NAPERVILLE — Four of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin’s (CCIW) top returning men’s basketball student-athletes earned national recognition last week as D3hoops.com announced its 2025-26 Preseason All-America Team. Carthage’s Ryan Johnson was named to the First Team, while Illinois Wesleyan’s Josh Fridman, North Park’s Kolden Vanlandingham and Wheaton’s Soren Richardson each received Fifth Team honors.
 
Johnson, a junior from Oswego, Ill., started all 28 games for the Firebirds last season, averaging 15.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He totaled 255 rebounds on the year and earned the 2025 CCIW Fred Young Most Outstanding Student-Athlete award. Johnson was also named to the All-CCIW First Team, becoming the first Carthage player to win the Fred Young honor since 2011.

In his first season at IWU, Fridman worked his way into the starting lineup as the Titans’ point guard and was ultimately named D3hoops.com Rookie of the Year and CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year. He averaged 9.2 points per game and dished out 76 assists against just 41 turnovers. Fridman shot 40.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three-point range while leading IWU at the free throw line with an 88.0 percent mark.

Vanlandingham led North Park in scoring during both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, averaging 15.8 and 18.0 points per game, respectively. A two-time First Team All-CCIW and two-time D3hoops.com All-Region selection, Vanlandingham ranked second in the conference in scoring (17.4 per game) and seventh in steals (21), with double-digit points in 11 CCIW games. The Richmond, Ind. native returns to the Vikings with career totals of 87 assists, 243 rebounds, and 114 three-pointers made.

Richardson led the CCIW in scoring last season at 23.1 points per game, ranking eighth nationally in Division III. The two-time CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week shot 46.7 percent from the field (201-of-430), 80.7 percent at the line, and added 62 made three-pointers. He also averaged 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Richardson’s 53-point effort at North Park on Feb. 5, 2025, marked the fifth-highest total in CCIW history.
 
2025-26 D3hoops.com Men’s Preseason All-America
First Team
Ryan Johnson, Carthage
 
Fifth Team
Josh Fridman, Illinois Wesleyan
Kolden Vanlandingham, North Park
Soren Richardson, Wheaton