Recruiting 2005 -- The Titan Class of 2009

Student/Athlete Commitments to IWU

Loyola guard transfers to IWU

Published: January 14, 2005

Randy Reinhardt

BLOOMINGTON -- Looking for a "fresh start," Mike Harrigan has transferred from Loyola of Chicago and joined the Illinois Wesleyan basketball team.

A walk-on at Loyola, the 6-foot-2 Harrigan saw action in three games during the 2003-04 season for the Ramblers and did not score. He did not play at Loyola this season.

"I was just looking for a fresh start," Harrigan said Thursday. "I was going to come to Wesleyan out of high school, but I wanted to stay a little bit close to home and try to play at Loyola. This is a great basketball school and a great opportunity Coach (Scott) Trost has given me."

A sophomore, Harrigan is a graduate of Chicago Brother Rice High School. His cousin, Rick Harrigan, plays at College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival Augustana.

Trost said Harrigan will use the remainder of the current season to get acquainted with his new team. Harrigan will play junior varsity but will not dress for varsity games, according to Trost.

"We're glad to have him here. I know he's a tough kid who comes from a great high school program. He shoots the ball well," said the IWU coach. "I told him it's hard to come in at the semester and play. He's so far behind and everything is new. I expect him to be a contributor to this program in the future."

Mike Harrigan said he can play either point guard or off guard.

"I'm a big team guy. I like to get other people involved. I can shoot the ball and I can create. I'm a pretty good defender," he said. "These guys have a great team. I'm trying to learn as much as I can and stay out of the way."

Ranked No. 6 in Division III, IWU is 10-2 and meets No. 8 Wheaton Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a CCIW showdown at Wheaton.

Guard from Minnesota to play for IWU

Published: April 15, 2005

Randy Reinhardt

BLOOMINGTON -- On the surface, Andrew Gilmore is going a long way from home to play his college basketball.

But in many ways, Gilmore is coming back home.

Gilmore, a standout guard whose family moved from Lincoln to Stillwater, Minn., as a sophomore, has decided to attend Illinois Wesleyan and play basketball for the Titans.

"I always liked them. At first it was because of basketball because they've got a great program," Gilmore said Thursday. "But I want to possibly major in business and Wesleyan has a great program."

The 6-foot-1 Gilmore averaged 16.5 points and five assists for a Stillwater Area team that had a 20-10 record and advanced to the Elite Eight in Class 4A, the highest classification in Minnesota.

"Andrew is a good fit academically and athletically at Illinois Wesleyan," Titans' coach Scott Trost said. "We're extremely excited to have him."

Gilmore played both the point guard and off guard in high school, and Trost believes he could play either at IWU.

"He's a combo guard. He shoots the ball extremely well," said Trost. "I think he's going to be a really good player in this league (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin)."

Gilmore connected on 58 3-pointers his senior season and shot 40 percent from beyond the arc.

"I really hate to lose. I'll do whatever it takes," Gilmore said. "I need to work on getting stronger, and I still need to work on playing man-to-man defense."

Gilmore visited Shirk Center for IWU's regular-season finale in late February, a 74-51 victory over Millikin before a standing room only crowd of 3,000.

"You can't argue with a place that sells out every one of its games," he said.

Gilmore is familiar with former Titans Adam Osborn and Jason Osborn, who also played at Lincoln High School.

"I watched them play all the way through," Gilmore said. "They used to ref my junior Railer basketball games."

IWU lands three recruits

Published: May 10, 2005

Randy Reinhardt

BLOOMINGTON -- Teddy Toliver left his Normal Community High School teammates after his sophomore season to transfer to Springfield Southeast.

Toliver is rejoining four of them at Illinois Wesleyan.

A senior guard at Southeast, Toliver has informed IWU coach Scott Trost he will attend IWU and join former Ironmen Andrew Freeman, Zach Freeman, Jason Bloom and John Caywood on the Titans' basketball team.

Also committing to play at Wesleyan are Pekin guard Jordan Morris and Benet Academy forward Brett Chamernik.

"I look for all these kids to help keep Illinois Wesleyan at the top of the CCIW," said Trost, whose team has won three straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin titles. "They are all good students who will fit in well at Wesleyan."

The 6-foot, 185-pound Toliver averaged 14.5 points to rank third in the Central State Eight Conference. He helped the Spartans finish 18-10 overall and second in the Central State Eight.

"I know some of the guys. I've played with the team in general many times in open gym," Toliver said. "They have a real large fan base and alumni base. And they always win. I want to go somewhere where they win."

Trost calls Toliver "a true point guard. He's tough, he's quick with the ball, he can defend and he gets to the rim. He's a leader on the floor. He's going to be a really good player in the CCIW."

Toliver did not expect to return to Bloomington-Normal after transferring to Southeast, where he serves as secretary of the National Honor Society.

"It is ironic," he said. "I told myself I would go far off (to college). But this is the best opportunity for me."

Toliver considers himself capable of playing both guard positions, but added "I like playing point. Physically, I'm pretty strong. I play with a lot of older players. I'm pretty quick, I can get to the basket and get other guys involved. I think I'm a pretty good leader."

Toliver looks forward to playing with a stellar IWU senior class next fall that includes point guard Adam Dauksas, who will enter his fourth year as a starter.

"I can learn from those guys and learn the system," Toliver said. "I can compete, get better and help them get better."

Morris also split his high school career down the middle. The 6-2, 175-pounder started as a freshman and sophomore at Washington before starring at Pekin his final two prep seasons.

"Jordan shoots the ball extremely well," said Trost. "He's very competitive. He comes from a great program at Pekin."

An off guard, Morris averaged 17.5 points, five rebounds and three assists as a senior at Pekin while nailing 44 3-pointers. He capped his prep career with 1,523 points.

"I went to a game (at Shirk Center) when they played Augustana," Morris said. "They were up like 30-2 and the crowd was getting pretty wild. You can't beat 3,000 fans at your games."

Morris was a first team all-Mid Illini Conference all-star as a sophomore at Washington and a first team all-Mid State Six performer as a senior at Pekin. He will be Toliver's teammate first on the Class AA South in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star games June 25 at Shirk Center.

"I play hard. I try to play harder than anyone on the floor," said Morris, a third team IBCA Class AA all-stater. "I'm a pretty good shooter."

Loyola was interested in Morris as a walk-on, while Division I Army offered a scholarship.

"I've seen both (IWU and Army) play," Morris said. "Wesleyan would definitely beat them."

Chamernik is a 6-5, 210-pounder who earned first team all-East Suburban Catholic Conference honors at the Lisle-based school.

"Brett had a great senior year. He's one kid in this class who adds some size and physicalness," said Trost. "He can shoot from the perimeter, but he can post up, too. He's a real competitive kid."

Chamernik averaged 18.3 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field as a senior at Benet.

"It seemed like a great program with a great tradition. I really liked the campus," said Chamernik. "I go all over the floor. I'm probably a small forward in college. I can post up smaller guys and bigger guys I can take out on the perimeter.

An A-minus student, Chamernik got late interest from Princeton and Cornell.

Andrew Gilmore, a 6-1 guard from Stillwater, Minn., who formerly lived in Lincoln, has already committed to join the Titans.

Trost expects to add one and possibly two more players to his recruiting class.