The Carthage College men's basketball team (7-2, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 23rd in the Dec. 29 “D3hoops.com” poll, ends a two-week layoff by playing in the Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 2-3 “Wilkes-Barre Challenge” at King's College's William S. Scandlon Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.  On Saturday, Jan. 2, Carthage plays Wilkes University (5-3) at 6 p.m. (all times EST), with the host-Monarchs (2-7) taking on the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (1-7) at 8 p.m.  On Sunday, Jan. 3, John Jay plays Wilkes at 1 p.m., with the Red Men taking on King's at 3 p.m. The tournament concludes the Red Men's non-conference schedule. Carthage opens CCIW play on Wednesday, Jan. 6 by playing host to Wheaton College (Ill.) in a 7:30 p.m. contest at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.