Illinois Wesleyan University 5 p.m. - Catholic [26-5] vs. Ohio Northern [26-2]
2001 NCAA Division III Tournament
Championship Round Game Notes
March 16-17Friday, March 16, 2001 at Salem Civic Center, Salem, Va.
7 p.m. - Illinois Wesleyan [23-6] vs. William Paterson (N.J.) [24-4]1:30 p.m. - Third place game Saturday, March 17, 2001 at Salem Civic Center, Salem, Va.
4 p.m. - Championship game (to be televised on FoxSports South)All times listed are Central time.
HEAD COACH DENNIE BRIDGES: Has been at Illinois Wesleyan most of his adult life and has been a member of the staff for 37 years. . . A 1961 IWU graduate, Bridges has an overall record of 666-318 (.677 winning percentage) in 36 seasons and is the winningest active Division III coach. In all divisions prior to this year, he was No. 11 in wins all-time among coaches who have only coached at one school, and he No. 2 on the all-time list for coaches who have only coached at their alma mater. No. 1 is Herb Magee, a 1963 Philadelphia U. grad who has coached there since 1967 and has compiled a 687-261 record in those 33 seasons. . . Bridges is 20th all-time for wins in any division, having just passed John Wooden (664-162 in 29 years). . .Bridges’ CCIW record is 421-129 with 17 conference championships. . . Has taken teams to the quarterfinal round of the NAIA two times and to the NCAA quarterfinals six times, but 1996 and 1997 marked his first trips into the last four teams of any national tournament. . . Bridges has coached in the CCIW longer and has won more titles than anyone in league history. . . Bridges was a Titan letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. . . Played on two CCIW basketball championship teams.
IWU IN POSTSEASON PLAY: This is Illinois Wesleyan's third appearance in the final four of the NCAA Division III tournament in the last six seasons. . . It is IWU's 10th appearance in the round of 16 in the NCAA Division III tournament. . . . Illinois Wesleyan has a 59-32 overall record in postseason competition (including NAIA district and national play) since 1948-49: IWU is 29-13 in the NCAA tourney and were 30-19 in NAIA postseason play from 1948-83. . . IWU made eight trips to the NAIA national tourney in Kansas City from 1961-80. . . This is the Titans' 14th appearance in the NCAA Division III tourney in the 18 years since dropping out of NAIA competition (after 1982-83 season). . .In the 1990s, IWU made the Division III tournament nine times and six years in a row (1994-99). . . In 1996 and 1997, IWU advanced to the final four teams (finishing third in 1996 and winning the title in 1997). . . On four occasions IWU has lost in the tourney to the eventual champion - to Wisconsin-Whitewater (1984), to North Park (1987), to Ohio Wesleyan (1988), and to Rowan (1996 in the semifinals) - and three other times lost to eventual runner-up (LeMoyne-Owen in 1986, DePauw in 1990, and Manchester in 1995).
THE COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN IN THE NCAA: Teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin have an NCAA Division III tournament record of 86-44 (.614), including four wins in 2001 by IWU (Chicago, Elmhurst, Grinnell and Wartburg), three by Carthage (Mass.-Dartmouth, Marian and Wooster), and one by Elmhurst (Washington U.). . . CCIW teams have accounted for six NCAA Division III championships (IWU in 1997 and North Park in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, and 1987), two second-place finishes (Augustana in 1981 and 1993), and three third-place finishes (Augustana in 1975 and 1976, and IWU in 1996). . . Prior to being in Division III, Wheaton won the Division II title in 1957 and finished fourth in 1958.
TITANS VS. NCAA DIVISION III FIELD: IWU has wins over nine teams of the other 47 in this year's Division III tournament: Chicago, Wartburg, Grinnell, MacMurray, Aurora, Washington U., Carthage, Elmhurst (twice), and Benedictine.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS BEWARE: Illinois Wesleyan, which finished third in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, has defeated four conference champions en route to the final four. Grinnell won the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference, Wartburg was the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Elmhurst won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and Chicago won the University Athletic Association. All three other final four members are league titleists — William Paterson in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference, and Catholic in the Capital Athletic Conference.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: This would be the first meeting ever in men's basketball between Illinois Wesleyan University and any of the other three teams in the championship round.
POLLS: In the final regular season D3hoops.com rankings, Illinois Wesleyan was No. 17. Ohio Northern was No. 3, William Paterson was No. 11, and Catholic was No. 14. The Titans have vanquished No. 1 Chicago, No. 9 Elmhurst, and No. 12 Wartburg in the tournament so far.
TWENTY GAME WINNERS: Illinois Wesleyan has reached the 20-win plateau for the 14th time in the 36 years under head coach Dennie Bridges . . .This is the eighth team in IWU history to hit the 23-win level. Others were in:
1974-75 (23-7)
1975-76 (23-7)
1994-95 (24-4)
1987-88 (24-5)
1976-77 (25-6)
1995-96 (28-3)
1996-97 (29-2)
With 23 wins overall and 10 in the CCIW, IWU has its 12th straight winning campaigns. In Bridges’ 36 seasons, IWU has only had one losing CCIW season (7-9 in 1988-89) while two others were 8-8 (1968-69 and 1984-85).LUKE KASTEN: Titan sophomore Luke Kasten was named to the first team of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-star squad this season after being on the second team as a freshman. . . Kasten has 876 points after two seasons, the second best total for a freshman/sophomore at IWU. That is behind only Jack Sikma (934 in his first two years). He is the first IWU player to have 400 points in each of his first and second seasons. Kasten has made 118 free throws this year, 13th most in a single season at IWU. Kasten has 332 career rebounds, closing in on the top 40 at IWU. Jim Gresham had 337 from 1963-66.
THE CAPTAIN: Titan senior Adam Osborn earned third team notice in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. . .Osborn has 273 career assists, making him 11th all-time at IWU. Osborn remains fifth at the school in career 3-pointers with 133. He needs two to tie Mark Aubry (135, 1992-95) for fourth place. The leader is Korey Coon with 245. Osborn's 122 assists this season is the 11th best in a single season at IWU. . . Adam's older brother, Jason, was a freshman on the 1997 IWU national championship team.
HOT CROSS: Sophomore Laban Cross was the Titans' leading scorer against Elmhurst (16 points) and Chicago (career-high 22 points) last weekend. In the two sectional games, Cross totaled 14 of 27 from the field (.519) and four of eight from 3-point range (.500). He also snared five rebounds and handed out three assists. . . Cross is the third leading scorer at McLeansboro (Ill.) High School history, where the school's all-time leader is Jerry Sloan, current coach of the Utah Jazz.
STEAL AWAY: Senior Todd Wente is the first Titan to lead the CCIW in steals with an average of 2.1 in 14 league games.
RECORD-SETTING FIRST ROUND: IWU’s 132-91 first round win over Grinnell was one for the books. The 132 points is a new NCAA Division III tournament record, eclipsing the old mark of 131 set in a 1996 first round game (Wheaton 131, Grinnell 117). . . The 132 points is also an Illinois Wesleyan single-game scoring record, besting the old mark of 131 vs. Carroll on Jan. 6, 1967 (131-77). . . IWU was 40 of 50 from the free throw line, which is also a new school record for free throws made. The old standard was 34, set in 1973 (vs. Wheaton) and again in 1977 (vs. Carroll).
RADIO, TV COVERAGE: Both of Illinois Wesleyan's games in the Division III championship round will be aired on WJBC radio, AM-1230 in Bloomington, and also on the internet at www.wjbc.com. . . The national championship game only will be broadcast live via Fox Sports South. Championship gametime is 4 p.m. (Central) on Saturday and Fox Sports South should be readily available at restaurants and other establishments with a satellite dish or similar capabilities.