Endicott Athletics and Recreation

    • NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: No. 11 Men's Basketball Travels To No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan

    NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: No. 11 Men's Basketball Travels To No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan
    March 12, 2026

    TOURNAMENT CENTRAL PAGE

    BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The No. 11 nationally ranked Endicott men's basketball team (28-1) travels to No. 8 nationally ranked Illinois Wesleyan (25-4) for an NCAA Third Round matchup this Friday in a 7:30 PM tipoff from the Shirk Center. Here's your inside look at the upcoming heavyweight matchup.

    FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

    • Of the 16 remaining teams in the tournament, Endicott has the third highest offensive average (85.0 points per game), while Illinois Wesleyan has the lowest (74.5 points per game), showcasing the contrasting playstyles.
    • In the NCAA's National Poll Index (NPI), the Gulls are ranked seventh (67.586 points), while the Titans are ranked 10th (66.577).
    • Endicott is led by 2x Conference of New England (CNE) Player of the Year Marcus Montagnino (Gloucester, Mass.) and All-CNE First-Teamer Elijah Kinney (Nashville, Tenn.). Both student-athletes rank top 60 in the nation in scoring (22.3 points per game and 21.0 points per game, respectively).
    • Illinois Wesleyan features four student-athletes averaging more than 10 points per game. Forward Noah Cleveland (Normal, Ill.) leads the squad with 18.1 points per game, while guard Mason Funk (Normal, Ill.) averages 15.4 points.
    • The two teams are a combined 4-0 against the rest of the tournament field. Endicott is 1-0 (Tufts, 76-73), while Illinois Wesleyan is 3-0 (WashU, 78-76; Yeshiva, 72-71; Chicago, 72-69).

    WHAT'S NEXT

    The winner of Friday's contest heads to the quarterfinals of the Division III Tournament, which takes place in Fort Wayne, Indiana starting March 19. 

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    (Photo Credit - Cat Scarantino '26)