IWU @ Wheaton

I haven't seen many guards in Division III who were as good for four years as former CCIW All-Americans Korey Coon (IWU '00) and Antoine McDaniel (Carthage '03). Wheaton sophomore Kent Raymond is a very special player who appears headed for this elite company.

Raymond burst onto the CCIW scene as a freshman in 2004-05, averaging 18.2 points per game in league play. The New Palestine, Indiana native chose to not play basketball last season for personal reasons, but returned to Wheaton's 2006-07 roster. D3hoops.com tabbed Raymond a preseason 4th Team All-American, even with the year off. The sophomore (eligibility-wise) hasn't missed a beat in his return. Through 14 games (and a recent injury that's slowed him), Raymond is averaging 19.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

The Thunder turned a lot of heads around the country earlier this season when they came within a basket of knocking off Big Ten member Northwestern. Against Division III teams, Wheaton has been good, but not great. In non-conference action, they lost at home to #10 Whitworth and at U. of Chicago. Their two CCIW losses were both at home as well -- vs North Central and #15 Augustana. Wheaton's best wins are victories over #11 Hope and Calvin in the annual CCIW/MIAA Challenge, played this year at Carthage.

In make-up, Wheaton is nothing like the Elmhurst team IWU just faced. Wheaton has good size, but their big guys are face-the-basket players. 6-7 Michael Fiddler likes to shoot it from 15-18 feet and 6-8 Andy Wiele is a dangerous 3-point threat (as IWU fans should remember from his 22-point, 6 for 8 3-point performace at the Shirk Center last year). 6-4 senior Johnnie Standard is a very good "do it all" type guy (11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), and they are of course led by the perimeter play of Kent Raymond.

I don't think Wheaton will have any answer for Zach Freeman in this game, but I don't think IWU can stop Kent Raymond either. Should be another great IWU/Wheaton game.