Dupage Policy Journal

Four student-athletes from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) have been selected for the D3hoops.com 2025-26 Preseason All-America Team. The announcement, made last week, highlights standout performances from returning men's basketball players in the conference.

Ryan Johnson of Carthage earned a place on the First Team. Johnson, a junior from Oswego, Illinois, started all 28 games last season and averaged 15.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He recorded 255 rebounds for the year and was awarded the 2025 CCIW Fred Young Most Outstanding Student-Athlete honor. Additionally, Johnson secured a spot on the All-CCIW First Team and became the first Carthage player to win the Fred Young award since 2011.

Josh Fridman from Illinois Wesleyan was named to the Fifth Team. In his debut season with IWU, Fridman became a starting point guard and received both D3hoops.com Rookie of the Year and CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year awards. He averaged 9.2 points per game, contributed 76 assists with only 41 turnovers, shot 40.4 percent from the field, and led his team at the free throw line with an accuracy rate of 88 percent.

Kolden Vanlandingham of North Park also made the Fifth Team after leading his team in scoring for two consecutive seasons with averages of 15.8 and 18.0 points per game. Vanlandingham is a two-time First Team All-CCIW honoree and has twice been named to D3hoops.com’s All-Region team. Last season he ranked second in conference scoring at 17.4 points per game and seventh in steals with 21 total.

The fourth honoree is Soren Richardson from Wheaton, who led all CCIW players in scoring last season with an average of 23.1 points per game—eighth nationally among Division III athletes. Richardson shot nearly 47 percent from the field, over 80 percent from the free throw line, made 62 three-pointers, and also contributed in rebounds (4.7), assists (2.3), and steals (1.5) per game. His performance included a notable single-game output of 53 points against North Park on February 5, which ranks as one of the highest totals in conference history.

The selections reflect strong individual achievements by CCIW student-athletes as they prepare for another competitive basketball season.