Tristan Smith is self-aware enough to know he’s had it pretty good. A boyhood dream became reality in San Diego, Calif., where Smith stepped onto the March Madness stage against a top 10-ranked St. John’s team coached by the legendary Rick Pitino. That contest on March 20 marked the final outing for Smith in a college basketball career that has featured the most viral buzzer beater in Concordia’s history and a school-record outburst his senior season, among other unforgettable moments.
Smith captivated Concordia Bulldog fans, teammates and fellow students to such a degree that many followed his every move after he graduated and transferred to NCAA Division I University of Northern Iowa. The Elizabeth, Colo., native wore the Panther purple for one season in a testament to his successful four-year grind while donning Bulldog Blue.
“It was awesome,” said Smith of the continued Concordia support. “It just goes to show you the level of community at Concordia and the support around athletics. I had one gentleman who reached out to me that got his master’s from UNI but went to Concordia for his undergrad. Getting to know people like that and to hear from people that said they were following me was really cool.”
The end of his college career does not mean the end of his basketball career. Months after completing the 2025-26 season at UNI, Smith continues to train, condition and play basketball. He’s living and working in Lincoln. On some days, he finds his way back to campus to play pickup games with the current Bulldogs. Smith is preparing himself for a potential opportunity overseas. He’s hired an agent to help hammer out the details – and hopefully, soon, a professional contract.
Smith believes it will work out the way it’s supposed to. He has reason to be confident after reserving his place in Bulldog folklore before proceeding to win over the hearts of UNI fans in just one season in Cedar Falls. As basketball remains top of mind, Smith is also planning a wedding with his fiancé Bree Burtwistle, a Concordia All-American (volleyball setter) in her own right. Well, actually, Bree is doing a lot of the planning, as Tristan jokes.
Whatever plans are made could be changed in some fashion, but Tristan has proven adaptable. After all, he made the transition from the Great Plains Athletic Conference of the NAIA to the Missouri Valley Conference of NCAA DI. Upon the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Tristan had exhausted his NAIA eligibility. Thanks to a lawsuit brought about by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the NCAA issued a one-time waiver for an extra season of eligibility for all student-athletes who competed at non-NCAA schools. Smith was positioned to take advantage.
“I wanted to give it a shot,” Smith said. “I heard from quite a few mid-major schools: a couple Missouri Valley schools, a couple Summitt League schools and a couple in the Big Sky. I took visits to South Dakota State and UNI and I had one more set up at Oral Roberts. I spoke with them a fair amount. I was also deciding on pro ball in Finland. I had an opportunity to do that last year. I decided to stay in the States for one more year with the chances of making March Madness. By the grace of God, it ended up happening, which was pretty awesome.”
Smith saw UNI as a place with a similar positive team culture as compared to what he experienced at Concordia. Panther Head Coach Ben Jacobson (now the coach at Utah State) encouraged Smith to simply be himself. In other words, keep playing like your hair’s on fire. In a press conference, Jacobson admitted that he and his staff had discussions about Smith’s relative lack of height (6-foot-6) for a DI post player. There was just something about Tristan that jumped off the highlight video.
When Smith suffered an injury in late December, the Panthers felt it. Their record was 21-7 with him and 2-6 in the eight games he missed.
In a February interview, Jacobson discussed Smith’s attributes on the court before adding, “The piece that’s more important is the personality and the energy. We all feel different when Tristan’s around. I don’t know that I’d be able to exactly describe it, but you know it. Whether you’re a coach, a player or a manager on the team – we all feel different when he’s standing next to us. It has a lot to do with the activity level and toughness. His plays are kind of high wire acts sometimes. There’s so much emotion to what he does when he plays.”
Such tenacity earned Smith a spot in UNI’s starting lineup (for 21 of the 28 games he played). He averaged 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists while playing 21.1 minutes per game. Having shaken off the injury, Smith helped lead the Panthers to four wins in four days at Arch Madness (the MVC Tournament) with the run capped by an 84-69 win over Illinois Chicago in the MVC Championship Game. The never-before-done feat – four wins in four days at Arch Madness – booked Smith and his teammates a ticket to the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship tournament.
“It was a bit of a grind during the (conference) tournament,” Smith said. “Looking back, it was one of the coolest moments of my sports career – behind a couple at Concordia. It was an incredible experience. Obviously, playing in March Madness is every basketball player’s dream. That was incredible going through that process – not just on the court, but everything behind the scenes was special.”
Added Smith of his fit with UNI, “I felt like I fit in great. I liked Coach Jake’s systems from an X’s and O’s and culture standpoint. There’s a mentality of being aggressive on both ends of the floor and going out and making plays. They taught us not to have any hesitancy. They were a really good coaching staff in terms of instilling confidence from the very beginning.”
The high-flying dunks carried into Smith’s time as a Panther, although the increased size and athleticism of the opposition sometimes forced him to make adjustments at the rim. Bulldog fans saw the same player and person they watched rattle the rim inside Friedrich Arena. Concordia Head Coach Ben Limback ventured to Smith’s second game at UNI, which resulted in a 65-58 Panther win over South Dakota State. Smith scored 16 points in the victory. Assistant Coach Ryan Tegtmeier and several former teammates and classmates also personally attended various UNI games. (Bulldog football All-American Blake Schlegel posted a photo posing with Smith on X). Smith also felt the strong family support of parents Lance and Michelle, brother Gage, sisters Kylee and Haley and fiancé Bree.
They knew that at any given moment, Smith could make magic happen. A shining example was the behind-the-back bounce pass Smith made for a layup versus St. John’s at the NCAA Tournament (see HERE). Bulldog fans were not surprised. They remember his alley-oop layup (via a full-court in-bounds pass from Carter Kent) at the buzzer to beat Briar Cliff in 2022 and his school record 48-point game in the 2025 GPAC quarterfinals. As a senior, Smith put together one of the greatest seasons in Concordia Men’s Basketball history and was named GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year.
When Concordia traveled to the Chicago area in late December, Limback brought his team through the UNI campus to greet Smith. His impact on the program won’t ever be lost on Limback. As Limback wrote of Smith for senior day 2025, “While many will remember his dunks and highlights, what makes him so special is his tremendous work ethic and relentless pursuit of greatness. Beyond the basketball accomplishments, Tristan is also a great teammate and is an absolute joy to coach. He has made such a huge impact on our basketball program and our Concordia community.”
Smith and his family will always be welcome at Concordia. His older brother Gage put together a stellar Bulldog Basketball career of his own and made a name for himself nationally when he became the MVP of SlamBall in the summer of 2023. His experiences in SlamBall were covered HERE. Furthermore, the Smith family still owns a house on Columbia Avenue in Seward.
The next step for Tristan from a career perspective is to find a new home to play the game he loves. As Tristan says, “The biggest thing right now is to stay ready and stay in shape. I’m getting as many live reps as I can. I’ve actually been playing with the Concordia guys a fair amount. Coach Limback has let me play some pickup with them. I’m just staying in shape and staying ready. We’re speaking with some teams overseas. I’ve got an agent and all that jazz. I’m just getting ready to hopefully sign a contract in the next month or two.”
No matter where he goes, “T-Ray” will look back fondly on his time at Concordia. His experience as a Bulldog helped shape who he is today.
“I’ve got to give just about all the credit to Concordia,” Tristan said. “I spent four years there. I came in and was not anywhere near Division I level when I first got there. The development that Concordia does and the coaching staff – Coach Limback and Coach Tegts – they do an incredible job. They build confidence in you as a player in dealing with all aspects from the mental side to the physical side to making sure you have everything you need to compete. The community at Concordia is just incredible. It’s been the most memorable four years of my life. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I don’t think I would have gotten here if I hadn’t gone to Concordia.”
OH WHAT A PASS!
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2026
Tristan Smith with a sick find. pic.twitter.com/KkUnFUbTxs