 CCIW) with eight rebounds. Anthony Simmons had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals (10-0, 1-0 CCIW).

January 3
Keelan Amelianovich of Illinois Wesleyan was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Men's Basketball Player of the Week Tuesday after his performance during the previous week of competition. Amelianovich, a senior from Naperville, Ill., was named the MVP of the Tom Byron Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif., as he helped the Titans to two wins and a 10-0 start to the season. For the week Amelianovich averaged 24.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He connected on 57.6 percent of his shots from the field (19 of 33) and shot 60 percent from 3-point range (9 of 15). He scored 24 points with seven rebounds and three steals in the 104-87 win over No. 5 Puget Sound, then had 25 in a 76-60 win over host school Westmont.

December 30
Illinois Wesleyan won its 10th straight game with a 76-60 decision over NAIA Westmont on Fri., Dec. 30, in the championship game of the 30th Tom Byron Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif. Keelan Amelianovich, who was chosen as the tournament’s “MVP”, scored 25 points in the victory and was 9-of-13 from the field including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Chris Jones and Adam Dauksas, who each scored 14 in the win over Westmont, joined Amelianovich on the all-tournament team. The Titans, who led the Warriors (8-4) by a 43-30 margin at halftime, open conference play on Wed., Jan. 4 vs. North Central (9-0) at 7:30 p.m. at the Shirk Center.

December 29
The No. 1-ranked Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team improved to 9-0 with a 104-87 win over No. 5-ranked Puget Sound on Thurs., Dec. 29 at the Westmont Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Titans were led by Keelan Amelianovich with 24 points, Adam Dauksas with 22 points and 12 assists, and Chris Jones with 14 points. Steve Schweer scored 11 points and had six rebounds and Zach Freeman scored nine points with nine boards as IWU outrebounded the Loggers, 45-35. IWU shot 58 percent from the field (39 of 67) and will play at 9:30 p.m. (CST) Fri., Dec. 30 for the tournament championship against tournament host Westmont, a winner over Berry (Ga.).

December 20
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team is 8-0 for the first time since the national championship season of 1997 as it scored a 72-61 decision over No. 14-rated Hanover on Tues., Dec. 20 at the Shirk Center. Keelan Amelianovich scored 18 points to lead IWU while Zach Freeman scored 15 and grabbed five rebounds while rejecting five shots. Adam Dauksas handed out eight assists and made three steals. The Titans shot 60 percent from the field (27 of 45) and outrebounded the Panthers (6-3), 35-24.

December 17
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team improved to 7-0 for the second straight year with an 85-57 win over Illinois College in Jacksonville on Sat., Dec. 17. The Titans got 19 points from Keelan Amelianovich, 12 from Jason Fisher, 11 points and 11 assists out of Adam Dauksas, and 10 points and eight rebounds from Zach Freeman. The No. 1-ranked Titans outrebounded Illinois College, 54-36, and shot 51 percent (30 of 59) from the field but were an uncharacteristic 50 percent from the free throw line (15 for 30). Illinois College is 4-3. The Titans host No. 14-ranked Hanover at the Shirk Center on Tues., Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

December 10
The No. 1 ranked Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team improved to 6-0 as it cruised to an 83-56 nonconference win at Washington U. in St. Louis on Sat., Dec. 10. Senior Keelan Amelianovich scored 23 points to lead IWU while junior Zach Freeman added 16 and senior Chris Jones scored 13 points (going six-of-seven from the field) and snagged 13 rebounds. The Titans snapped the Bears' six-game winning streak and outrebounded Washington U., 43-23, while shooting 53 percent from the field. IWU led 51-42 in the second half and went on a 21-0 run to extend the lead to 72-42 over the Bears (now 6-3).

December 3
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team improved to 5-0 with a 71-67 win at the University of Chicago on Sat., Dec. 3. The Titans were led by the 18 points and eight rebounds from Zach Freeman, while Adam Dauksas added 17 and Keelan Amelianovich scored 12. The Titans, who were tied with the Maroons 28-28 at the half, shot 52 percent for the game (26 of 50) and outrebounded Chicago, 31-30. IWU plays next at Washington U. on Sat., Dec. 10.

November 28
Senior Keelan Amelianovich scored 26 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team upended No. 16-NAIA ranked St. Xavier, 81-61, on Mon., Nov. 28 at the Shirk Center. Zach Freeman scored 17 poiints and had 11 rebounds, Adam Dauksas scored 13 with six assists, and Chris Jones added 14 points with five rebounds. The Titans (4-0) shot 50 percent for the game from the floor (27 of 54) and ended the Cougars' five-game winning streak. St. Xavier is now 7-3.

November 22
Junior Zach Freeman scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Illinois Wesleyan to an 87-68 nonconference win over Olivet Nazarene on Tues., Nov. 22 at the Shirk Center. Freeman was 11-of-13 from the field and made 8-of-9 free throws. Keelan Amelianovich scored 20 points and Adam Dauksas contributed 14 with six assists. The Titans shot 64 per cent for the game (32 of 50) from the field and held a 28-22 rebound edge. The Titans improved to 3-0 for the season while Olivet Nazarene fell to 3-4.

November 19
Led by the 22 points (with six 3-pointers) from tournament "Most Valuable Player" Adam Dauksas, the Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team defeated Wabash, 79-67, on Sat., Nov. 19 to take the title of the Little Giants Tournament in Crawfordsville, Ind. Zach Freeman also was named to the all-tourney team as he scored 15 points with eight rebounds vs. Wabash while Cory Jones had 12 points and 13 boards and Jason Fisher added 10 points. The Titans (2-0), who trailed 35-34 at halftime, held a 42-25 rebound edge and held Wabash (1-1) scoreless for 4:45 of the second half.

November 18
The Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team opened its regular season with a 71-58 win over Texas-Dallas at the Wabash Little Giant Tournament on Fri., Nov. 18 in Crawfordsville, Ind. Senior Keelan Amelianovich made six 3-point field goals and led IWU with 24 points while senior Adam Dauksas scored 17 and handed out seven assists. Senior Mike McGraw came off the bench to score 10 points. The Titans, who play either Alma or Wabash for the tourney title at 2 p.m. CST on Sat., Nov. 19, held a 41-34 rebounding edge in the game and led 30-20 at halftime.

November 14
The NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Staff, in cooperation with Illinois Wesleyan, has determined that senior guard Matt Arnold will be ineligible for competition for the first eight regular season games of the 2005-06 season. In April 2005, the University received information about and began investigating activities involving the student-athlete and determined that certain activities rendered him ineligible for competition. The investigation centered around a trip in the spring to Las Vegas which involved extra benefits provided by a former University employee. IWU self-reported the infractions and actively cooperated with the NCAA in seeking to restore Arnold’s eligibility. Arnold will be eligible to practice with the team during the season and will be eligible for the Titans’ game vs. Puget Sound on Dec. 29 in Westmont, Calif.

November 3
For 25 minutes Thursday night, Illinois Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team played even with the University of Illinois at Assembly Hall. But the Illini pulled away in the final 15 minutes for an 82-60 exhibition win. The Titans, ranked No. 1 in Division III in the preseason, trailed Illinois by only six at the half, 37-31, and tied the game 41-41 on a Jason Fisher three-pointer with 14:34 left in the game. But the strength and size of Division I Illinois, last year’s national runnerup, took its toll in the final 13 minutes. Illinois ran off 10 straight points at one stretch, turning a one-point lead into an 11-point margin and never looked back. Keelan Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas had 13 points apiece to lead the IWU offense. Jamar Smith had 16 for Illinois. The Titans open the regular season against the University of Texas at Dallas on Nov. 18 at the Wabash College Tournament in Crawfordsville, Ind.

November 1
Illinois Wesleyan 2005-06 Men's Basketball Preview (CoSIDA)

October 27
The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team has received two more No. 1 national rankings in preseason polls. After earlier being tabbed as the preseason Division III No. 1 by Street and Smith's, IWU also is the top choice of d3hoops.com and Division III News. Wisconsin-Oshkosh is ranked second in both polls. The d3hoops.com poll lists Wooster third, Puget Sound fourth, Amherst fifth, Hanover ninth and Elmhurst of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin 15th. IWU meets Hanover Dec. 20 at Shirk Center and plays Puget Sound Dec. 29 at the Westmont Tournament. Division III News puts Randolph-Macon third, York fourth, St. John Fisher fifth, Puget Sound seventh and Hanover 15th.

September 24
The Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team has been tabbed No. 1 in the preseason NCAA Division III rankings released by Street and Smith's College Basketball 2005-06 annual magazine. The publication also lists IWU seniors Keelan Amelianovich and Adam Dauksas on its five-player All-America first team. It is believed to be the first time a CCIW team has had two returning league “Most Outstanding Players” returning as seniors. Mississippi College is ranked No. 2 with Wisconsin-Oshkosh third, York fourth and Virginia Wesleyan fifth. The Titans (21-5 last year) meet Illinois in an exhibition Nov. 3 before opening their regular season Nov. 18 against Texas-Dallas at the Little Giant Tipoff Classic in Crawfordsville, Ind.

August 11
The Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team will play a series of five exhibition games in Costa Rica from August 20-26. In San Carlos, IWU will face San Carlos on August 20 and the Costa Rica National Team on August 21. In San Jose, the Titans will meet the Barbados National Team on August 23, Brujas on August 25 and meet the Costa Rica National Team again on August 26 in a game that will celebrate 100 years of basketball in Costa Rica. While in Costa Rica the team members will have a chance to go whitewater rafting, visit the Arenal Volcano, and will visit a local children’s hospital.

June 8
In a game that features two schools that were ranked No. 1 in their respective NCAA divisions for a period of time last season, the Illinois Wesleyan men’s basketball team will square off against the University of Illinois in an exhibition game on Thurs., Nov. 3, at the Assembly Hall in Champaign. Game time for the contest has not yet been determined and ticket sales will be handled by the University of Illinois. The contest will count as one of IWU’s 25 allowable in a regular season by NCAA Division III regulations, but will not count toward the Titans’ won-loss record. Division I Illinois is allowed two such exhibition games on their schedule.