SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off hosting the 27th annual Cattle Classic, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team will quickly return to Friedrich Arena for Tuesday night action. The 19th-ranked Bulldogs will welcome Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Ottawa University to Seward before opening conference play with a Saturday matchup at Waldorf. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad stands at 3-1 after eclipsing 100 points in both of last week’s wins – over Maharishi International University (Iowa) and Judson University (Ill.).
This Week
Tuesday, Nov. 10 vs. Ottawa (3-1), 7 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Nov. 14 at Waldorf (3-3, 0-1 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
--Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Hanson Fieldhouse (Forest City, Iowa)
By the numbers
• Concordia opened this season with lofty expectations, as made clear in the preseason polls. The Bulldogs were placed atop the GPAC poll and were ranked No. 19 in the NAIA coaches’ poll. A new national poll is scheduled to be released on Wednesday. Based on the early results, Morningside is likely to surge up from its preseason spot of 25th in the NAIA. The Mustangs earned an 83-68 win over No. 1 Grace University (Ind.) and a 94-82 victory over (receiving votes) Huntington University (Ind.). The highest national ranking achieved by Concordia during Limback’s tenure was ninth during the 2024-25 season.
• The Bulldogs ripped through their two Cattle Classic opponents, winning by scores of 113-63 over Maharishi International and 103-66 over Judson. Brooks Kissinger and Dane Jacobsen were named to the All-Cattle Classic Team after leading the way from the backcourt. Of the 17 players Limback used over the weekend, 16 registered in the scoring column. The weekend stat line for Kissinger included 41 points, 14 rebounds, seven steals and six assists. Meanwhile, Jacobsen poured in 40 points while netting 8-of-11 attempts from 3-point range. Over the first four games, Jacobsen and Kissinger have been joined in the starting lineup by seniors Hayden Frank and Jaxon Stueve and by freshman Derek Tonjes. Another freshman making an impact is 7-foot Colby Rautenberg, who snared 13 rebounds over the two Cattle Classic outings.
• Brooks Kissinger was lauded by NAIA Hoops Report as a national player of the year candidate. The senior from Ashland, Neb., is a stat sheet stuffer. Over the first four games of this season, Kissinger is averaging 21.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. He has made 32-of-47 (.681) attempts from the field. The Ashland-Greenwood High School product burst onto the scene as a junior in 2025-26 when he averaged 22.1 points per game. Kissinger joined the program’s 1,000-point club last season and enters this week with 1,113 career points.
• A fellow Ashland native, Jacobsen serves as the other part of the dynamic backcourt tandem with Kissinger. The two teammates have played basketball together since childhood. Jacobsen is likely to eventually become a 1,000-point scorer as well. He took on the starting point guard role in 2025-26 and hasn’t looked back. Jacobsen was named a Second Team All-GPAC honoree last season after he averaged 13.3 points and shot 46.4 percent from 3-point range. Dane’s brother Cale is a member of the University of Nebraska men’s basketball team.
• In an incredibly unique circumstance, the Bulldogs start three Ashland-Greenwood alums in Jacobsen, Kissinger and Tonjes. The roster also includes Brooks’ younger brother Cal. Each AG product was part of multiple state championship teams at the Class C-1 level. AG enters this prep season having won four state championships over the past five years. Add in Hayden Frank (Malcolm) and Jaxon Stueve (Bellevue) and it’s an all-Nebraska starting group. Of the 18 players on the varsity roster, 14 are native Nebraskans. There are also two who hail from Kansas and one apiece who come from Missouri and Washington.
• Concordia alum Ben Limback is in his 14th season at the helm of the Bulldogs. During his tenure, Limback has compiled a record of 254-154 with five national tournament appearances, two GPAC regular season championships and two GPAC tournament titles. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Limback also spent nine seasons as the head coach at Concordia University Ann Arbor, where he won 115 games. As a player for the Bulldogs, Limback helped steer the program to three national tournament appearances.
The opponents
Ottawa will be the third KCAC foe Concordia has seen already this season. The Braves finished last season at 10-18 overall (6-16 KCAC) and were picked ninth (out of 16) in the 2026-27 KCAC preseason poll. Jamie Batish is in his second season leading the program, which made its most recent national tournament appearance in 2020 (when it defeated Concordia in the first round). The ’26-27 roster included Honorable Mention All-KCAC award winner Micah Willis. Through this season’s first four games, the team’s leading scorer is Concordia University Irvine transfer Jackson Harding, who is averaging 18.8 points per game. Ottawa has started this season at 3-1 with wins over Hesston College (Kan.), Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan.) and Baker University (Kan.). The Braves also made a trip to Seward in November 2022 and left with an 86-82 defeat.
Waldorf will attempt to rise up the league standings after placing at the bottom of the GPAC with a 2-18 league mark (6-22 overall) last season. One of the highlights of last season for the Warriors was their 96-89 overtime home win over Concordia in late January. Michael Wirth is in his second season as the program’s head coach. At 3-3 to begin this season, Waldorf has claimed wins over Emmaus University (Iowa), Mount Mercy University (Iowa) and St. Olaf College (Minn.). The Warriors brought back two 2025-26 Honorable Mention All-GPAC selections in Conner Aldridge and Krys Watley. Through six games, Aldridge leads the team with an average of 14.3 points per contest. Waldorf is averaging 81.5 points while surrendering 78.5 points per outing.
Next week
The Bulldogs will be idle in the middle of next week while preparing to host Northwestern on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Red Raiders won the 2026 GPAC tournament championship and advanced to the national tournament final site in Kansas City, Mo. (round of 16).