SEWARD, Neb. – The quick turnaround following a rare Sunday road trip may turn out to be a positive for Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball. Following a pair of losses to opponents situated below them in the league standings, the Bulldogs hope to return to the win column during a week that will be spend inside the friendly confines of Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will host Midland on Wednesday and Dordt on Saturday while attempting to avenge road defeats from earlier this season. Concordia enters the week at 13-7 overall (7-5 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, Jan. 21 vs. Midland (10-10, 6-6 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Jan. 24 vs. Dordt (11-9, 6-6 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· In the fresh NAIA ratings percentage index (RPI) released on Jan. 19, the Bulldogs landed at No. 61 with a strength of schedule of 79th. Concordia fell back 27 spots compared to the previous week’s RPI. As for this week’s opponents, Midland checks in at No. 126 while Dordt sits at No. 98 in the RPI. First place Morningside has climbed to 26th. The first ARC ratings of the 2025-26 season are scheduled to drop on Tuesday. These ratings help determine bids and seeding for the national tournament. Official RPI and ARC ratings can be found HERE.
· The results this past week were unexpected inside the Concordia locker room. An improving Hastings (5-15, 4-8 GPAC) team handed the Bulldogs their first home loss of the 2025-26 season, stunning Concordia by a final score of 75-57 on Jan. 14. Four days later, the Bulldogs were beaten at the Corn Palace, 88-78, by a Dakota Wesleyan squad they had routed at home, 103-71, in December. Over last week’s two losses, Hastings/DWU combined to shoot 52.9 percent from the floor while Concordia shot 40.7 percent. The Bulldogs also made only 12-of-64 tries from 3-point range as part of a frustrating week.
· In those defeats, star junior guard Brooks Kissinger remained productive. The Ashland, Neb., native totaled 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting versus Hastings and then 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting at Dakota Wesleyan. Kissinger has reached the 20-point mark in 13 of his 19 games played this season. Among GPAC players, Kissinger ranks third in scoring average (20.9), fifth in rebounds per game (6.6), sixth in field goal percentage (.593) and 16th in assists per game (3.2). Kissinger’s career point total has risen to 761 in 84 games in the navy and white.
· Perimeter shooting has been a strength for the majority of the season. Concordia had been leading all GPAC teams in total 3-point field goal makes prior to its recent slump. The Bulldogs have drained 203-of-563 (.361) attempts from beyond the arc on the season. Only Northwestern (230-for-516) and Dordt (214-for-528) have sank more treys among conference teams. By percentage, Concordia’s best perimeter shooters have been Dane Jacobsen (.455; 30-for-66) and Zac Kulus (.400; 38-for-95), both of whom rank top 20 in the GPAC in that category. Back in November, the Bulldogs drained a school record 23 3-point field goals in their win over Clarke University (Iowa).
· Limback and his staff are hopeful they will soon see a return of Tate Odvody to the lineup. The Omaha Westside High School product has missed each of the past seven games with an injury that occurred in a practice. In 12 games this season, Odvody has averaged 11.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. Odvody provides needed size for a guard heavy lineup. In Odvody’s absence, Kulus has joined the starting lineup. Kulus is a career 41.6 percent 3-point shooter with 563 points as a Bulldog to his credit.
· Among GPAC squads, Concordia sports team rankings of first in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.333), third in field goal percentage defense (.463), fourth in scoring offense (83.0), fourth in field goal percentage offense (.497), fourth in scoring defense (75.4), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage offense (.361), fifth in rebound margin (+0.1) and eighth in free throw percentage (.713). In the Bulldogs’ eight home games, they have gone 7-1 while averaging 87.0 points to go along with 50.8 percent shooting.
· Amidst the chaos throughout the GPAC, Morningside (10-1 GPAC) has built a four-game lead atop the conference standings. From there, it’s a jumbled mess. Concordia is tied with both Northwestern and Mount Marty for second place (all 7-5 in the GPAC). The next four teams in the standings are each 6-6: Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, Dordt and Midland. The Bulldogs had been within one game of Morningside before the two teams met in Sioux City on Jan. 7 (when the Mustangs won, 91-87).
Concordia Projected Starting Five
G – Dane Jacobsen, 6-3 (12.7)
G – Brooks Kissinger, 6-3 (20.9)
G – Zac Kulus, 6-0 (10.1)
G – Jaxon Stueve, 6-4 (12.2)
F – Logan Wilson, 6-7 (7.2)
Head Coach Ben Limback, 13th season (245-148 at CUNE)
The opponents
The up and down nature of Midland’s season has been representative of much of the conference in 2025-26. At their best, the Warriors have shown they can beat the teams situated at the top of the league standings. Midland owns home wins this season over both first-place Morningside and second-place Concordia. Since the calendar flipped to 2026, Head Coach Tyler Erwin’s squad has gone 2-3 with victories over Dordt and Waldorf and losses coming at the hands of Dakota Wesleyan, Briar Cliff and Doane. Midland has increased its firepower this season (77.8 ppg / .490 FG%) and trots out a starting lineup featuring four players averaging in double figures. The Warriors boast one of the league’s top post players in Jeff Rozelle (13.9 ppg / 8.8 rpg) and returning Second Team All-GPAC guard Jake Orr. Their opponents are averaging 77.3 points while shooting 45.0 percent from the floor. Rozelle went for 19 points and 11 rebounds in Midland’s 82-67 win over Concordia on Dec. 10. That result snapped what had been a 14-game series winning streak for the Bulldogs.
Midland Projected Starting Five
G – Butch Lordeus, 6-4 (13.1)
G – Trey McCain, 6-1 (7.5)
G – Jake Orr, 6-2 (11.3)
F – Nick Dolezal, 6-6 (10.2)
F – Jeff Rozelle III, 6-7 (13.9)
Head Coach: Tyler Erwin, 4th season
Dordt is another of the GPAC teams caught up in a tight cluster in the league standings. In his eighth season leading the Defenders, Head Coach Brian Van Haaften guides a revamped roster after the 2024-25 squad finished 28-4 and reached the second round of the national tournament. Dordt snapped a three-game conference skid this past Saturday by handling Doane, 77-58. With four first/second team all-conference players gone from the roster, junior guard Connor Millikan has shouldered a larger scoring role and leads the team with an average of 17.3 points per game. In addition, 6-foot-5 senior Ty Van Essen contributes 13.7 points per contest. The Defenders remain an up-tempo, high scoring squad that averages 86.5 points per game (second most in the GPAC). Dordt shoots 50.8 percent from the floor as a team. Meanwhile, its opponents have averaged 79.5 points and are shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Dordt will aim for a season sweep of the Bulldogs, a team it defeated in Sioux Center, Iowa, 84-71, on Dec. 13.
Dordt Projected Starting Five
G – Connor Millikan, 6-0 (17.3)
G – Steven Poulicek, 6-1 (8.0)
G – Jake Proctor, 6-3 (11.5)
F – Judson Henkel, 6-9 (11.3)
F – Ty Van Essen, 6-5 (13.7)
Head Coach: Brian Van Haaften, 8th season
Up next
The Bulldogs will enjoy a bye in the middle of next week before venturing to Forest City, Iowa, for a clash with Waldorf on Jan. 31. Concordia will be on the road for four of its final six regular season games.