Olivet Nazarene

IWU hosts Olivet Nazarene this evening at 7:30 – this will be the third and final “out-of-region” game for the Titans. The remaining eight non-conference games are all in-region (Dominican, Webster, @ Illinois College, @ Wash U, @ Chicago, Hanover, @ Occidental, @ Claremont-Mudd-Scripps).

Olivet Nazarene is always a good non-conference opponent because they’re usually comparable to a CCIW contender in terms of their talent and style of play. The Tigers, members of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference along with schools like Robert Morris and St. Xavier, were ranked #18 in the NAIA Division I preseason poll but have stumbled out of the gate to a 1-4 mark against a very tough schedule. After defeating Rochester College, ONU lost to 4-0 Briar Cliff on a neutral court, @ NAIA D2 #1 MidAmerica Nazarene, @ defending NAIA DI runner-up and perennial power Concordia (CA), and @ NAIA D1 #22 Point Loma Nazarene in OT, in front of a road crowd listed at 2500.

Olivet Nazarene features 6-8 preseason 1st Team All-American Phil French (18.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg last season), 6-7 sophomore Tyler Wallenfang (12.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg as a freshman), and Ryan Paxson (12.4 ppg), son of Chicago Bulls G.M. John Paxson.

Illinois Wesleyan and Olivet Nazarene have played every year for the last 12 seasons (starting w/ '95-96) with IWU winning 11 of those contests. Olivet Nazarene won an overtime game at their place in 2001-02, Scott Trost's first year at IWU (when the Titans went 12-12/6-8). During this stretch ONU has won the CCAC 5 times ('97, '00, '02, '03, '06), made the NAIA Division I tournament 8 times (the five conference title years, plus '98, '99, '07), with a Final Four appearance in 2000. In that same 12-year span, IWU has won 5 CCIW titles ('97, '98, '03, '04, '05), made the Division III tournament field 9 times (the 5 CCIW title years plus '96, '99, '01, '06), and appeared in 4 Final Fours ('96, '97, '01. '06). Two very good small college programs...for whatever reason, the Titans have owned the series.

This should be a very good test for the Titans against a team very similar to the CCIW’s top half squads. Last year IWU won 64-63 in Bourbonnais behind two Andrew Gilmore free throws with :11 to play. Zach Freeman led the Titans with 25 while ONU star Phil French did not play due to injury. The young '07-08 Titans will have to play very well to win the game.

An interesting note – there will probably be four players from Washington, Illinois in the starting lineups. ONU starts sophomore post players Kris Irish and Tyler Wallenfang. IWU starts freshman Sean Johnson and junior Jordan Morris. (Morris ended up graduating from Pekin HS…the other three all played for Kevin Brown at Washington HS.)

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes08.htm