Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – The stage is set for the 2025 Midwest Conference (MWC) Men’s Basketball Tournament, where the league’s top four teams will battle for the tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Monmouth College will host the two-day event on Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1, at the Huff Athletic Center.
 
In Friday’s first semifinal, No. 2 seed Grinnell College will take on No. 3 seed Illinois College at 5:00 p.m., followed by host and No. 1 seed Monmouth College facing No. 4 seed Lake Forest College at 7:00 p.m. The winners of the semifinals will meet in the title game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
 
Monmouth secured hosting duties after finishing 14-2 in MWC play (20-5 overall), capturing its first regular-season title since 2017-18 and the ninth in program history. The Fighting Scots enter the postseason riding a 10-game win streak.
 
Grinnell College finished second in the league standings for the second straight season with an 11-5 conference record (18-7 overall), marking the Pioneers’ third MWC Tournament appearance in four years. Grinnell last won the tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2001.
 
Defending MWC Tournament champion Illinois College went 10-6 in conference play (17-8 overall) to earn its third consecutive tournament appearance. The Blueboys are seeking their third straight tournament title. Last season, Illinois College advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
 
Lake Forest College returns to the MWC Tournament for the first time since 2020 and looks to claim its first tournament title since 2019. The Foresters finished 10-6 in league play (13-12 overall), securing their spot with a four-game win streak to close the regular season.
 
During the season, Grinnell and Illinois College split their matchups, while Monmouth defeated Lake Forest twice. The Fighting Scots also won both meetings against the Pioneers and split games with the Blueboys. Meanwhile, Lake Forest and Illinois College each won once in their two matchups.
 
For the latest updates on the tournament, visit the 2025 MWC Men’s Basketball Tournament page.

2025 MWC Men's Basketball Tournament Schedule

Friday, February 28 
Semi-Final #1 - 5:00 PM -- No. 2 Grinnell vs. No. 3 Illinois College 
Semi-Final #2 - 7:00 PM -- No. 1 Monmouth vs. No. 4 Lake Forest 

Saturday, March 1 - Tournament Championship Game -- 3:00 PM
Winner of Semi-Final #1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final #2