Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois Wesleyan University's senior basketball player Nick Roper has been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America teams. Announced on April 15 in Austin, Texas, Roper was the sole representative from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin to receive this recognition. He was awarded Second Team Academic All-America status.

Roper's selection marks the 27th time an Illinois Wesleyan player has received Academic All-America honors, increasing the school's lead over the University of Kansas and Duke University, each with 21 such honorees. Roper is the first from the Titans to earn the honor since 2022 when Matthew Leritz was considered CSC’s Academic All-America of the Year.

The list of Academic All-America selections from Illinois Wesleyan now totals 162, ranking them in the top 25 across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, and in the top 10 specifically in Division III. This academic year, Roper joins Kannyn Boyd from women's volleyball as the second Titan to achieve this award.

Roper achieved unanimous First Team All-CCIW status and received D3hoops.com All-Region 8 recognition, playing a central role in advancing the Titans to the Sweet Sixteen. He participated in all 30 games, leading with an average of 15.3 points per game and contributing 5.6 rebounds, alongside counting 56 assists, 32 steals, and seven blocks. Roper maintained a field goal accuracy of 48.1 percent, a 34.1 percent rate from three-point distance, and 72.9 percent at the free throw line, all while maintaining a 3.57 GPA as a finance major.

Roper's efforts were instrumental in guiding the Titans to a 24-6 record, which included a 12-4 conference performance. Illinois Wesleyan ended the regular season second in their conference but secured the CCIW Tournament title and an automatic NCAA Tournament spot.