Oct. 18, 2024
For an indication of what the 2024-25 Bulldogs will look like, see the 2023-24 Bulldogs. Each of the program’s top nine scorers return for a Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball outfit that enters the new campaign with exceptionally lofty expectations. The Bulldogs welcome back nearly every key piece and are a year stronger and wiser while led by what just might be the best frontcourt in the entire NAIA thanks to the presence of Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. As a result, league coaches pegged Concordia at No. 1 in the GPAC preseason poll.
During Head Coach Ben Limback’s tenure (which began with the 2013-14 season), the Bulldogs have never started a season with such recognition from the outside world. Concordia appeared at No. 15 in the NAIA Hoops Report’s preseason top 25.
“It’s nice to have all the guys back that we have,” Limback said. “It’s a coach’s dream. We have All-Americans back, all-conference guys and a good young nucleus that played significant minutes. So many things we’re trying to teach in practice are not new to the majority of the team, but that can also be a challenge. Complacency can set in – that running-it-back mentality. The goal is to continue to build and challenge each other each day. So far, we’re seeing a group that’s not satisfied and not just waiting until the playoffs or the end of the year. They understand that we have to get better each day. Overall, we’ve made good progress. I’m excited to see where we can go.”
For a barometer on what expectations are like, start with the 2023-24 season that ended with a share of the GPAC regular season title and an advancement to the NAIA national tournament round of 32. Naturally, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a return to Kansas City, where the final 16 teams left standing gather at Municipal Auditorium. Limback has guided his alma mater to a combined four national tournament appearances and four GPAC championships over the past five seasons. The ’23-24 team piled up 24 wins, marking the second highest total of Limback’s tenure.
It's players like Schutte and Smith who have helped push Concordia to the top of the league standings. Schutte burst onto the national scene as a sophomore in 2021-22 and has gotten better each season. In 115 career collegiate games, Schutte has produced 1,827 points and 727 rebounds. One would be hard-pressed to find 10 players in the entire NAIA better than the native of Laurel, Neb., who tallied more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his high school career.
Limback’s biggest recruiting win of the offseason involved Schutte opting in on a ‘COVID year.’ Said Limback, “I really didn’t have to sell him on anything. I think he’s back because of the joy he’s experienced over four years. I think it was also the team coming back and the chance to play basketball. I haven’t been around many players like Noah that love basketball as much as he does. That’s more than just his own personal game. He’s a fanatic of a lot of professional and college teams. He just loves the game. He’s got a lot more free time this year than he’s ever had. He’s in a graduate program, so he spends a lot of time in the gym. He’s taking each day like he should.”
All five starters are back from last season. Schutte (20.9 ppg / 8.4 rpg last season) and Smith were joined in that group in 2023-24 by sharpshooting guard Brad Bennett and rising young players in Lukas Helms and Jaxon Stueve, both of whom cracked the starting lineup as freshmen. They were part of a long and athletic group of wing players that brought matchup nightmares for opponents. On the perimeter, Bennett has proved lethal from long range. He’s a career 40.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Open perimeter opportunities are plentiful when the opposition has to worry about Schutte and Smith. The 6-foot-5 Smith has no equal when it comes to throwing down highlight reel dunks. Smith averaged 18.0 points and 9.3 rebounds last season and is critical to Concordia’s ability to get stops on the defensive end. As fans hoot and holler over the dunks, Limback has greater appreciation for how Smith disrupts offensive game plans.
Smith knows he and his teammates are not flying under the radar as this season nears tipoff. Said Smith, “Every day we try to get the most out of practice and know that if we don’t get better, someone else is going to. A lot of people have the game against us circled on their calendar. We have that in the back of our head and know that we have to continue to push each other and show up every day.”
Realistically, Limback would be comfortable going more than a dozen deep on his roster. Senior leadership is provided by the likes of Bennett and Smith as well as Brayson Mueller and Tony Tubrick. Returning varsity members in the junior class are Zac Kulus and Jaxon Weyand with Logan Wilson on the comeback trail after missing last season. Meanwhile, the standout sophomore class features Helms and Stueve in addition to Hayden Frank, Tyler Harre, Brooks Kissinger and Brant Van Dyke. It proved to be the deepest freshman class in the conference.
The sophomore group is loaded with wing players with versatility. As a freshman last season, Helms was merely scratching the surface in terms of reaching his vast potential. Furthermore, Frank and Harre shot efficiently from 3-point range last season, Stueve supplied scoring (6.1 ppg) and strong defense (34 steals) to the lineup and Kissinger showed promise of great things to come. Helms, Frank and freshmen Eli Gaeth and Dane Jacobsen could all be part of the equation at point guard, a position that was shared by several Bulldogs in 2023-24. However, Limback’s system has embraced “positionless basketball.”
Concordia also embraces lofty expectations with a team that won’t have to go through some of the growing pains it had to endure early last season with a wealth of freshmen playing major minutes. This team expects to be ready from the jump. Says Smith, “It’s huge to get those guys experience, especially at the national tournament level – guys like Lukas, Stueve, Brooks, Hayden, Tyler and Zac. Going into this year, I think it’s going to cause us to elevate. Last year we had to build chemistry and get used to each other at the start of last year. I don’t think there’ll be as much of a learning period. I think we’ll be a lot more efficient right off the bat.”
The team’s theme for this year is T.E.A.M., meaning Together Everyone Achieves More. Whether the result is a win or a loss, the team takes collective ownership and accountability.
Said Limback of the theme, “We want to come up with something that helps us overcome any obstacles that come our way. We have a lot of depth this year. I feel like we have a lot of great things happening throughout our program. We want to have that together mindset where it’s not just Noah or Tristan. It’s everyone. Then there has to be something we’re pushing for. Is there a purpose behind what we’re doing? We want more. The seniors have had a good run of accomplishments, but I think they’re hungry for more. It’s an appropriate theme that we will draw on throughout the year. I love that they value that team aspect.”
The 2024-25 team will begin its journey at the 25th annual Cattle Classic slated for Nov. 1-2. The opposition over those two days inside Friedrich Arena will be NCAA Division III foes Central College (Iowa) and Nebraska Wesleyan University. The slate also features a trip to the Phoenix area just prior to Christmas and CIT at Concordia University, Ann Arbor. The complete schedule can be found HERE .
Oct. 23, 2024
The No. 11 national ranking marks the program’s highest ranking since checking in at No. 6 in the 2005-06 NAIA Men’s Basketball Division II preseason poll. It is also the highest ranking for the program during the era of one division of NAIA basketball (which began in 2020-21). The 2021-22 GPAC championship squad entered the national tournament ranked 23rd before proceeding to reach the NAIA quarterfinals (there was no postseason poll). Under Head Coach Ben Limback, Concordia has appeared in the top 25 for the fourth-straight season. The 2023-24 team that shared the GPAC regular season title climbed as high as 20th in the NAIA poll.
The preseason ranking comes in response to the Bulldogs bringing back each of their top nine scorers from last season, including First Team All-GPAC honorees in Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. Said Limback, “We want that (high expectations). We want to make sure we’re prepared for those moments. Our practices are very competitive right now. To prepare for that mindset where we’re going to be the hunted, it starts in practice. You’re looking across from you and you’re competing against someone who is really good and wants your job or wants a bigger role. I think that creates a lot of intensity and more of a purpose-filled practice.”
The 2024-25 season will officially tip off at the 25th Cattle Classic slated for Nov. 1-2. As part of the event, Concordia will take on NCAA Division III foes Central College (Iowa) and Nebraska Wesleyan University inside Friedrich Arena.
Nov. 1, 2024
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has high hopes for the 2024-25 season after reaching the NAIA national round of 32 a season ago. Limback sees areas for improvement heading into day two of the Cattle Classic.
“I thought they were the more physical team in the first half,” Limback said. “We needed to be better with our loose ball hustle. We talked about that at halftime. Shots weren’t falling in the first half. Second half we started to get some rebounds and run-outs. Their big fella is a load though. He’s a good player. I kind of felt like we had no answer for him tonight. They really played through him and gave us some problems.”
Concordia finally found some separation in the second half when it turned a five-point lead into a 68-50 advantage thanks to a 13-0 spurt that included a trey apiece from Hayden Frank, Brad Bennett and Jaxon Stueve. To their credit, the Dutch managed to get back within 10 (68-58) before the Bulldogs put together one final run to snuff out a potential upset. For good measure, Smith delighted the crowd with a spin move past Van Gorp for a thunderous slam in the final five minutes of action.
Reigning American Rivers Conference Player of the Year, the 6-foot-10 Van Gorp ruled the paint in impressive fashion. He went wild for 33 points and 15 rebounds while providing the Bulldogs some tough lessons regarding their interior defense. Van Gorp went 16-for-24 from the floor and grabbed nine offensive boards as the only Central player in double figures. The Dutch (17-9 last season) shot 48.4 percent (30-for-62 from the floor) but went only 2-for-15 from long distance.
Concordia simply had more firepower from an all-around team perspective. The All-American Schutte led the way with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Four Bulldogs tallied exactly 12 points: Smith, Bennett, Frank and Zac Kulus. Smith added five rebounds, three steals and two blocks to his stat line. After netting only two treys in the first half, Concordia drained nine in the second half. It shot 47.1 percent (32-for-68) overall. Thirteen of the 16 Bulldogs to see action registered in the scoring column.
Said Limback, “Zac Kulus got into a good rhythm for us today, and Hayden got going in the second half. Tristan and Noah kind of got theirs throughout. We feel like we have guys who can score and do stuff. The ball didn’t always move tonight, but I definitely feel like we have enough guys to make those plays.”
On day two of the Cattle Classic, the Bulldogs will take on former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. CT. The Prairie Wolves are ranked 14th in the D3hoops.com preseason poll after reaching the NCAA Division III Elite Eight last season. The two sides last met in a regular season game during the 2015-16 campaign, Wesleyan’s last as a member of the GPAC. In Friday’s action, the Prairie Wolves toppled Hastings, 66-49.
Nov. 2, 2024
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad defeated two NCAA Division III opponents on the weekend. Both Cattle Classic foes, Nebraska Wesleyan and Central College (Iowa), are members of the American Rivers Conference.
“It was a very physical game with both teams playing hard,” Limback said. “I thought first half we got a few good looks early and then had a couple careless turnovers, but overall I thought our defense was solid. Second half, I think we held them to 20 percent shooting. Their ability to get extra possessions kept them in it. I loved the grittiness. I thought Brayson Mueller came in and did some good things. Noah (Schutte) in the middle of their zone started finishing. We know we have to get better in certain areas.”
The aforementioned 17-3 surge broke what had been a 39-39 stalemate early in the second half. The Bulldogs got the battle they expected while up against a Prairie Wolve program coming off an NCAA Division III Elite Eight appearance led by star guard Carter Glenn. Brad Bennett and Zac Kulus drained a trey apiece during the run that staked Concordia to a 56-42 advantage midway through the second half. The largest lead for the Bulldogs was reflected in the final score.
A day after struggling with Central’s star big man, Concordia owned a 47-31 advantage on the boards over Wesleyan. Schutte produced 16 points and seven rebounds while Tristan Smith collected 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals. A human highlight reel, Smith added to his list of ‘wow’ moments with an acrobatic, spinning layup in the second half. Other major contributors included Bennett (eight points, six rebounds and six assists), Jaxon Stuve (eight points and two assists), Kulus (six points) and Brooks Kissinger (six points and five rebounds).
With a week prior to the next outing, the Bulldogs can now assess where they stand in the early going. Said Limback, “We need to figure out what things worked really well this weekend and things that didn’t. We have a lot of depth and you have to figure out combinations. I think we need a week to really develop some things that we need to improve on like ball security and some things we weren’t sharp on all the time. Having a week will be good for us.”
The Prairie Wolves (26-5 in 2023-24), ranked No. 14 at the D3 level, got a game high 19 points from Glenn, who was named to the All-Cattle Classic team. Jack Groeteke supplied 10 points and five rebounds. Notably, current Concordia assistant Ryan Tegtmeier formerly worked under Nebraska Wesleyan Head Coach Dale Wellman.
The homestand to open the 2024-25 season will continue next Saturday (Nov. 9) when Bethel College (Kan.) (4-0) makes a visit to Friedrich Arena for a 1 p.m. CT tipoff. The Threshers compete as a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Concordia and Bethel most recently squared off during the 2014-15 season in a matchup that took place in Newton, Kan.
Nov. 9, 2024
The Bulldogs claimed their third consecutive victory remaining unbeaten moving into GPAC play.
“That’s a good team”, said Coach Limback. “There were a lot of wow moments and amazing plays. Then there were a lot of wow-bad moments. We have talked about consistency and having better focus. Again, you play to win but we have to get better in a lot of areas offensively. I liked our defensive pressure. Zac Kulus gave us good minutes off the bench. We talked about his (Shutte) poise after the game today. He doesn’t get sped up that often. He had some key big rebounds and free throws. He looked like a veteran today and we needed it.”
With an eight-point lead coming out of the break, Concordia went on a 14-4 pouncing and reached the game's largest lead (17). Schutte and Zac Kulus added baskets in the drive with the Bennington, Neb., native shooting perfect (3-for-3 FG) on the day garnering nine points.
Doubling the visitors (44-22) in the paint, the Bulldogs took advantage with the likes of Schutte and Tristan Smith (14) combining (11-for-23) for 34 points with every field goal coming from the two-point variety. Smith, out of Elizabeth, Colo., had a nasty one-handed alley-oop highlight as he stuffed the stat sheet with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Threshers answered with a 15-4 run of their own, cutting the lead down to six with five minutes left in the second frame. The visitors’ Reid Carter added six in the comeback and Nick Bonner paced his teammates with 15 for the contest.
Making 8-of-12 free throws pushed the lead back out to double digits and sealed the 10 point win late. Concordia made 21 total from the charity stripe plus shot 56.6 percent (30-for-53) in field goals and 53.3 (8-for-15) from 3-point land.
Schutte ended with four rebounds, four assists and two steals, while four more ended with eight or more points: Bradley Bennett (11), Jaxson Stueve (nine), Lukas Helms (nine) and Hayden secondhand (eight, 3-4 FG). Stueve (five assists), Bennett (five rebounds) and Brooks Kissinger (five rebounds) all added secondhand totals.
Bethel had four total in double digits: Bonner (15), Cade Kittrell (14), Carmelo Yakubu (12) and Carter Reid (12). The Threshers shot 48.1 percent (26-for-54) from the field and 50 percent (8-for-16) from three. They will look to rebound against the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Saturday.
Concordia (3-0) will take on Morningside (3-0) entering the conference schedule on Saturday (Nov. 16) inside Friedrich Arena. Tip-off is set for 3:45 p.m. CT in Seward, Neb. The two teams went 1-1 versus each other taking wins on the road in the 2023-24 season.
Nov. 16, 2024
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad endured its first defeat of the 2024-25 season and stands at 3-1 overall. The defensive performance in the second half wasn’t good enough to get the job done on this particular day.
“I felt like we came out flat to start the second half and let them back in in a matter of two minutes,” Limback said. “They were on a roll to start the second half and defensively we were on our heels. They were feeding off it. They shot 78 percent in the second half, which you’re not going to win many games on the other side of that. We just weren’t good enough to be able to outscore them.”
Even a career best outing from Smith couldn’t save the Bulldogs. The Elizabeth, Colo., native had already totaled 20 points and 10 rebounds by halftime before finishing with 34 and 13. The 47-39 lead Concordia enjoyed at the break was gone just over four minutes into the second half. It was a nail-biter the rest of the way. One of the more significant shots of the game was delivered by Morningside’s Aidan Vanderloo when he answered a triple from Brad Bennett. Vanderloo’s trey pushed the Mustang lead back to five (86-81) with 3:14 remaining.
Over the final three minutes, the Bulldogs mustered only one made field goal and watched Morningside salt away the win from the foul line (23-for-29 for the game). The Mustangs (5-0, 1-0 GPAC) shot 57.1 percent (32-for-56) overall and got 20-plus points from three players: Joey Skoff (26), Vanderloo (21) and Daniel Brocaille (20). Skoff entered the day ranked second nationally in scoring average. Skoff has Morningside (2024 NAIA national quarterfinalist) unbeaten with two top 25 wins already this season.
Smith made 14-of-16 shots from the floor in 35 minutes of play. Noah Schutte (14), Hayden Frank (12) and Lukas Helms (11) also reached double figures in scoring. Elijah Gaeth added seven points off the bench. Concordia shot 49.3 percent (34-for-69) from the floor but struggled from 3-point range (6-for-27) and from the foul line (14-for-23).
Said Limback, “We’re going to have to adjust but it was definitely the pace that we want it at. Mentally, we had some miscues. We fouled in the last two or three minutes – and they have a really good free throw shooting team and good guard play. We weren’t sharp at times, especially down the stretch. It gives us a lot to look at and a lot to improve on. It’s a long season – that was the message.”
Next on the schedule will be a trip to Dordt (6-0, 0-0 GPAC) for a 3:45 p.m. CT tipoff on Nov. 23. The Defenders received votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll. Concordia won two of three meetings versus Dordt last season with the home team triumphing in all three instances. The Defenders still have yet to play a GPAC game. They earned a 79-75 road win over William Woods University (Mo.) on Saturday.
Nov. 20, 2024
Nov. 23, 2024
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Through two conference outings, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team has struggled on the defensive end. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs surrendered 54.5 percent shooting to Dordt on Saturday (Nov. 23) and fell by a score of 102-87 in Sioux Center, Iowa. Concordia was unable to keep up with the Defenders despite a second-straight 30-point outing from Tristan Smith, who joined the program’s 1,000-point club on Saturday.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s program has opened league play at 0-2 for the second year in a row. The 2023-24 team rallied back to share the GPAC regular season.
“I thought we got off to a good start and then they went on a 16-0 run,” Limback said. “They’re too good of a team to dig a hole on. A lot of credit goes to them. They outran us in transition and made a lot of shots in the first half. We gave them a lot of open looks. We have to be better and have better attention to detail. I have to be better. Defensively, we have to figure things out and execute better. Right now we’re not trusting each other on that end. That’s a lot of our discussion right now.”
In a difficult place to play inside De Witt Gymnasium, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead with the help of a Jaxon Stueve triple just after the tip off. It was downhill from that point. The Defenders went on a 16-0 run and shot better than 60 percent from the floor in the first half while building a 56-41 lead at the break. The closest Concordia got the rest of the way was 10 (78-68) when Smith put in a layup midway through the second half.
The Elizabeth, Colo., native Smith poured in a career-high 34 points versus Morningside last Saturday and nearly matched that effort with 33 points at Dordt. Smith attacked the basket with his typical array of athletic layups and dunks while making 12-of-17 shots from the floor (and 9-of-12 from the foul line). Smith added 11 rebounds. Three teammates joined him in double figures: Noah Schutte (12), Brad Bennett (12) and Stueve (10). Zac Kulus added eight points off the bench.
Said Limback, “Tristan’s unbelievable right now. He’s a load inside. We have to find other ways to be balanced scoring-wise, but we’re not worried about our offense so much as we are about defending. That’s a really, really good offensive team. They were smoking hot in the first half. I thought we were better in the second half, but we dug too big of a hole.”
Like Concordia, Dordt brought back the vast majority of its team after qualifying for the 2024 national tournament. The Defenders (8-0, 2-0 GPAC) were led by the 30 points from Lucas Lorenzen and 25 from Connor Millikan. Star point guard Luke Rankin dished out eight assists. Lorenzen rained in six of the team’s 14 3-point field goals on the night. High-powered Dordt has reached 100 points three times this season.
Prior to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, the Bulldogs will welcome Midland (5-2, 1-1 GPAC) to town for a 7:45 p.m. CT clash. It will be the lone outing of the week for Concordia, which has won each of the past 11 meetings with the Warriors.
Schutte, Dawgs rally for hard-earned GPAC win No. 1 Nov. 26, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – It was a win the Bulldogs simply had to have. Coming off back-to-back losses to conference teams receiving votes nationally, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team fought through a sluggish start on Tuesday (Nov. 26) while rallying for an 89-78 win over rival Midland. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs overcame a 33-point outing from the Warriors’ Jake Orr with the help of 27 points from All-American Noah Schutte.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad picked up its first GPAC victory while improving to 4-2 overall. Concordia shored up its defense after halftime on Tuesday.
“They got in a rhythm in the first half and had us playing on our heels,” Limback said. "I thought our offense got stagnant. I think we took the first available shot too much instead of finding a rhythm. That led to some quick, easy buckets on their end. We put ourselves in a hole, but then we started to extend our defense and it picked up the pace that way. Noah Schutte was really good in the second half, and we needed that leadership.”
Facing the potential of slipping to 0-3 in the GPAC, the Bulldogs played with a greater sense of urgency out of the halftime break. A steal and a layup for Hayden Frank sparked an 11-0 run that erased what was a 43-37 deficit. Lukas Helms capped that spurt by throwing down a dunk in transition. The extension of full-court pressure and better intensity on the defensive end results in a rash of Warrior turnovers right out of the break.
To its credit, Midland (5-4, 1-3 GPAC) absorbed the run by Concordia and made it a dogfight. The Bulldogs found the answer in the form of a Helms trey at the 3:56 mark (81-73 lead) and later a Tristan Smith layup (83-76 lead) off the dish from Schutte. Then in the final 66 seconds, Concordia went 6-for-6 from the foul line to shut the door on a potential upset. Midland’s field goal percentage dipped from 56.0 in the first half to 43.8 in the second half.
Schutte came to the rescue when the Bulldogs needed him most. The Warriors blitzed Concordia with a 20-4 run to open the game. The Bulldogs started 1-for-10 from the field, but Schutte got going with 16 of his 27 points coming in the first half. He kept the team afloat before Concordia became more balanced after halftime. Schutte added 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals to his stat line. He was joined in double figures by five teammates: Frank (13), Brad Bennett (11), Jaxon Stueve (11), Helms (10) and Smith (10). The Bulldogs shot 44.1 percent overall and netted 17-of-25 from the foul line.
Said Limback of the adjustments that were made, “We had to do something to disrupt their rhythm, and it jump-started us. I thought we started playing harder and bringing more energy. I thought Lukas Helms was good in the second half. The message was that we’re not there yet. There’s something holding this team back where we’re not playing with that edge defensively. We have to get better.”
Orr went 12-for-21 from the floor on his way to a game high 33 points. His big night wasn’t enough to negate the team’s 19 turnovers (compared to 10 for Concordia). Midland has dropped each of the past 12 meetings with the Bulldogs.
Following the Thanksgiving break, the Bulldogs will get back to action on Dec. 4 with a trip to Morningside (7-1, 3-1 GPAC). Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT on that date from the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The two sides will meet for the second time in less than three weeks. The Mustangs took the meeting in Seward, 95-88, on Nov. 16.
Mustangs complete series sweep of Concordia Dec. 4, 2024
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball battled against No. 23 Morningside inside the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center on Wednesday night (Dec. 4). The Dawgs cut the Mustangs’ 15-point halftime lead down to one, but the home team always seemed to find a response in the 82-69 defeat of the visitors. Noah Schutte (20 points) and Tristian Smith (19) finished with over half of the team’s total on the offensive end.
After Morningside completes the series sweep, Concordia drops to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
“We weren’t hungry in the first half and that’s the disappointing part”, Head Coach Limback said. “Right now, we have to put actions to our words. We have guys in there that really want it right now and guys that are self-doubting or entering the game not sure. There is just not a toughness right now. In the second half, there was much better fight but you give a good team on their home court a 15-point lead, you are going to have to exude a lot of energy to come back. Noah was good offensively, especially in the first half. We are frustrated and we know we can be better. It starts with our approach and our toughness entering games.”
After nine first half turnovers and a 15-point deficit (45-30), the Bulldogs found life off of back to back scoring drives to break down the Mustangs' advantage. The visitors stormed back with an 8-0 run off a smith layup sandwiched between Hayden Frank and Bradley Bennett treys.
Following soon after was a 9-0 scoring stretch ignited from bench players Jake Hilkemann, Dane Jacobsen and Zac Kulus splashing back into the game with a one point edge to Morningside (60-59).
With under eight minutes left in the half, the home team would answer with an 11-2 winning drive. The run included five different Mustangs making a basket to put the game away late.
Schutte did the majority of his offensive damage in the first frame with 14 points (5-9 FGs) and seven total rebounds. Smith tallied seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Bennett (nine) and Frank (eight) followed in point, while Kulus grabbed six rebounds.
The Bulldogs finish shooting 45 percent (27-for-60) from the field, 25 percent (7-for-28) from three and 57.1 percent from the charity stripe. The visitors edged Morningside in rebounds (36-34) and points in the paint (36-32).
The Mustangs (8-1, 4-1 GPAC) gained 20 points off turnovers and shot 33.3 percent (10-for-30) from beyond the arc. Having five players hit double figures, the Sioux City side was led by Justin Sitti and Daniel Brocaille with 18 points apiece. MSIDE will visit Fremont next to compete against Midland this Saturday.
Concordia (4-3, 1-3 GPAC) returns to Friedrich Arena to face Briar Cliff (5-5, 2-2 GPAC) on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 3:45 p.m. CT. The Chargers and Bulldogs will meet for the first time in the 2024-25 season.
Balanced scoring, solid defensive play key home win over Briar Cliff Dec. 7, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting Briar Cliff shot only 26.7 percent from the floor in the first half as the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team built a lead as large as 18 points. Five Bulldogs reached double figures in what amounted to an 87-74 home victory over the Chargers on Saturday (Dec. 7). Noah Schutte poured in 22 points and Tristan Smith recorded a double-double as Concordia improved to 5-1 at home this season.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad now stands at 5-3 overall (2-3 GPAC). Both GPAC wins have come inside Friedrich Arrena.
“It wasn’t clean at times, but defensively I thought we had some really good spurts in the first half,” Limback said. “They missed some shots early that went down in the second half. Jaxon Stueve was outstanding in his role today. Tristan and Noah were finding the open man when they collapsed. We had a balanced scoring attack. We have a lot to clean up, but any win in this league is a good win.”
The Bulldogs believe their best basketball is still ahead of them, but this was a step in the right direction. Concordia had an answer whenever Briar Cliff made a push. A key sequence came early in the second half when the Chargers pulled within seven (50-43) before Schutte rattled off five in a row and Smith followed with a dunk. The Bulldogs eventually boosted the lead back up to 17 points while putting Briar Cliff away in the latest installment of a series that has often featured dramatic endings.
The second half differed dramatically from the first in terms of a shot making perspective. Over the final 20 minutes, Concordia outscored Briar Cliff, 51-49, while netting 17-of-30 attempts from the floor. On the other end, the Chargers (5-6, 2-3 GPAC) heated up with 7-for-14 shooting from the perimeter after halftime. Prolific Charger guard Matthew Stilwill posted a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds.
The Bulldogs countered by putting all five starters in double figures in scoring: Schutte (22), Brad Bennett (19), Smith (16), Stueve (16) and Hayden Frank (10). Smith stuffed the stat sheet with 12 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocked shots. Schutte also grabbed seven rebounds while Bennett drained 5-of-8 ties from long range. Concordia shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) from the floor, 45.8 percent (11-for-24) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (20-for-24) from the foul line. Twenty-one of the team’s 28 field goals were assisted.
Said Limback, “When teams double- or triple-team our leading scorers then other guys have to step up. I thought they did. I was pleased with a lot of stuff that we saw out there. We’re feeling our way through. Dane Jacobsen did some good stuff. He got a big offensive rebound when we were kind of stagnant and Eli Gaeth and Jake Hilkemann did some really good stuff in the first half. Brooks (Kissinger) had some good moments off the bench.”
The Bulldogs will be right back inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday to welcome Hastings (1-7, 0-4 GPAC) to town for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia caught a glimpse of the Broncos during the 25th annual Cattle Classic in early November. Hastings shared the 2023-24 GPAC regular season title with Concordia and Northwestern and appeared at the NAIA national tournament.
Kissinger, five double-figure scorers lead Bulldogs over Broncos Dec. 11, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – A Hastings squad still seeking its first GPAC win of the season played tight with the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team for nearly 30 minutes before the talent and weaponry of the home team took over. A 20-7 run in the second half gave the balanced Bulldogs control on their way to a 101-82 victory inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday (Dec. 11). Sophomore Brooks Kissinger came off the bench to net a career-high 21 points and Brad Bennett curled in six treys on the night.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won back-to-back GPAC home outings to move to 3-3 in league play (6-3 overall). Concordia and Hastings were two of the three programs that shared the conference regular season title in 2023-24.
“It took a while, but offensively we were finding the open guy,” Limback said. “I thought Tristan (Smith) and Noah (Schutte) were really good at kicking it out when a double team comes. Between them they had 15 assists. When your bigs are doing that you get long close-outs and the guards can feed off it. Brad Bennett got hit from three, and Stueve hit some shots. When we’re balanced like that scoring, it’s hard to guard. Brooks Kissinger off the bench, what a night he had.”
The Ashland, Neb., native Kissinger eclipsed his previous career-high of 16 points while burning the Broncos for 16 of his 21 points in the second half. A key sequence came roughly midway through the second half when the Broncos got within four (64-60) via a triple from David Hageman. Kissinger followed with a layup and the lead never dipped below six the rest of the way. The aforementioned 20-7 spurt was initiated by a bucket from Schutte at the 8:02 mark.
The Bulldogs owned a double-digit lead for the final eight minutes while shooting 54.7 percent overall (35-for-64) from the floor. Bennett finished with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from deep. Meanwhile, Kissinger canned all three tries from long range and Stueve went 3-for-4 from the perimeter. As a team, Concordia sank 16-of-35 (.457) attempts from beyond the arc and made 15-of-18 (.833) from the foul line. As part of his active night, Kissinger (6-for-8) from the floor filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds and three assists.
Said Kissinger, “I think it starts with defense. We’ve been emphasizing finding our identity on the defensive end. I think we were doing that for most of the second half. We came out second half really trying to get stops on defense … I just want to give glory to Jesus Christ. He gives me the opportunity to play the game I love at a school that’s so awesome.”
Following Kissinger and Bennett in the scoring column were Schutte (17), Smith (15), Stueve (14) and Hayden Frank (nine). Smith dropped eight dimes and Schutte dished out seven assists as the sugar was shared to the tune of 25 assists on the team’s 35 made baskets. Notably, Concordia held a 34-23 advantage on the boards and committed only nine turnovers.
With his 17 points on Wednesday, Schutte pushed his career total to 1,991, leaving him nine shy of becoming the third player in program history to hit the 2,000 mark. Schutte played in his 124th career game on Wednesday.
Hastings (1-8, 0-5 GPAC) boasts a legit star guard in DaRon Hall. He poured in a game-high 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the floor. As a team, the visitors made 28-of-55 (.509) shots from the field. The Broncos have a much different look after saying goodbye to all five starters from last season.
The play of the sophomore group on Wednesday was a major positive for Concordia. Said Limback, “That’s the maturation we’re trying to find. Those guys got some good time last year and got their feet wet. This year we want to see that next level. Certainly Brooks did that tonight. I thought Stueve had a good game last game and was solid again. There were some good moments throughout, and we need them to take the next step. Teams are going to key in on Tristan and Noah. We need guys to continue to do this.”
The Bulldogs will be on the road on Saturday to take on new GPAC member Waldorf (3-9, 2-4 GPAC). Tipoff from Forest City, Iowa, is slated for 3:45 p.m. CT. Concordia traveled to the same venue in November 2022 and came away with a 103-61 victory over the Warriors.
Schutte reaches 2,000, Smith pours in 35 as Bulldogs roll at Waldorf Dec. 14, 2024
FOREST CITY, Iowa – The collegiate career of All-American Noah Schutte reached another level of accomplishment on Saturday (Dec. 14) in Forest City, Iowa. Schutte became the third player in Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball history to reach the 2,000-point plateau as the Bulldogs rolled past Waldorf, 103-79, for a third-straight GPAC win. The Warriors had no answer for Tristan Smith, who poured in a career-high 35 points while leading his season to a season high point total.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad hit the century mark in both of this week’s GPAC outings while improving to 4-3 in league play (7-3 overall). This outing marked Concordia’s first road win in three tries this season.
“After a little bit of a slow start, I thought we settled in offensively,” Limback said. “They made some shots in the first half, but fortunately we were able to turn them over. We had a lot more shots than they did. When you get that many more possessions, that’s a huge key. Tristan was unbelievable at both ends. He was rebounding, running the floor and finishing at the rim. When he balances the ability to explode and blow by people with the discipline with two feet and playing under control, he’s a difficult guy to stop.”
The milestone bucket for Schutte occurred at the 11:19 mark of the second half when he scored in the paint on a short turnaround jumper. With the game well in hand, Schutte exited the floor at the next dead ball and was met with hugs by his teammates. Schutte joins a Concordia 2,000-point club that includes just two other players: Jon Ziegler (2,099) and Tom Raabe (2,016). The Laurel, Neb., native Schutte made all five of his field goal attempts on a Saturday that saw the Bulldogs shoot a smoldering 60 percent (39-for-65) from the floor.
Schutte (10 points, five rebounds and four assists) was one of four Concordia players to register in double figures in the scoring column in the blowout victory. Smith racked up 22 of his 35 points in the first half and added eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and a blocked shot to the stat sheet. Smith made 13-of-19 attempts from the floor (3-for-4 from beyond the arc). With Smith proving unstoppable on the offensive end, Concordia opened the second half on a 29-8 run and ballooned the lead to 32 (78-46).
Three days after tallying a career-high 21 points, Bulldog sophomore guard Brooks Kissinger followed that performance up with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists at Waldorf. In another strong showing off the bench, Lukas Helms made all four of his shots from the field and notched 12 points. Brad Bennett also supplied eight points. Twelve Concordia players netted at least one basket on the day.
Schutte will surely go down as one of the top players in program history by the time he closes out his fifth and final season as a Bulldog. Said Limback, “It’s incredible. Some of us would love to score 1,000 points. He’s an incredibly gifted scorer – at the rim, from three, mid-range and getting to the line. He has a knack for scoring and always has. It’s fun to see these milestones, but he’s all about the win.”
Waldorf (3-10, 2-5 GPAC) is in its first go-round through the GPAC as the league’s newest member. The Warriors shot 55.8 percent (29-for-52) from the floor on Saturday and placed five players in double figures, led by 13 apiece from Nick Graves and Gene Noble. Their stellar shooting was negated by 22 turnovers and a 36-18 rebound disadvantage. Waldorf grabbed only one offensive rebound.
In the middle of this coming week, the Bulldogs will set out for the Phoenix area for a pre-Christmas trip. Concordia is slated to play at No. 4 Arizona Christian University on Dec. 20 before taking on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) on Dec. 21. The final three games of the calendar year 2024 will each be against nonconference opponents.
Smith voted GPAC Offensive Player of the Week for second time this season Dec. 17, 2024
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – A statistically dominant senior season for Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball post player Tristan Smith continued last week. In light of a career-high offensive outing, Smith was honored on Tuesday (Dec. 17) as the GPAC Men’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week. Smith earned the same award on Nov. 20. Additionally, NAIA Hoops Report named Smith its National Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Smith helped power the Bulldogs to wins last week at home over Hastings, 101-82, and on the road over Waldorf, 103-79. Smith notched 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal versus Hastings. He then totaled a career-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block at Waldorf. For the week, Smith made 19-of-27 (.703) shots from the floor and went 9-for-14 from the foul line and 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
On the current 2024-25 GPAC leaderboards, Smith ranks second in steals (2.5), second in blocks (1.5), third in rebounding (8.2), third in field goal percentage (.661), fourth in assists (4.0) and sixth in scoring (20.0). For his career, Smith has amassed 1,100 points, 554 rebounds, 147 assists, 95 blocks and 86 steals in 89 games.
Smith and the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-3 GPAC) are preparing for a trip to Arizona where they will take on No. 4 Arizona Christian University on Friday and Embry-Riddel Aeronautical University on Saturday.
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I believe I can fly: human highlight reel T-Ray's journey defined by family and ball Dec. 17, 2024
@cunebulldogs Instagram: Tristan Smith Highlight Reel
Even for Tristan Smith, this one was a doozy. After a simple ball fake from the right wing, Smith blew past one defender with two left-hand dribbles, sprung himself off two feet and elevated high above a waiting 6-foot-11 post player before violently ripping the ball through the rim with his right hand. The incredible feat of athleticism and posterization brought a roar from the visiting Concordia crowd and even had some Doane fans covering their mouths to hide their own awestruck reactions.
The play was no one-hit wonder. It seems that at least once every game, Smith delights the crowd with a ‘wow’ moment. He’s a showman (without even trying) who feels a sense of euphoria when physically reaching heights that others only dream of.
“It’s pretty hard to explain,” Smith said. “It’s one of those weird feelings. I feel like I kind of black out when it happens and I have to go back and watch it afterwards. Most of the time I don’t think it’s actually as cool as it can be. The crowd is the best part afterwards. When you’re in the game, you kind of don’t realize it and then you go back and watch the reactions. It’s a pretty cool experience.”
Smith has spent the last four years putting together a highlight reel rivaling that of any collegiate basketball player in the country – from any level. As just a freshman in February 2022, Smith played the part of hero in the most watched singular moment in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball. His buzzer-beating alley-oop lay-in of a baseball-style heave from Carter Kent made the rounds on ESPN and gave the Elizabeth, Colo., native an exceedingly tough act to follow. Somehow, he has managed to live up to that moment and do it in impressive fashion.
The Concordia journey for “T-Ray,” as many his friends and family call him, has included not only ‘the alley-oop’ and the highlight reel dunks but also GPAC championship celebrations, national tournament appearances, a frustrating injury, on-court stardom, strong academic performance (Business Administration) and intense familial support every step of the way. Through the process, Smith’s growth has been undeniable. He’s blossomed in a way that Bulldog Men’s Basketball Coach Ben Limback would want for anyone who comes through the program.
As Limback said prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, “I thought defensively, his sophomore year before he got injured, he was on pace to possibly be the defensive player of the year in our conference. He was that good. We’re asking him to do a lot defensively. I’ve been most impressed with his desire to lead. He’s one of our more vocal leaders. He’s a competitor. He’s just taken that role even more so this year. I can’t wait to see how our team changes throughout the year. It’s in large part what he’s been doing in the locker room. Certainly, he’s making an impact at both ends.”
Tristan arrived at Concordia as a freshman for the fall semester of 2021 at a time when his older brother Gage was a senior on the basketball team. Tristan had no doubt that the atmosphere at Concordia was right for him because he had already lived it through Gage. As Tristan said, “I knew about the environment and the community feel and what type of program Coach Limback ran. That’s kind of what drew me here.”
For anyone who knows the Smiths, it made perfect sense that Tristan would want to team up with his older brother. Wherever Gage and Tristan go, their parents Lance and Michelle, and sisters Kylee and Haley, are likely close in proximity. It seemingly requires an act of God for Lance or Michelle to miss one of their children’s games. Fittingly, when the alley-oop brought the roof off Friedrich Arena in 2022, Lance was one of the first spectators to storm the court in celebration.
Kindness, big personalities, charisma and smarts run in the family. Apparently, athleticism does too. Lance played football and Michelle was a swimmer. From an early age, Gage and Tristan became interested in basketball (among other sports) and Kylee and Haley were strong gymnasts. As Tristan said during his sophomore year, “We’re not good Coloradans. We’ve never been skiing or snowboarding. You put us on skates and we might tear every ligament in our knees.”
The basketball court, a place where Tristan could run, jump and throw down dunks, was more appropriate for his talents. Beginning as youngsters, Gage and Tristan ate chicken and rice and lifted weights regularly while following their father’s lead. The highlight reels dunks started becoming a regular part of the repertoire for Tristan during his time at Elizabeth High School. Lance proudly shared the videos on social media, as he continues to do to this day.
The closeness that permeates the Smith family stands out as unique in how it shines through so obviously. The magnetic pull proved so strong that the family has its own Seward house right on one of the town’s main drags leading to Concordia University. Lance and Michelle, both of whom work from home, never have to worry about making the seven-hour drive back to Elizabeth on a late Wednesday night of basketball. Some young adults go off to college happy to escape their parents, but that’s never been the thought process for Gage or Tristan.
Said Tristan, “It’s awesome. Basketball at the college level is pretty demanding. It’s nice having your family there when you have good games and bad games. They’re always going to support me. I don’t think my folks have missed many games. It’s really nice having them up here. It’s definitely huge for the success I’ve had as an individual.”
Just as Tristan will forever be remembered for ‘the alley-oop,’ he’ll always be linked to his brother Gage. On Nov. 23 of this season, Tristan tallied 33 points at Dordt and joined his older brother in the program’s 1,000-point club. The Smiths are just the second brother duo to hold down spots in that club (in addition to Darin and Derek Engelbart). The trajectory of Tristan’s basketball career has been similar to Gage’s in the way the arrow has consistently trended upward. Raw talent and athleticism have translated into efficiency and dominance.
Tristan has certainly come a long way from the skinny high school freshman who was once dwarfed by his brother Gage. Recalled Tristan, “I came to a lot of games. That’s actually how I got my offer. I was pretty small my freshman, sophomore and junior years. I showed up to watch a game at Briar Cliff and Coach came up after and said, ‘Hey, you’ve gotten pretty big. We should get you in for a visit.’ I went on a visit and committed pretty soon after that. But yeah, I watched Gage play here all three years before I came here. I came to a lot of games with my dad.”
It was during Gage’s ‘COVID Year’ of 2022-23 that Tristan was dealt a dose of adversity. In a late December game in Chickasha, Okla., Tristan came down awkwardly on his ankle. It was the type of injury that makes one’s stomach churn when watching on replay. His ankle twisted in a direction completely unnatural to the human body (Gage took himself out of the game and accompanied Tristan to the hospital). In another show of Tristan’s freakish athleticism, he returned to play in the national tournament in March of 2023. It meant Tristan had one last opportunity to play alongside Gage at the collegiate level.
At that point, Tristan’s game was just beginning to take flight. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore before returning from the injury to average 18.0 points and 9.3 rebounds as a junior in 2023-24. Tristan had become widely known as one of the top players in the GPAC. A potentially devastating injury had been averted.
“A lot of people go through big injuries in college,” Smith said. “A lot of it is just building the confidence back in that ankle and trusting it again when I jumped and landed – not thinking about it. The coaches threw me back into it as quickly as possible, so I didn’t have time to think about it. That was really helpful in terms of the mental side of things.”
Now two years removed from that injury, Smith looks as dynamic and refined as ever. His post moves are more fluid and difficult to defend, and he has the savviness of someone with 89 games of college experience under his belt. He’s become so much more than just a single highlight – he’s a walking highlight reel who ranks among the GPAC leaders in virtually every major statistical category. But he’ll never live down ‘the alley-oop,’ no matter what happens moving forward.
Says Tristan, “My dad definitely brings it up a fair amount with new people for sure. That was definitely a pretty special moment and one that is tough to back up the next few years of college when you have an event like that happen your freshman year. It was a special moment against a great team.”
For Tristan and his family, the special nature of the relationship with Concordia and its community will be greater than any one singular moment on the hardwood. Tristan and the Smith family have embraced the entire experience, and it has embraced them back. Tristan is the type of guy who is willing to give anyone and everyone the time of day. He’s also the team’s representative on the Bulldog Council of Student-Athletes and a fine example of a Christian man.
There’s something extra about Tristan. As Gage had remarked during his final season as a Bulldog, “T-Ray is really good. He could have gone D-I, so I think it’s pretty cool he came to Concordia to play with me. It’s been a great ride.”
Gage’s ride continued with social media fame as the MVP of SlamBall and has carried on to the next adventures that life has to offer. For Tristan, there’s a second semester of basketball that he plans to make the most of. Rest assured, there will be more thunderous dunks coming to an arena near you. Along with the emphatic jams will be the simultaneous roars heard from Lance, Michelle, Gage, Kylee and Haley, as well as a certain girl named Bree. There’s nowhere else the Smiths would rather be.
Early advantage evaporates in clash at No. 4 Arizona Christian Dec. 20, 2024
GLENDALE, Ariz. – In a major road test, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team raced out to a 13-point lead and then endured an extended drought in the Arizona desert. Dominic Gonzalez and fourth-ranked Arizona Christian University stormed back and toppled the Bulldogs, 73-65, inside the cozy confines of the ACU Events Center in Glendale. Concordia junior guard Zac Kulus tallied 14 second-half points in attempting to lead a rally.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad slipped to 7-4 overall with one game left on its Christmas break trip. This contest marked the Bulldogs’ first outing since the road win over Waldorf on Dec. 14.
“I thought we were ready to go and did a good job being aggressive and playing with intensity at both ends,” Limback said. “Obviously that changed midway through the first half. We guarded well overall in the first half. We felt like we could make a comeback, but we didn’t start the second half well. Zac Kulus did some great things and hit some 3s to get us rolling. Tristan (Smith) getting in foul trouble was a tough thing. When he picked up his third, that’s when we really started to struggle to get into an offense.”
Concordia looked like it had brought its ‘A’ game on the road when it blitzed the Firestorm with a 17-4 run out of the gate. The tables turned quickly. By the 4:38 mark of the first half, ACU had tied the game, 24-24. The Firestorm did so by firing up the heat defensively. Concordia did not manage a single field goal over the final 10 minutes of the opening half.
ACU took a 35-28 lead to the halftime break and then opened the second half on a 14-0 run that severely crippled the Bulldogs’ chances. During the spurt, Gonzalez got on a roll and proceeded to finish the contest with a game-high 20 points on the strength of 6-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Though it dug a 23-point hole (57-34) in the middle of the second half, Concordia battled to the finish. Noah Schutte’s bucket in the closing seconds put the Bulldogs within seven (72-65).
Foul trouble for star Tristan Smith played a factor in Concordia’s daunting deficit. Smith picked up his third foul midway through the first half and eventually fouled out at the 4:06 mark of the second half. While limited to 19 minutes, Smith finished with nine points. The charge was led by the likes of Schutte and Kulus. Now the program’s second all-time leading scorer, Schutte amassed 18 points, 15 rebounds and two steals in another gritty outing. Meanwhile, Kulus nailed four 3-point field goals in the second half and swiped four steals.
Seven points apiece were contributed by Brad Bennett, Hayden Frank and Lukas Helms. Bennett also plucked four steals in a game that included a combined 39 turnovers (21 for the Bulldogs and 18 for the Firestorm). Concordia shot 38.5 percent (20-for-52) from the floor and went 17-for-20 from the foul line.
On the other end, Arizona Christian (11-2) shot 51.8 percent (29-for-56) from the field. Amaechi Chukwu made his presence felt with three blocked shots off the bench. Arik Nicholas added 15 points as a second option to Gonzalez. The Firestorm will also host No. 14 Morningside on Saturday.
Said Limback, “We knew coming into it that this was going to be a national tournament type of game. It was a loud environment. We had wonderful alumni and family support. It felt sometimes like a home game for us. Tom Raabe was there, two of my teammates were there and two of Coach Schmidt’s sons were there. It was a fun atmosphere from that regard. I just wish we would have played better in the middle stretch.”
The Arizona tour will continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs will play on the home court of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (5-6) in Prescott, Ariz., at 3 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. CT. In Friday’s action in Prescott, the Eagles earned an 89-71 victory while up against GPAC foe Doane. Saturday’s game can be streamed live via the GSAC Sports Network .
Dawgs double paint points; defeat Eagles in Arizona Dec. 21, 2024
PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Bulldogs faced their second opponent from the Grand Canyon state, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, on Saturday night (Dec. 21). Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball doubled the Eagles in points in the paint (52-26) which boosted the visitors to a 22-point victory (94-72). Tristian Smith (29) and Noah Schutte (24) teamed up for 53 total on 70 percent from the field.
With a 8-4 overall record, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will have one more shot to add a win in 2024.
“We felt like inside, we had the advantage,” said Coach Limback. “They chose not to double. Any time teams do that, we have to get the ball in to Noah and Tristian. They did a good job, especially in the second half of creating plays. It was definitely an emphasis to get the ball inside.”
The Bulldogs attacked the rack with 70 percent shooting (30-for-43) in two point attempts. Smith let his presence be known with five dunks on his 12-for-15 shooting. Schutte put up similar shooting in the area with 9-for-15 and grabbed 11 rebounds pulling out a double-double.
Limback said, “We came out of the gate playing strong and physical. Then we started to play softer and they turned it up a notch. Once we started playing off two feet and matched the physicality and the way the game was officiated, the second half was clearly better. Jaxson was hot from three but I thought defensively, we were solid as well.”
Up a couple of scores after the halftime speech, Concordia quickly increased its lead to double digits (55-44) on the back of Schutte and Hayden Frank layups. The Malcolm, Neb., native added a scoop and score totaling four swipes (game-high) and four assists in the 40 minutes.
Schutte went on an 8-0 heater, totaled 14 points in the 2nd half, capped by a Jaxson Stueve trey to put the Dawgs up 19 (74-55). Stueve, a sophomore out of Bellevue West, shot 5-for-6 from beyond the arc making five of the team’s seven treys.
CUNE shot 58.7 percent (37-for-63) from the floor topping the home team’s 44.4 (28-for-63). The Bulldogs took 37 off the glass compared to the Eagles’ 24. Smith (seven), Bradley Bennett (four) and Brayson Mueller (four) followed Schutte in rebounds.
Embry-Riddle (5-7) was led by Peter Dress (14) and Noah Gifft (11) in scoring. The Eagles dropped nine 3-pointers but at a 33.3 percent clip. The Arizona side will face Nelson University (Ariz.) on Jan. 2 in the new year.
Concordia (8-4) will be back in Seward to finish out the year against MidAmerica Nazarene University (5-8) on Saturday (Dec. 28). Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CT inside Friedrich Arena. The Pioneers and Bulldogs have only met three times with the visitors having a 2-1 advantage and a 65-60 win in the last game in 2019.
Bulldogs blaze in final outing of 2024 Dec. 28, 2024
VIDEO: Bulldogs sink 13 treys in blowout home win
SEWARD, Neb. – In making its first home appearance since Dec. 11, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team shot better than 65 percent in the first half and led by as many as 37 points in a Saturday (Dec. 28) whitewashing of visiting MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.). Five Bulldogs reached double figures in scoring in what amounted to an 89-55 win. The result moved Concordia to 7-1 at home on the season.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad also jumped to 9-4 overall in its final outing of the calendar year 2024. The Bulldogs have routed back-to-back nonconference foes.
“When you shoot like that and have things going offensively like that, and Noah (Schutte) and Tristan (Smith) are seeing doubles and making the right reads, we have guys that can score,” Limback said. “I thought the team offense was a great thing today. Our first shot defense was good – we weren’t very tough on the glass. We know what we have to continue to get better at it, but these are not easy games. We showed up and did a good job today.”
While the Pioneers of Olathe, Kan., have slumped to a 5-9 record, they are a historically strong NAIA program coming off a 25-6 record in 2023-24. MNU hung within three (20-17) of Concordia with fewer than eight minutes remaining in the first half. That’s when the Bulldogs put together a game-defining 16-0 run that gave them complete control for the remainder of the afternoon. During the spurt, Brad Bennett canned two of his four treys while Hayden Frank curled home one of his own and Schutte struck for a three-point play.
The contest was essentially decided by halftime when Concordia owned a 45-21 lead on the strength of 65.4 percent (17-for-26) shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs drained seven of their first 11 tries from long range and finished 13-for-24 from the perimeter. Late in the action, junior Logan Wilson made efficient use of his seven minutes with 11 points (and four rebounds) on 4-for-4 shooting. Wilson sank all three of his 3-point attempts and then did the honors of ringing The Victory Bell.
Said Limback, “Logan was outstanding. It’s not easy to come in late in the game. He hit a couple 3s in rhythm and had some good rebounds for us. He’s got the ability. Brad caught fire again. It’s fun to play when everybody’s sharing, the ball’s moving and everybody off the bench does what they’re supposed to do. I think our opponent is better than what they showed, and I think this will prove to be a pretty good win for us.”
Balance was a theme as five Concordia players finished in the range of 10-12 points: Bennett (12), Schutte (12), Jaxon Stueve (11), Wilson (11) and Smith (10). Brooks Kissinger also supplied eight points off the bench. In addition, Schutte paced the team with seven rebounds, Smith dropped five dimes and Stueve plucked four of the Bulldogs’ 13 steals. Of its 32 made baskets, 24 were assisted. Concordia shot 60.4 percent (32-for-53) overall.
Meanwhile, MNU shot only 30.9 percent (21-for-68) from the floor. The Pioneers actually had more cracks at the basket than the Bulldogs did thanks to their 18 offensive rebounds (39-33 overall rebound advantage). Malachi Bryant poured in a team high 12 points and Caden Kaberline corralled six offensive boards for the Heart of America Athletic Conference member. The Bulldogs effectively avenged their December 2019 loss to MNU – a 65-60 decision in Honolulu, Hawaii.
GPAC play will resume as the calendar flips to 2025. In action this coming Thursday, the Bulldogs will play Dakota Wesleyan (10-3, 4-2 GPAC) with tipoff scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CT from the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D. Concordia swept the two 2023-24 regular season meetings from the Tigers, who are now led by Head Coach Kevin Williamson.
Stueve earns GPAC Defensive Player of the Week award Dec. 31, 2024
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – For his role in this past week’s home win over MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), sophomore Jaxon Stueve has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday (Dec. 31). Stueve has earned a GPAC weekly award for the first time in his career. As a team, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball has pulled in three GPAC Player of the Week honors this season (Tristan Smith has collected two awards).
Stueve and his teammates limited the Pioneers to 30.9 percent (21-for-68) shooting overall and 19.4 percent (6-for-31) shooting from 3-point range in the 89-55 Bulldog win on Dec. 28. Stueve swiped four steals in his 20 minutes of action. He also tallied 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor. He was one of five Concordia players to reach double figures. In 13 games in 2024-25, Stueve is averaging 8.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He has started all 13 outings.
A return to conference play is coming up Thursday when the Bulldogs (9-4, 4-3 GPAC) will be headed to Mitchell, S.D., for a matchup with Dakota Wesleyan (11-3, 4-2 GPAC) at the Corn Palace. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT.
Smith, Stueve lead outburst in takedown of GPAC's stingiest defensive team Jan. 2, 2025
MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan entered the New Year leading the GPAC in scoring defense, but the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team didn’t bother to notice. The dynamic duo of Tristan Smith and Jaxon Stueve were the ringleaders on a Thursday (Jan. 2) night when the Bulldogs blistered the Corn Palace nets in a 95-84 road win in Mitchell, S.D. Stueve did not miss a shot while rattling off a career-high 23 points. Smith later added an exclamation point with an alley-oop transition dunk as part of a monster second half.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad extended its GPAC winning streak to four and moved to 10-4 overall (5-3 GPAC). In doing so, Concordia picked up its second GPAC road win of the season.
“We had to adjust to how they guarded us,” Limback said. “First half, what can you say about the heater Jaxon Stueve was on? I thought they were good looks in transition, and we had some good kickouts to him. Second half, we kind of muddled through it. It was a big emphasis in the second half for Noah (Schutte) and Tristan (Smith) to attack and get to the free throw line. Dakota Wesleyan is just gritty defensively, but I thought we did some good things offensively.”
Rewarded as the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, the Bellevue West High School alum Stueve put together the best offensive showing of his career on Thursday. He got going with a layup in the opening minute and then proceeded to net a trey apiece at the 16:32, 14:29, 4:54, 3:08 and 2:32 marks of the first half. By the break, Stueve had already eclipsed his previous career-high of 16 points (versus Briar Cliff this season). The sophomore from Papillion, Neb., went 8-for-8 from the floor, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the foul line.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot a surface-of-the-sun hot 67.3 percent (35-for-52) from the field. Stueve was joined in double figures by Smith (24), Lukas Helms (16) and Schutte (15). Smith (8-for-10 from the field) tallied 18 points in the second half and added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals to his stat line. In addition, Elijah Gaeth dropped five dimes and Helms (one point off a career-high) collected four assists. By night’s end, Schutte pushed his career point total to 2,070.
After surrendering 18 offensive rebounds in this past Saturday’s blowout win over MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), Concordia cleaned up its act on the glass and outrebounded the Tigers, 31-17. Schutte grabbed six rebounds and Stueve pulled down five boards. Rebounding played a part in turning a tight contest into a Bulldog lead as large as 15 points (88-73) in the waning moments.
Said Limback, “When we were making our runs in both halves, we would get rebounds and that would lead to transition. Rebounding was definitely a big key coming in tonight. I love the leadership in that locker room. You could see the game tonight was important. I know that even if they’re tired on Saturday, they’ll be ready to go.”
Now under the direction of Head Coach Kevin Williamson, DWU (11-4, 4-3 GPAC) saw its five-game winning streak come to an end. The Tigers were unable to keep up on Thursday despite shooting 52.7 percent (29-for-55) and making 10-of-21 tries from 3-point range. Four DWU players achieved double figures: Blaze Lubbers (21), Jakob Dobney (15), Samuel Aslesen (11) and Tampa Scott IV (10). The Tigers have dropped five of the past six series matchups with Concordia.
The Bulldogs will quickly turn around to host No. 11 Dordt (15-0, 7-0 GPAC) at 3:45 p.m. CT on Saturday. In this season’s first meeting held on Nov. 23, the Defenders flourished offensively in a 102-87 home victory over Concordia. Dating back to late in the 2020-21 season, the Bulldogs have won 50 of their last 55 home games.
Bennett, Bulldog blizzard buries previously unbeaten Dordt Jan. 4, 2025
VIDEO: Brad Bennett drains eight 3-point field goals vs. Dordt
SEWARD, Neb. – While the snow fluttered outside, Brad Bennett kept raining threes inside. The Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team put together its most complete performance of the season to date while obliterating 11th-ranked Dordt, 99-72, inside Friedrich Arena on Saturday (Jan. 4). Bennett sniped eight treys and the Bulldogs shot 62.3 percent from the floor in a stunningly dominant outing. The high-powered Defenders were held to more than 20 points below their season scoring average.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won five-straight within conference play while improving to 11-4 overall (6-3 GPAC). Concordia has triumphed in 51 of its past 56 home games.
“You could see our guys knew we wanted to change the outcome from the first time we played them,” Limback said. “They got us up there. We didn’t play well, and we knew it. This is a really good team, and we jumped on them early. Offensively, we started to roll. Brad Bennett – clearly he can get it going. It was a great team effort. We don’t do this if we don’t have good practices and a good locker room approach. I thought we caught them on a cold night, but there’s greatness in this team.”
So utterly in control, the Bulldogs led by double digits for all of the final 34 minutes and 48 seconds. Bennett drained a perimeter shot 12 seconds after tipoff and Concordia led 10-0 out of the gate. The advantage ballooned to 19 (50-31) at halftime and, just to ensure the Defenders had no hope of a comeback, Bennett canned two 3-pointers in the first minute of the second half. The senior guard from Elkhorn, Neb., finished with a game-high 26 points on his 8-for-11 marksmanship from long range. Concordia sizzled to the tune of 14-for-27 3-point shooting.
It wasn’t Bennett alone that carved up Dordt. Tristan Smith had his way in the paint and produced 21 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a blocked shot. His off-the-charts athleticism was on display with a coast-to-coast layup in the first half. Additionally, Noah Schutte supplied 11 points, four rebounds and four assists and Lukas Helms came off the bench to chip in 12 points and six rebounds. The game for freshman Elijah Gaeth (five points, five assists and five rebounds) continues to expand. Two days after going 8-for-8 from the floor at Dakota Wesleyan, Jaxon Stueve made his first shot (a three) and contributed five points, two assists and two steals.
Twelve Bulldogs registered in the scoring column and combined to give the home team a lead as large as 35 points. Any complaints on Concordia’s side are purely knit-picking. Said Limback, “We put together pretty close to a 40-minute game. This stuff shouldn’t surprise this team – maybe not this large of an outcome – but we have a lot of greatness in here … You have to keep Dordt out of transition and that was the biggest key in the first half. We were scoring and they weren’t. Our effort level was solid throughout each possession.”
Bennett helped set the tone on both ends. Not only did he rattle in eight treys, he chased around GPAC leading scorer Lucas Lorenzen (nine points on 3-for-10 shooting) on the other end. Concordia’s intensity yielded impressive defensive (40 percent shooting for Dordt) and rebounding (41-23 advantage) results.
The eight 3-point field goals for Bennett were one shy of Schutte’s program record for a single game. Joked Bennett afterwards, “He reminds me all the time.” Said Bennett of the team’s play on Saturday, “We knew it was a big game coming in, a game we wanted to get back after losing at their place. We came out and put a full 40 together and played as a team. It’s the best we’ve played all year.”
Dordt (15-1, 7-1 GPAC) got a team-high 16 points from Bryce Coppock. The only other double figure scorer was Ben Fairclough with 13. The Defenders won the first meeting with Concordia, 102-87, back on Nov. 23.
Notably, Schutte moved his career point total to 2,081. The program all-time record remains 2,099 points by former All-American Jon Ziegler.
The Bulldogs will venture to nearby Doane (8-8, 3-5 GPAC) on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff from the Haddix Center in Crete. Concordia owns a five-game series win streak and has triumphed in eight of the past nine matchups with the Tigers. In Saturday’s action, Doane upset No. 14 Morningside, 64-57, in Crete.
Bennett chosen as GPAC Defensive Player of the Week Jan. 7, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – Senior guard Brad Bennett excelled on both ends of the floor this past week as the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team earned a pair of GPAC wins. On Tuesday (Jan. 7), the league office recognized Bennett as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week. Bennett has earned a GPAC weekly award for the first time in his career. Teammates Tristan Smith (Nov. 20 and Dec. 17) and Jaxon Stueve (Dec. 31) have also been honored by the GPAC during the 2024-25 season.
Known for his 3-point shooting, Bennett also starred defensively as the Bulldogs won at Dakota Wesleyan, 95-84, on Jan. 2 and then routed No. 11 Dordt, 99-72, at home on Jan. 4. Those two opponents were held to a combined 45.8 percent shooting. In the win over previously undefeated Dordt, Bennett swiped a pair of steals and had the assignment of defending GPAC leading scorer Lucas Lorenzen, who was limited to nine points on 3-for-10 shooting from the floor. The Elkhorn, Neb., native Bennett also drained eight 3-point field goals and equaled a career-high with 26 points. Bennett scored seven points in the win at Dakota Wesleyan.
Through 15 games this season, Bennett is averaging 11.5 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point range. A Michael Benedictine High School alum, Bennett has played in 81 career games and has tallied 841 points while netting 168 career 3-point field goals.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (11-4, 6-3 GPAC) will carry a five-game GPAC win streak into Wednesday’s game at Doane (8-8, 3-5 GPAC). Tipoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. CT from the Haddix Center in Crete.
Schutte seizes program all-time scoring record as Bulldogs stay hot Jan. 9, 2025
VIDEO: Noah's record-breaking bucket
CRETE, Neb. – No one in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball has scored more points than the All-American Noah Schutte. The understated Schutte made noise on the court with a game-high 24 points on a record-setting Wednesday (Jan. 8) as the Bulldogs blew out rival Doane, 81-60, on the blacktop in Crete. Schutte and fellow star Tristan Smith had a field day against the Tiger zone and led an offensive attack that shot 55.8 percent from the floor.
Head Coach ben Limback’s surging squad has won six-straight within conference play and has triumphed in eight of its past nine outings. Concordia moved to 12-4 overall (7-3 GPAC).
“It’s a good win. Obviously, they just had a big win on Saturday, and it’s a tough place to play,” Limback said. “They guard and they’re gritty. It got a little bit chippy here, but it’s a competitive battle and we knew it would be that way. I was pleased with our ability to sustain runs and keep the lead where it was in the second half. Noah Schutte had a big start to the game. We talk about the big scoring accolade, but we needed it right out of the gate, and I think that eased everybody’s nerves.”
At the same venue where 14th-ranked Morningside fell victim to the upset four days earlier, the Bulldogs rolled behind another stellar effort from Schutte. The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum amassed 24 points and 10 rebounds while making 10-of-14 shots from the floor. Schutte moved past the legendary Jon Ziegler (2,099 career points) for No. 1 on the school’s all-time scoring list when he drove to the rack and kissed the ball off the glass at the 13:48 mark of the second half.
That bucket pushed the Concordia lead to 57-41 at the time and inspired an uproar from Schutte’s teammates and the strong contingent of family members and Bulldog fans who made the short road trip. By night’s end, Schutte’s career point total stood at 2,105. Schutte reached that number while playing in the 131st game of his college career.
Said Schutte in response to breaking the scoring record, “I was more focused on getting the win. Doane’s a gritty team. There was a lot of game left when I reached that milestone. After the game, my teammates and coaches embraced me and congratulated me in the locker room. I got a little emotional celebrating with them.”
Schutte and Smith teamed up to get the Bulldogs out of the gates quickly on Wednesday. The Bulldogs never trailed for a single second and built a cozy 40-25 halftime lead that was propped up by a Smith jumper just before the buzzer. Smith finished his evening with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Coming off an eight-trey outing in the demolition of previously undefeated Dordt, Brad Bennett helped grow the lead in the second half by knocking down a trio of 3-point field goals. Jaxon Stueve also reached double figures with 10 points and Hayden Frank added six.
With the game already decided in the second half, things got heated with Doane (8-9, 3-6 GPAC) being whistled for three technical fouls (and one on the Bulldogs). It merely delayed the inevitable. Concordia dominated by scoring in the paint and by outrebounding the Tigers, 39-24, allowing it to easily overcome its 18 turnovers. On the other side of the court, Doane shot only 37.5 percent while getting 23 points from standout guard Brady Timm.
Concordia has won six in a row and nine of the past 10 in the series with Doane. The latest installment of the rivalry will be remembered as the night Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer. He did so with Ziegler in attendance. Schutte and Ziegler had the opportunity to meet after the game. Said Limback of Schutte, “He does his thing, and he just wanted to beat Doane. I know there was some pressure, but he handled it like a champ.”
Life on the road will continue with a Saturday road trip to Sioux City, Iowa, home to Briar Cliff (9-7, 4-4 GPAC). The Bulldogs and Chargers will tip off at 3:45 p.m. CT from the Newman Flanagan Center. Concordia won the Dec. 7 matchup played in Seward by an 87-74 score. Briar Cliff had a bye on Wednesday night.
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The scoring king: Noah's top five most memorable performances Jan. 9, 2025
While carrying himself with the same quiet confidence and unassuming nature that Noah Schutte entered college with in the fall of 2020, the Laurel-Concord Coleridge High School product took his perch at the top of the list of most prolific scorers in Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball history. Fittingly, Schutte rose to No. 1 with a highly contested bucket in the paint as part of the Jan. 8 victory at Doane. Representative of his career as a whole, Schutte made 10-of-14 shots from the floor and posted 24 points and 10 rebounds in another beastly outing.
Seemingly embarrassed by the attention, Noah couldn’t avoid it afterwards. The man he passed for the title of all-time scoring king, Jon Ziegler, embraced Noah with a hug and then a few minutes of conversion. The meeting between two legends occurred during a postgame on-court gathering that saw Noah wade through congratulatory teammates and family members and pose for photos with a sign that commemorated the achievement.
Moments before Noah emerged from a victorious visiting locker room, the reaction from his teammates got to him. Noah doesn’t typically show a lot of emotion, but this was something a little bit different. Said Noah, “I was more focused on getting the win. Doane’s a gritty team. There was a lot of game left when I reached that milestone. After the game, my teammates and coaches embraced me and congratulated me in the locker room. I got a little emotional celebrating with them.”
Ziegler showed nothing but graciousness. He had no obligation to be there, but it was important to him. Wrote Ziegler in a Facebook post, “Congrats to Noah! Was great to catch up with him and his wonderful family after the game last night. He’s an amazing player on the basketball floor and an even better person off it. Taking (my son) Mauer with to watch him break the record last night was something I will forever cherish. ‘Dad, Noah is an absolute beast out there!’”
Mauer knows ball. The strong performance by Noah at Doane was simply another addition to the lengthy list of memorable moments the small-town farm boy has produced throughout his time as a Bulldog. In honor of his record-breaking achievement, here are some of the best and brightest of those moments, as reflected upon by Noah Schutte himself.
1. An all-timer in Orange City
When : Feb. 22, 2023Where : Bultman Center (Orange City, Iowa)Result : Concordia def. Northwestern, 90-77, in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals.Noah Stats : 38 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and a school record nine 3-point field goals.
You know the weather is rough when it prevents Noah’s family from making the trip. Such was the case in late February of 2023 when the Bulldogs ventured up to Orange City, Iowa, as a major winter snowstorm wreaked havoc on the area. Concordia entered the GPAC quarterfinal contest squarely on the bubble as it related to its national tournament hopes. As Tristan Smith continued to be sidelined by an injury suffered in late December, Noah delivered one of the greatest singular games ever by a Bulldog hooper. He rained in a school record nine 3-point field goals and racked up a career-high 38 points (12-for-21 from the floor) to go along with 18 rebounds and five assists. Most importantly from a team perspective, Concordia emerged with a 90-77 win that made the difference in it earning an at-large bid to the national tournament. This was the stuff of legend.
Said Noah, “I remember it being a blizzard out. I think we ended up staying up there for a few days before we went to Jamestown (for the GPAC semifinals). That game will always be stuck in the back of my head. We had a couple guys out. Tristan was out for the majority of the year. I just caught fire from three. Me and Brad (Bennett) chuckle a lot about that game with the 3-pointers made. Going on the road for the quarterfinals, that was a huge win for us … That was the one game (my family couldn’t make it to). I FaceTimed them after the game because they couldn’t make the drive.”
2. Bursting onto the national scene
When : March 11, 2022 / March 18, 2022Where : Sokol Arena (Omaha, Nebraska) / Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Mo.)Results : Concordia def. No. 12 Marian, 90-67, and No. 22 IU Kokomo, 75-65.Noah Stats : 20 points (6/11 FGs) and seven rebounds vs. Marian; 24 points (7/12 FGs) and 12 rebounds vs. IU Kokomo.
This moment encompasses a series of national tournament wins captured by the Bulldogs during their magical 2021-22 season that included the unforgettable Carter Kent-to-Tristan Smith alley-oop game-winner that beat Briar Cliff at the buzzer in a pivotal late regular season contest. It was during the national tournament run of ’22 that Noah’s name blew up across the NAIA landscape. In his first taste of the national tournament, all Noah did was put up 21 points and nine rebounds in a 96-78 win over IU Northwest, 20 and seven in a 90-67 thrashing of No. 12 Marian and 24 and 12 in a 75-65 win over No. 22 IU Kokomo. As a result, Noah became the first Bulldog to be named to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament team since 2005. Noah was a major reason why Concordia advanced all the way to the national quarterfinals.
Said Noah, “We were very fortunate to be able to play the first and second rounds in Omaha. I know a lot of people from Seward, alumni, family and friends were able to make those games. It kind of felt like a home environment for us. We kind of rolled the first two rounds and carried it into the first game in Kansas City. That was one of the most fun times I’ve had since I’ve been here – making a deep run in the national tournament.”
3. Willing the Dawgs to a title
When : February 24, 2024Where : Friedrich Arena (Seward, Nebraska)Result : Concordia def. Midland, 90-84, in overtime.Noah Stats : 34 points (8/15 FGs, 15/18 FTs), 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Noah and the Dawgs had no choice but to get down and get gritty during the final week of 2023-24 regular season. Three days after sneaking past Hastings in a home overtime pulse-pounder, Concordia made it another nail-biter while up against upset-minded Midland on Feb. 24. Noah responded by going off for 34 points and 10 rebounds while netting 15-of-18 attempts from the foul line. Noah was determined not to let the Bulldogs slip up with a share of the GPAC regular season title on the line that day. In the matchup with Hastings earlier in the week, Schutte posted 19 points and hauled in 18 rebounds. As the pressure mounted, Noah thrived. He had help in the win over Midland by Tristan Smith (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Hayden Frank (12 points off the bench).
Said Noah, “We knew what was on the line there. It was the game after Hastings where we came back and won in overtime. It was the end of the season and Midland was trying to make the GPAC tournament. Both teams had a lot to play for. We were going to get their best. We did everything we could to try to get that win and share the GPAC regular season.”
4. The breakout
When : November 23, 2021Where : Friedrich Arena (Seward, Nebraska)Result : Concordia def. No. 10 Jamestown, 92-76.Noah Stats : 27 points (9/19 FGs) and four rebounds.
Noah burned Jamestown more than once during the 2021-22 season, but the game back on Nov. 23 stands out as his first major breakthrough at the collegiate level. He was making just his third career start when 10th-ranked Jamestown, the GPAC favorite, traveled to Seward for the first meeting of the regular season between the two sides. Schutte delivered 27 points (9-for-19 from the floor) and snared four rebounds in a victory that showed that Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad meant business. With Schutte emerging alongside established stars such as Carter Kent, Gage Smith and Justin Wiersema, the Bulldogs were about to have a whole lot of fun. The lasting image that came out of the 92-76 win over the Jimmies was Schutte with tissue stuffed in his nostril to prevent a bloody nose from draining on the court. Later in the season, Noah also dropped 22 points on Jamestown in the GPAC tournament championship game victory inside Friedrich Arena. But before Noah became Noah, there was the November Jamestown game that opened eyes across the league.
Said Noah, “I think that was the game I had a bloody nose. I went over to Randy (Baack) and he gave me a whole wad of Kleenex to put in my nose, so I was running around with that hanging out. That was definitely a memorable game. That same year we played them in the GPAC championship game. Those were two really fun games for sure.”
5. Setting a new standard on the national stage
When : March 15, 2024Where : Mabee Arena (Salina, Kansas)Result : Concordia def. IU Northwest, 83-81, in the first round of the NAIA national tournament.Noah Stats : 31 points (11/18 FGs), eight rebounds and four assists.
With 31 points in 2024 NAIA first round action, Schutte put forth the highest single game scoring total ever for a Bulldog on the national stage, eclipsing the 29 points Darin Engelbart scored in a win over St. Ambrose University (Iowa) in 1995. In the most recent win at the national tournament, Concordia built a 20-point first-half lead over IU Northwest before holding on in a white-knuckler down the stretch. Noah made 11-of-18 shots from the field and 7-of-9 attempts from the foul line in 32 minutes of action. The performance was another example of how Noah’s even-keeled demeanor was built for the win-or-go-home moments.
Said Noah, “The people that made it were definitely loud. I remember we got off to a really good start and they made a push late. We were able to finish out the game … There have definitely been a lot of memorable games.”
Noah’s career by the numbers (as of Jan. 9, 2025):
· 131 games
· 2,105 points (No. 1 in program history)
· 843 rebounds (No. 4 in program history)
· 238 assists
· 89 steals
· 55.4 field goal percentage (742 / 1,338)
· 40.1 3-point field goal percentage (125 / 312)
· 78.6 free throw percentage (496 / 633)
· TEAM: 99-41 overall record; Two GPAC regular season titles; one GPAC tournament title; three national tournament appearances
Smith drops career-high 37 as Bulldogs pull out OT win at Briar Cliff Jan. 11, 2025
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In a renewal of a series that has featured wild buzzer-beating finishes in recent seasons, Concordia-Briar Cliff went down to the wire once again. After relinquishing a 16-point second-half lead, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team managed to eke out an 84-80 overtime win over the Chargers at the Newman Flanagan Center on Saturday (Jan. 11). The Bulldogs followed the lead of Tristan Smith, who powered his way to a career-high 37 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won seven-straight GPAC games (and nine of 10 overall) while moving to 13-4 (8-3 GPAC) on the season. Concordia swept the season series from Briar Cliff.
“We knew they weren’t going to go away,” Limback said. “I just think we were a little sloppy at times and didn’t make the easy plays. But I’m so proud of the team. Tristan Smith – what a performance in both halves. He showed his ability to finish at the rim and play off two feet. I thought Lukas Helms had a great first half, but really the story was Tristan had his way in the second half and overtime.”
Smith saved the day. He totaled 12 of the team’s final 14 points in regulation and then eight of his side’s 11 points in overtime while besting his previous career-high of 35 points. Smith’s fourth paint bucket of the extra session made it an 83-80 Bulldog advantage with 1:20 left to play. The final three Charger offensive possessions featured a pair of missed 3-point tries (both rebounded by Smith) and a turnover. Brad Bennett provided the game’s final tally with a free throw that made it a two-possession spread.
The heroics of Smith helped cover up a rough stretch of play in the second half for the visitors. Separate runs of 11-0 and 7-0 by Briar Cliff finally gave the home team the lead, 67-66, at the 6:02 mark of the second half. The Chargers erased what had been a 52-36 Concordia lead just a few minutes after halftime. In a nail-biting finish to regulation, Briar Cliff’s Matthew Stilwill knotted the game, 73-73, with a driving layup. The Bulldogs never trailed in overtime.
Smith racked up his 37 points on 15-for-20 shooting from the floor and 7-for-10 shooting from the foul line. He added six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots to his stat line. Other double figure scorers for Concordia were Bennett (14) and Noah Schutte (13). Fresh off becoming the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer, Schutte grabbed 11 rebounds and picked up his fifth double-double of the season. As a team, Concordia shot 53.0 percent (35-for-66) from the floor.
Briar Cliff (9-8, 4-5 GPAC) had three players score 20 or more points: Stilwill (23), Wil Lugar (20) and Blake Sindelar (20). A team known for perimeter shooting, the Chargers went 10-for-34 (.294) from beyond the arc on Saturday. Briar Cliff negated its 37-31 rebound disadvantage by turning the ball over five fewer times than Concordia. The result marked the second year in a row that the Chargers have fallen in overtime at home to the Bulldogs (86-82 final score last season).
Said Limback, “I thought our leadership was great today. Any time you go into overtime and they have the momentum, it’s tough. We came out and played well in overtime with guys being fatigued. We got some big buckets and a big free throw by Brad. These are the moments you want to be in and we answered the bell, fortunately … We’ve been playing some good basketball. I know this team’s not done. There’s a lot of greatness on this team.”
The Bulldogs will be back home on Wednesday to welcome Mount Marty (7-9, 4-6 GPAC) to Friedrich Arena for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia took both 2023-24 meetings from the Lancers. The two sides have not yet played this season. In Saturday's action, Mount Marty fell by an 84-69 score at No. 11 Dordt.
Smith hauls in third GPAC Offensive Player of the Week award of 2024-25 Jan. 14, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – Another 30-point outing for Tristan Smith netted another conference weekly award for the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball senior. On Tuesday (Jan. 14), the league office named Smith the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week. Smith also garnered the same recognition on Nov. 20 and Dec. 17. As a team, the Bulldogs have generated five GPAC Player of the Week awards in 2024-25, including those won by Jaxon Stueve (Dec. 31) and Brad Bennett (Jan. 7).
Smith efforts last week helped Concordia to road wins over Doane, 81-60, and Briar Cliff, 84-80, in overtime. In the contest at Briar Cliff, Smith powered in a career-high 37 points on 15-for-20 shooting from the floor. For the week as a whole, the Elizabeth, Colo., native compiled 53 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, four blocked shots and a steal. He made 22-of-30 (.733) shots from the floor and went 9-for-12 from the foul line. Smith has reached the 30-point mark in four separate outings this season.
Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.691), second in blocks per game (1.3), sixth in scoring average (20.4), sixth in rebounding (7.4), sixth in assists (3.9) and sixth in steals (1.9). Smith has totaled 1,246 points and 597 rebounds in 96 career games as a Bulldog.
Concordia (13-4, 8-3 GPAC) will look to extend its GPAC win streak on Wednesday when it hosts Mount Marty (7-9, 4-6 GPAC). Tipoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena.
Schutte, Smith named to 2025 Bevo Francis Award Watch List Jan. 15, 2025
Small College Basketball Bevo Francis Award Website
SEWARD, Neb. – While continuing to attract national attention for their play on the court, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball stars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith were honored on Wednesday (Jan. 15) with inclusion on the 2025 Bevo Francis Award Watch List. The initial list produced by “Small College Basketball” features 100 of the top college men’s basketball players nationally from the NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels.
According to Small College Basketball, “The Clarence ‘Bevo’ Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. This is an incredibly prestigious award.” The organization will condense its watch list to 50 players on Feb. 15, to 25 players on March 15 and to finalists on April 5. The 2025 Bevo Francis Award winner will be announced on April 7.
A graduate student from Laurel, Neb., Schutte recently became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Concordia Men’s Basketball program. This 2024-25 season, Schutte is averaging 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor and 74.7 percent from the foul line. In 132 career games, Schutte has totaled 2,118 points, 854 rebounds, 241 assists and 90 steals. He was honored as an NAIA Third Team All-American for 2023-24 and is a two-time First Team All-GPAC selection.
In his senior season, Smith has raised his game to another level. The 2023-24 First Team All-GPAC honoree is averaging 20.4 points per game and has been tabbed GPAC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season. Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.691), second in blocks per game (1.3), sixth in scoring average (20.4), sixth in rebounding (7.4), sixth in assists (3.9) and sixth in steals (1.9). Smith has totaled 1,246 points and 597 rebounds in 96 career games as a Bulldog.
Other GPAC players on the initial Bevo Francis Award Watch List include Northwestern’s Alex Van Kalsbeek and Jesse Van Kalsbeek, Dordt’s Lucas Lorenzen and Morningside’s Joey Skoff.
GPAC streak climbs to eight in return to Friedrich Arena Jan. 15, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Before looking ahead to a showdown with No. 3 Northwestern, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team steamrolled its way through Mount Marty behind another monster outing from Tristan Smith. A 22-0 first-half run spurred the Bulldogs’ 89-62 blowout of the Lancers, who were beaten soundly on the boards. Fresh off being named GPAC Offensive Player of the Week, Smith finished with a game-high 27 points while dominating both ends of the floor.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has streaked to eight-consecutive GPAC wins while improving to 9-3 in league play (14-4 overall). As a program, Concordia has won 52 of its last 57 home games.
“I thought first half we were incredible defensively and forced a lot of turnovers,” Limback said. “We really set the tone with a nice run there … Tristan’s in a rhythm right now. I think the only thing stopping him is when I get him a sub. At both ends, he just swallows guys up. He’s blocking shots at the rim and he’s scoring at the free throw line and off the dribble and kicking it out. Great timing too, because we have another big one Saturday.”
The key stretch occurred when Mount Marty went without a basket for nearly 10 minutes of game time as the Bulldogs hit the Lancers with the aforementioned 22-0 run. Zac Kulus sparked the surge with a trey at the 13:45 mark of the first half. Roughly five minutes and three Mount Marty timeouts later, Concordia owned a 32-10 lead. The onslaught came in large part due to intensity on the defensive end. The Bulldogs even got up on Marty with some full-court pressure at times.
Both Smith (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Noah Schutte (12 points and 10 rebounds) registered double-doubles. In an eye-popping back-to-back possession sequence early in the contest, Schutte elevated for a tip slam before Smith followed by throwing down an alley-oop off the dish from Elijah Gaeth. In filling out the stat sheet, Schutte blocked four shots, dropped three assists and swiped a pair of steals. Meanwhile, Kulus tossed in 16 points on the strength of 4-for-8 shooting from long range. Gaeth chipped in with eight points and five assists off the bench and Brad Bennett sniped nine points on three triples.
After some hiccups early this season, Concordia has found the level it expected of itself. Said Kulus, “Looking back, I’d say our defense has changed tremendously. At first we didn’t know our exact rotations – all our rotations were out of whack. Coach put an emphasis on it in practice, and we’ve really started to defend a lot better.”
Mount Marty (7-10, 4-7 GPAC) cut a 27-point deficit to 15 in the latter stages of the second half in one of its better stretches of the night. The Lancers were led by standout Tash Lunday and his 21-point, 10-rebound performance. A major reason for the lopsided final score was reflected in the rebounding – 38-21 in the Bulldogs’ favor. The shooting percentages were nearly even: 48.4 percent for Concordia and 47.8 percent for Mount Marty. Additionally, the Bulldogs also were plus-five in turnovers.
Said Limback, “Mount Marty does a good job. They pressure and they switch. I think Zac does a good job playing his speed. He got us going early from the 3-point lead when we needed to see something go in. He does a great job of shot-faking and guys were finding him in the second half. He was a huge lift off the bench tonight.”
Prior to tipoff, Schutte was honored for his achievement of ascending to the top of the program’s all-time scoring list one week earlier. He was greeted at center court by previous scoring king Jon Ziegler. Following Wednesday night’s efforts, Schutte has totaled 2,130 points for his career.
Next up will be a showdown with No. 3 Northwestern (17-1, 9-1 GPAC). The Bulldogs and Red Raiders will clash at 3:45 p.m. CT inside Friedrich Arena in the first meeting of the season between the two sides. Northwestern has fallen in each of its past six trips to Seward. In Wednesday's action, the Red Raiders suffered their first loss of the season in a 78-75 home defeat at the hands of rival Dordt.
Sizzling hot Dawgs use balance, rugged defense to cut down No. 3 Northwestern Jan. 18, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – A 12-0 first-half run provided the lift the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team needed in an anticipated showdown with third-ranked Northwestern on Saturday (Jan. 18). The Bulldogs limited the visiting Red Raiders to 37.1 percent shooting while claiming the 85-70 victory inside Friedrich Arena, a venue unfriendly to the opposition. The matchup featured a frontcourt battle between Concordia stars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith and Northwestern’s Van Kalsbeek brothers, Alex and Jesse.
At No. 3 in the NAIA coaches’ poll, Northwestern represented the highest ranked opponent that the Bulldogs have defeated in Head Coach Ben Limback’s 12-year tenure. Concordia (15-4, 10-3 GPAC) has pushed its GPAC winning streak to nine.
“Special, special night,” Limback said. “Tristan Smith continues to do all these things – rebounding and defense. What a battle between him and (Alex) Van Kalsbeek. Those are two All-America guys. The bench was great – Zac Kulus, Brooks Kissinger and Eli (Gaeth). Eli just does so many things for our offense. Jaxon Stueve’s defense (was terrific). There were so many contributions by so many guys. I know I’m forgetting guys.”
The contributions made across the board paved the way for Concordia to win this one without any late game drama. The Red Raiders had one last gasp in the final minutes when Kaleb Booth’s trey got the visitors within eight (75-67) with 2:13 remaining on the clock. However, the Bulldogs were a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line the rest of the way and Northwestern managed only one more basket. The lack of production on the Red Raider offensive end became the story.
Northwestern (17-2, 9-2 GPAC) was held well below its season scoring average of 91.1. As expected, the Van Kalsbeeks, Alex (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Jesse (12 points and 10 rebounds) were a load inside. However, the 15-point margin of victory came in part because Concordia managed to hold freshmen Jesse Van Kalsbeek and Jalen Langsy (14 points) to a combined 8-for-31 from the floor.
Said the Millard North High School product Gaeth, “I would say the defensive side and focusing on our defense (was the key). We know they have a lot of good bigs and guys who can shoot. So we focused on our defense and that led to our offense, playing fast and getting in transition. It turned out well for us.”
Smith has made a major push in terms of his GPAC Player of the Year candidacy. He stuffed the box score with 17 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gaeth turned in a career high 16 points (5-for-9 from the floor) in a starring role off the bench. Gaeth knocked down two triples as part of a coming-of-age breakout afternoon. Other double-figure scorers were Schutte (15) and Kissinger (10) with Stueve (nine) and Hayden Frank (seven) close behind. Stueve continues to expand his game as one of the team’s better defenders.
As a team, Concordia shot 50 percent (27-for-54) from the floor and netted 25-of-30 (.833) from the foul line. The Bulldogs also had the rebound edge over a dominant Red Raider frontcourt, 40-36. Northwestern fell twice this week (78-75 at home to No. 12 Dordt on Wednesday) and has been beaten in each of its past seven visits to Friedrich Arena. As a program, Concordia is 53-5 in its past 58 home games. The nine-game GPAC win streak dates back to Dec. 7.
Said Limback, “I think Northwestern’s an amazing team. We told the guys in the locker room that if you don’t believe we’re just as good if not better, then you shouldn’t walk out here today. I think we had the belief that we could beat this team, but that’s an amazing team. They didn’t shoot well at times. Certainly, we’ll have another chance at them. Two really good basketball teams, and what a fun environment.”
The Bulldogs will take a break from conference play for the entirety of next week. The next time Limback’s squad takes the court it will be at the 72nd Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 24-25) in Ann Arbor, Mich. On day one of the event, CUNE will take on Concordia University Ann Arbor at 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET. More details on CIT can be found HERE .
Stueve honored as GPAC Defensive Player of the Week for second time Jan. 21, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – Sophomore wing Jaxon Stueve has quickly become one of the top defenders for a surging Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team. On Tuesday (Jan. 21), the league office tabbed Stueve as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Stueve pulled in the same recognition on Dec. 31. As a team, the Bulldogs have earned six combined GPAC Player of the Week awards this season (three from Tristan Smith).
A Papillion, Neb., native and Bellevue West High School product, Stueve helped Concordia claim home wins last week over Mount Marty, 89-62, and No. 3 Northwestern, 85-70. Stueve’s best work came against the highly-ranked Red Raiders as he spent much of the game defending freshman star Jesse Van Kalsbeek, who wound up with 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting. Northwestern shot only 37.1 percent as a team and was held to more than 20 points fewer than its season average. Stueve and company also forced 18 turnovers in the victory over the Lancers. On the offensive end, Stueve put up a combined 13 points for the week.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (15-4, 10-3 GPAC) will look to extend its eight-game winning streak when it arrives in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 72nd Concordia Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs will match up with Concordia University Chicago on Friday as part of day one action at CIT.
Smith and the Dawgs slam Cougars at CIT Jan. 24, 2025
VIDEO: Tristan Smith alley-oop slam 'wows' CIT crowd
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – When it took care of the ball, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team torched the nets on day one (Jan. 24) of the 2025 Concordia Invitational Tournament. Another eye-popping alley-oop slam by Tristan Smith highlighted a comfy 90-71 Bulldog victory over Concordia University Chicago in Ann Arbor, Mich. CUNE easily overcame a rash of turnovers by shooting 61.0 percent from the floor.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won nine-straight games while jumping to 16-4 overall. The Bulldogs are aiming to defend their string of three-consecutive CIT championships.
“I didn’t even have to really say it (in regard to the turnovers) – I think they knew it,” Limback said. “The best part about this team is they understand what needs to happen. A large part of the game is making mistakes and learning from it and growing. Hats off to Concordia Chicago. I thought they played really hard on defense. They were scrappy and made us turn it over. We’re really good offensively when we can play our speed and we had a tough time doing that tonight.”
Smith brought gasps late in the contest when he one-hand jammed a fast-break alley-oop off the dish from Brooks Kissinger. Smith reached behind his head with his off hand (right) before no-look punching the ball through the rim. The Elizabeth, Colo., native starred with 22 points (10-for-13 from the field), 12 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals. The top three scorers, Smith included, were all efficient for CUNE as Hayden Frank poured in 17 points (6-for-8 from the field) and Noah Schutte added 13 points (6-for-9 shooting).
The lead ballooned to 26 points with just under 6:30 remaining in the contest. The Bulldogs managed to run away with it despite 26 turnovers that led to 27 points for the Cougars. CUNE simply had more weapons. Brad Bennett added nine points while budding freshman Elijah Gaeth posted 10 points and seven rebounds. In addition, Kissinger chipped in with eight points and Jaxon Stueve supplied six points and four boards. In continuing a season long theme, the Bulldogs won the rebound battle decisively, 39-24.
CUC (6-11) got a team high 15 points from Jacob Collicott (5-for-19 from the floor), who was especially active on the defensive end with eight steals. The Cougars shot only 43.9 percent from the floor and led only briefly in the opening minutes of the game.
The atmosphere figures to ramp up on Saturday night. Said Frank of playing at CIT, “I think it’s pretty cool how much it means to all the dads and grandpas here. They truly love CIT. It’s cool to get all the Concordia teams here. I think it’s cool seeing the atmosphere. Everyone’s cheering and everyone’s loud. Everyone’s here to see good basketball.”
In a winning effort, CUNE learned something about itself. Limback expects his side to be sharper if faced with full-court pressure as the season wears on. The Bulldogs also showed they can overcome shortcomings in certain areas thanks to the star power of the likes of Smith and Schutte.
Said Limback, “Any time you can see different styles (it’s a good thing). We knew that was going to be part of it coming into this – the running and the trapping. I think seeing that prepares you for those moments at the end of games … but I liked our defense in the half court. We’ll learn a lot from this game.”
The goal for the Bulldogs on Saturday will be to add to the program’s 30 all-time CIT titles. The 2025 championship game is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET from Cardinal Fieldhouse. CUNE is set to play the winner between Concordia University Ann Arbor and Concordia University Wisconsin.
Dawgs steamroll Cardinals for CIT title behind MVP Smith Jan. 26, 2025
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A jampacked Cardinal Fieldhouse 24 hours removed from an emotional court storming went quiet on Saturday (Jan. 25) as the evening wore on at the 72nd Concordia Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs used a plus-18 turnover ratio and ownership of the boards in an 88-45 thumping of Concordia University Ann Arbor. Tristan Smith dazzled with another alley-oop slam and a windmill dunk in transition on his way to CIT MVP honors.
The result marked the 31st CIT title in program history. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (17-4) has won 10-straight games and is ready to skyrocket in the NAIA national rankings.
“I think our guys were ready to go,” Limback said. “In an environment like this, the message is to come out and play our game and not worry about anything else. Jaxon Stueve got us off to a good start with two big threes and everybody settled in. We’ve got amazing leadership with Tristan and Noah (Schutte) and our seniors. I love the way we handled the game. Off the bench at the end, our guys were playing hard defensively.”
It was as about as dominant of a CIT as the Bulldogs have ever put together. The weekend included a 90-71 rout of Concordia Chicago on day one. On day two, CUNE flexed its muscles with a 13-0 run in the second half that took the air out of the balloon. In the sequence that put the contest away, the Bulldogs used full-court pressure to get layup after layup in transition. By halftime, CUNE had pushed its lead to an insurmountable 47-23.
Smith posted 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals while taking most of the second half off. On his birthday, Schutte tallied 12 points and seven rebounds and was tabbed CIT All-Tournament along with the MVP Smith. Brad Bennett added 12 points and a trio of steals. The bench carried the torch with 37 points, including six apiece from Brooks Kissinger, Zac Kulus and Tony Tubrick. In addition, Hayden Frank posted seven points, four assists and three steals.
CUNE shot 43.4 percent overall, but this performance was more about its stifling defensive effort. The Bulldogs have soared because of their tenacity on that end of the floor while faced with a challenging road environment.
Said Limback, “It was a great environment. You don’t get this a lot. We said to embrace the moment. I have a special place in my heart for Ann Arbor. I told our guys to compete with respect. It was a wonderful environment these guys will never forget. It was special to be able to get everybody into the game.”
The MVP award was a no-brainer. For the Concordias that were unaware, now they know. Smith has blossomed into one of the very best players in the country. Said Smith afterwards, “That was just an all-around team effort. We knew they were going to come at us with a zone. We don’t see a lot of that in the GPAC, so it took a little adjusting. We came out and set the tone defensively. We knew that was going to be our biggest impact.”
CUAA (6-14) had been looking to add to its four all-time CIT championships. Two of those were won during Limback’s tenure in Ann Arbor. The CIT All-Tournament honoree from the Cardinals was Jason Jergens. Colby Chapman paced CUAA with 12 points in the championship game.
A return to Nebraska will mean a return to conference play. The Bulldogs will make a visit to Midland (10-12, 5-9 GPAC) on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff in Fremont, Neb. CUNE won a competitive first matchup by a final of 89-78 back on Nov. 26 when the two sides met inside Friedrich Arena.
2025 CIT All-Tournament
MVP – Tristan Smith, CUNE
CIT MVP Smith collects fourth GPAC weekly award of season Jan. 28, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – The accolades keep coming for senior star Tristan Smith. On Tuesday (Jan. 28), the league office named Smith the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week. Smith has been tabbed as a GPAC Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. His three other weekly honors were offensive awards. As a team, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball has earned seven GPAC Player of the Week awards in 2024-25.
The latest honor for Smith comes courtesy of his efforts at the 72nd Concordia Invitational Tournament. The Elizabeth, Colo., native was named the CIT MVP after leading the Bulldogs to wins over Concordia Chicago, 90-71, and Concordia Ann Arbor, 88-45. Over those two games, Smith totaled 36 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, four blocked shots and four steals. He made 15-of-17 shots from the floor at Cardinal Fieldhouse, which went wild in response to Smith’s series of highlight reel dunks.
The CIT championship marked the 100th career game for Smith, who has tallied 1,326 points, 639 rebounds, 190 assists, 113 blocks and 101 steals as a Bulldog. On the season, Smith is averaging 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He leads the GPAC in field goal percentage (.703).
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (17-4, 10-3 GPAC) will carry a 10-game winning streak into Wednesday’s matchup at Midland. Tipoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. CT in Fremont, Neb.
Flurry out of second half break buries Midland as win streak reaches 11 Jan. 29, 2025
FREMONT, Neb. – Roughly two months earlier, Midland gave the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team all it could handle inside Friedrich Arena. This time around, a still surface-of-the-sun hot Bulldog team buried the Warriors with 53.8 percent shooting in a comfortable 98-73 win in Fremont, Neb., on Wednesday (Jan. 29). Sophomore Jaxon Stueve starred on both ends of the floor while Tristan Smith shook off first-half foul trouble and recorded another 20-point performance.
No one has been able to slow Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad down in the year 2025. The now 13th-ranked Bulldogs (18-4, 11-3 GPAC) have won 11-straight games with only one of those outings decided by a single-digit margin.
“That was an impressive offensive effort,” Limback said. “We were making some early threes. Stueve got off to a great start and Brad (Bennett) got involved. I thought, offensively, we were okay in the first half. Second half was way better with movement. We really shared the ball. Midland was trying to protect the paint against Tristan and Noah (Schutte), which creates openings for shooters. When Noah and Tristan are unselfish like that – we have a lot of guys who can score it.”
There was no emotional letdown for Smith and the crew coming off a dominant title run at the Concordia Invitational Tournament. Midland (10-13, 5-10 GPAC) pulled within four (36-32) late in the first half before the Bulldogs hit the gas and left their in-state rival in the dust. The 19-2 run that spilled into the second half set the tone. Smith rattled off the first six points of the second half and Stueve followed by raining in one of his five treys. The lead had bulged to 21 (55-34) and later grew as large as 28.
Stueve filled it up with a game-high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor. On the other end, the Papillion, Neb., native drew the assignment of defending Warrior star guard Jake Orr, who finished with 14 points on a 6-for-17 effort (with the majority of those points coming after the lead had moved into the 20s). Orr racked up 33 points in the first matchup in Seward. In continuing its stellar defensive work, Concordia limited Midland to 43.9 percent shooting and owned the boards, 43-28.
Said Limback of Stueve, “He’s done this multiple games. CIT championship game, he got us started with two quick threes. He’s shooting it with a lot of confidence, and that’s what you want. You want your guys ready to play. It helps when teams are keying on Tristan and Noah, and they’re making those reads.”
Commented Stueve afterwards, “Defensively, I thought it was our intensity (that was key). We played them in November, and I thought, back then we were kind of slacking on defense. We’ve been working hard in practice, and the coaches had a great scout for us to try and stop Midland. We executed the plan.”
The CIT MVP Smith posted nine rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots to go along with his 20 points in only 21 minutes on Wednesday. Schutte turned in a solid evening with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds and Bennett dropped 11 points while going 3-for-6 from 3-point range. As a team, Concordia torched the nets with 16-for-31 perimeter shooting. The marksman Bennett crept above 900 career points. Off the bench, Jake Hilkemann added eight points.
Due to Dordt’s loss on Wednesday, the Bulldogs moved within a game of the first-place Defenders (12-2 GPAC). Concordia completed a 9-0 month of January that featured wins over No. 3 Northwestern and No. 11 Dordt.
A return to Friedrich Arena for the first home game since Jan. 18 is coming up on Saturday when Waldorf (3-18, 2-12 GPAC) will make its way to town for a 3:45 p.m. CT tipoff. The two sides met in Forest City, Iowa, on Dec. 14 when the Bulldogs came away with a 103-79 victory. The Warriors had Wednesday night off from game action.
Dawgs stay simmering hot, blow out Waldorf for 12th-straight win Feb. 1, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – The locomotive that is the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team steamed through Waldorf like a mere speed bump on Saturday (Feb. 1). The 13th-ranked Bulldogs made 17 of their first 23 shots from the floor while leaving the Warriors in the dust, 97-63, inside Friedrich Arena. Concordia shot 58.1 percent overall and turned it over just six times while winning for the 54th time over its past 59 home games.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (19-4, 12-3 GPAC) kept pace near the top of the league standings thanks to its 12th-straight victory. Only one of those wins has been decided by a single-digit margin.
“I thought we guarded well. Any time our defense can lead to the offensive end (it’s a good thing),” Limback said. “Our starters did a great job setting the tone. Tristan (Smith) and Noah (Schutte) continue to do what they’re doing, and I thought Jaxon Stueve defensively was excellent. How about that first half from Brooks Kissinger, even before that buzzer beater. He was dialed in.”
Like many of their recent games, the Bulldogs took the air out of it early by mounting a sizable lead. Tristan Smith got going early with a steal and transition dunk that made it 14-2 just over five minutes into action. The lead remained in double digits the rest of the way as Concordia essentially did what it sought out to do at the offensive end. Brooks Kissinger helped extend the lead at the close of the first half with an emphatic dunk over a defender and a logo trey to beat the buzzer.
The efficiency of the Bulldogs’ four double-figure scorers proved remarkable. Kissinger went 8-for-10 from the floor for 21 points, Schutte went 8-for-9 for 20 points, Smith went 5-for-5 for 14 points and Stueve went 3-for-4 for 10 points. Smith entered the game leading the GPAC in field goal percentage with a clip of better than 70 percent. By the end of the contest, the Elizabeth, Colo., native passed his older brother Gage for 15th on the program’s all-time scoring list.
On the other end, Concordia was just as effective. Waldorf (3-19, 2-13 GPAC) shot only 38.3 percent from the floor and turned it over 18 times. The lockdown efforts of the 6-foot-4 Stueve continue to draw praise from Limback. No Warrior player had more than 11 points (Cartier Parr) inside a house of horrors for the opposition. The only real surprise was that Waldorf managed to play the Bulldogs even on the boards, 35-35.
With Hayden Frank sidelined on Saturday, freshman Elijah Gaeth made his first career start as a Bulldog. He posted seven points, four rebounds and four assists with no turnovers in 19 minutes. Zac Kulus also added nine points off the bench and Tony Tubrick knocked down a late corner triple to put a cherry on top. Simmering hot Concordia remains one game behind first-place Dordt atop the GPAC.
Said Limback, “This team’s dialed in. It’s fun to coach right now because they’re just an unselfish group. They play hard, they’re having fun and it was good to see that happen today. When guys are moving the ball and not thinking about scoring every time, the shots will find you. When we’re getting our defense leading to offense, it’s a lot easier to score in transition.”
The Bulldogs will have the middle of this coming week off while looking ahead to next Saturday (Feb. 8)’s trip to Orange City, Iowa, for a showdown with No. 16 Northwestern (20-3, 12-3 GPAC). Tipoff from the Bultman Center is slated for 3:45 p.m. CT. In the meeting that took place in Seward on Jan. 18, Concordia won by an 85-70 score with the help of 17 points and 15 rebounds from Smith.
Schutte and Smith named to Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List for career achievement Feb. 2, 2025
Small College Basketball Release
SEWARD, Neb. – In recognition of their decorated collegiate careers, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball stars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith were named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List on Saturday (Feb. 1). The watch list includes 25 men’s basketball student-athletes and was selected by the National Awards Committee and Small College Basketball. Concordia has the unique distinction of being the only men’s basketball program with two players chosen to the watch list.
The Trevor Hudgins Award is presented annually by the Small College Basketball organization to the senior (or graduate student) who has had the finest overall career in college basketball outside of the NCAA Division I level. According to the organization, the criteria includes overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards and personal character. The player must play his entire career within “Small College Basketball.”
A two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree and 2023-24 NAIA Third Team All-American, Schutte became Concordia’s all-time leading scorer this season. Through 23 games in 2024-25, Schutte is averaging 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 59.0 percent from the floor, 34.9 percent from 3-point range and 75.9 percent from the foul line. Over 138 career games as a Bulldog, Schutte (Laurel, Neb.) has tallied 2,203 points, 885 rebounds, 256 assists and 95 steals. In addition to ranking No. 1 on the program’s all-time points list, Schutte ranks third in school history for career rebounds.
A First Team All-GPAC award winner as a junior, Smith has elevated to another level as a senior. Through 23 games in 2024-25, Smith is averaging 20.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. The Elizabeth, Colo., native leads all GPAC players with a field goal percentage of 70.9. In 102 career games, Smith has totaled 1,360 points, 653 rebounds, 200 assists, 116 blocked shots and 102 steals. He has been named a GPAC Player of the Week four times this season.
Schutte and Smith were also named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List by Small College Basketball on Jan. 15. For more details on that recognition, click HERE .
Win streak halted at 12 in rematch with Red Raiders Feb. 8, 2025
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – With All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek sidelined, freshmen Jalen Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek rose to the occasion on Saturday (Feb. 8) as 16th-ranked Northwestern handed the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team its first defeat in 50 days. The 13th-ranked Bulldogs were limited to 44.1 percent shooting as they fell in Orange City, 87-70, in a score that was essentially the reverse of the one from the first meeting between the two sides. Tristan Smith led Concordia with 22 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad sorely needed this one to keep pace with Dordt (15-2 GPAC) at the top of the league standings. The Bulldogs (19-5, 12-4 GPAC) slipped two games out of first in the loss column after Saturday’s results.
“They had big Van Kalsbeek out and that’s obviously something we didn’t game-plan for,” Limback said. “So then you’re scrambling at the beginning the game. We told our guys, it doesn’t matter. They’re still a very talented team. We needed to get off to a better start. They started to feel good and got in a rhythm. It was a game. We got outplayed in the first half. I thought we would respond better, but we couldn’t get the stops or string together consistent offense. Hats off to Northwestern. They’ve been through a lot.”
Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek experienced inefficient offensive performances in Seward on Jan. 18, but they led the charge on Saturday by splurging for 22 points apiece. Successive layups by Langsy and Van Kalsbeek early in the second half made it a 16-point hole (58-42) and had Concordia playing catchup. Spurred by Brooks Kissinger, the Bulldogs got back within six (60-54) before Northwestern responded emphatically.
In turning the tide in a series that featured 10 Concordia wins in the past 13 matchups, the Red Raiders flipped the script on a Bulldog team that had been rebounding well and playing lockdown defense. Northwestern shot 55.7 percent (34-for-61) from the floor and owned the boards, 40-25, behind eight rebounds from Jesse Van Kalsbeek. From the perimeter, Langsy knocked down four of the team’s eight triples.
Smith had to work for his 22 points (9-for-16 from the floor). He added six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots to his stat line. The Elizabeth, Colo., native was joined in double figures by teammates in Kissinger (15) and Noah Schutte (13). Freshman Elijah Gaeth made his second-straight start in place of Hayden Frank and supplied eight points. However, early turnovers, poor shooting and an inability to get key stops doomed the Bulldogs.
Said Limback, “Brooks Kissinger continues to play with confidence and toughness. He got to the free throw line a number of times and really sparked us in the second half. We had a nice flurry. I thought Dane Jacobsen defensively really helped us to get out in transition. It wasn’t enough. Tristan was getting loaded up on in the paint and we weren’t good enough from three today. Brooks was certainly a bright spot.”
The GPAC standings are tightly packed after Dordt at the top. Northwestern (13-4), Morningside (13-4) and Concordia (12-4) all have four GPAC losses apiece with Dakota Wesleyan (10-5) lurking not far behind. All five teams appear primed to play in the national tournament in March.
Another road contest is coming up on Wednesday when the Bulldogs will be at Hastings (3-20, 2-14 GPAC) for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia won the first meeting with the Broncos, 101-82, in Seward. In Saturday’s action, Hastings fell at Morningside, 69-58. The Broncos are situated near the bottom of the league standings after sharing the GPAC regular season title last season.
Road rout of Broncos defined by dominant second half Feb. 12, 2025
HASTINGS, Neb. – Hot perimeter shooting in the first half allowed Hastings to hang tight before Tristan Smith and the 12th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team blew the game open after halftime. The Bulldogs stormed out of the break with a 15-2 run that helped propel them to a 94-71 victory inside Lynn Farrell Arena on Wednesday (Feb. 12). Smith powered in 24 points and led a group of five Concordia double-figure scorers in a return to the win column following this past weekend's loss at No. 16 Northwestern.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has hit the 20-win mark (20-5, 13-4 GPAC) while earning a season sweep of the rival Broncos. Limback has led the program to five 20-win seasons during his tenure.
“They shot really well in the first half,” Limback said. “They hit some tough twos and started to make some threes and get in rhythm. Thankfully, offensively we were pretty good in the first half and were able to sustain some of that. The start to the second half, we were able to jump them and quickly extend it to a 15-point lead. Brad (Bennett) got it going and Tristan’s a load. Noah (Schutte) did some good things in the second half, and I was really pleased with our defense in the second half.”
Whatever hopes Hastings had of pulling the upset were stamped out quickly after halftime. Brad Bennett started the splurge with a trey. Roughly two minutes later, Noah Schutte splashed in a three of his own that pushed the lead to 53-40 and prompted a Bronco timeout. Concordia proceeded to continue scoring at will. It built a 20-point lead (65-45) by the 13:11 mark and then pushed the advantage to 29 (74-45) by the 11:39 mark. For the game, the Bulldogs shot a scintillating 56.5 percent from the floor.
Despite being whistled for two fouls in the game’s first 10 minutes, Smith piled up 20 points by halftime. For good measure, Smith threw down a late alley-oop dunk off a half-court pass from Zac Kulus. Smith made 10-of-11 shots from the foul line and added nine rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Smith and Schutte (10 points and 12 rebounds) led the charge in the rebounding department, owned by the visitors by a count of 41-29.
Smith and Schutte were joined in double figures by Kulus (12), Elijah Gaeth (11) and Bennett (10). The freshman Gaeth dished out seven assists without committing a turnover. Meanwhile, Kulus was credited with four assists and four rebounds as part of one of his better outings this season. Off the bench, Dane Jacobsen chipped in with eight points and Brooks Kissinger supplied six.
Said Limback of Kulus, “He plays so hard and is so good offensively on the perimeter. Defensively, he’s really picked up his effort level and intensity. There was some good stuff out of that last group. Dane Jacobsen came in early and jumped in and kept us solid at the beginning. It was a team effort, especially in the second half.”
The 12 rebounds for Schutte on Wednesday moved his career total to 901, surpassing Gage Smith (899) for No. 2 on the program’s all-time rebound list. Schutte also continues to pad his school record point total, which stands at 2,226.
Hastings (3-21, 2-15 GPAC) got a team high 16 points from Christian Pujals. The Broncos fizzled in the second half (33.3 percent) and shot 41.3 percent overall. After going 8-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, Hastings made 5-of-15 from long range over the final 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs will return to Friedrich Arena on Saturday when Dakota Wesleyan (19-6, 12-5 GPAC) will make a visit to Seward. Tipoff is set for 3:45 p.m. CT. In this season’s first matchup contested at the Corn Palace, Concordia shot 67.3 percent and earned a 95-84 victory. In Wednesday’s action, the Tigers defended the home court, 99-90, while up against a hot Morningside squad.
Efficient offense leads 12th-ranked Bulldogs to home victory Feb. 15, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Just like the first meeting in Mitchell, S.D., the 12th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team won this one while carving up a Dakota Wesleyan team likely to be included in the national tournament field. The Bulldogs shot 64.2 percent from the floor on Saturday (Feb. 15) and pulled away from the Tigers, 91-76, inside Friedrich Arena. The always reliable Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith both poured in 20 points and Brooks Kissinger starred off the bench.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (21-5, 14-4 GPAC) kept pace in its bid to maintain a top two spot in the GPAC standings. As a program, Concordia improved to 55-5 over its last 60 home games.
“We had a really, really good spurt in the second half,” Limback said. “The first half was solid. I thought they outplayed us in the second half on the glass, and that kept them in the game. Tristan and Noah were un-guardable. Offensively, we shot 64 percent and took care of the ball better in the second half. Our message was we didn’t put together a full 40. That’s going to be our goal. We also beat a team that’s having a really good year. Great win, but I think there is more that we could have done.”
There were slow starts to both halves for the Bulldogs, but score-at-will stretches covered up such momentary lapses. Concordia went on a 17-2 run in the first half (to lead 24-14) and a 23-8 surge in the second half (to lead 81-61). Schutte notched 13 of his 21 points in the first 20 minutes and Kissinger tallied 11 of his 15 in the opening half. After the break, Smith collected 14 of his game-high 23 points in another sterling outing. Smith added eight rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals to his stat line.
The depth for the Bulldogs has been impressive, especially considering the Bulldogs continued to play without Hayden Frank and Lukas Helms. Kissinger supplied the energy off the bench, igniting the crowd with two offensive boards and a put-back on one possession and a two-handed dunk later on.
“It was just a team effort,” Kissinger said. “Tristan and Noah did a great job of getting down hill and finding me on cuts. Everybody else was screening and rebounding. It was just a good team effort today.”
The trio or Schutte (7-for-9), Smith (11-for-15) and Kissinger (7-for-9) combined to go 25-for-33 from the floor. In supporting roles, Jaxon Stueve registered eight points and four rebounds, Brad Bennett totaled seven points and Elijah Gaeth recorded six points and four assists. Gaeth made his fourth-straight start. As a team, the Bulldogs made 9-of-17 (.529) attempts from 3-point range and narrowly won the rebound battle, 32-29.
Dakota Wesleyan (19-7, 12-6 GPAC) saw its seven-game GPAC winning streak snapped. The Tigers placed four of their five starts in double figures, led by 14 points from Tampa Scott. Randy Rosenquist Jr. added 13 points. DWU shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64) overall and turned it over only seven times (compared to 12 by Concordia). The Tigers were coming off a home win over Morningside on Wednesday.
Said Limback, “The outcome was what we wanted. It’s a big game where we’re fighting for home court and hopefully have a chance to host a couple of games in the GPAC tournament. We want to continue to climb and get better and better.”
As part of the final week of the regular season, the Bulldogs will welcome rival Doane (9-17, 4-14 GPAC) to Friedrich Arena for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. Concordia won this season’s meeting in Crete, 81-60, and has triumphed in each of the past six series matchups. In Saturday's action, the Tigers were defeated at home, 99-93, in overtime by No. 7 Dordt. The Defenders remain in the driver’s seat atop the GPAC with a 16-2 league mark. As part of Wednesday night's festivities, the Bulldogs will honor their senior class.
Smith makes cut for 50-player Bevo Francis Award Watch List Feb. 16, 2025
Small College Basketball – Bevo Francis Award
SEWARD, Neb. – Previously named to the 100-player watch list, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball star Tristan Smith made the cut and was included on the Bevo Francis Award Watch List of 50 players released by Small College Basketball on Feb. 15. Other GPAC players included on the 50-player watch list are Lucas Lorenzen of Dordt, Joey Skoff of Morningside and Alex Van Kalsbeek of Northwestern.
The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball (outside of the NCAA Division I level). Considerations are season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. The Bevo Francis Award Watch List will be trimmed to 25 players on March 15, finalists will be announced on April 5 and the winner will be unveiled on April 7.
A frontrunner for GPAC Player of the Year honors, Smith continues to pace the GPAC in field goal percentage (.702). Among league players, he also ranks second in blocks (1.6), fourth in rebounds (7.8), sixth in scoring (20.3), sixth in assists (4.0) and eighth in steals (1.7). In 105 career games as a Bulldog, Smith has compiled 1,429 points, 676 rebounds, 212 assists, 122 blocks and 106 steals. On the program’s all-time lists, Smith ranks fifth in blocks, 11th in rebounds, 12th in scoring and 21st in assists. Smith has been named a GPAC Player of the Week four times this season.
Smith and the 12th-ranked Bulldogs (21-5, 14-4 GPAC) will polish off the regular season this week as they host Doane on Wednesday and then travel to Mount Marty on Saturday. Concordia currently sits in a tie for second place in the GPAC standings.
Smith earns fifth GPAC Player of the Week award of 2024-25 Feb. 18, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – The accolades keep coming in for star Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball senior Tristan Smith. On Tuesday (Feb. 18), the league office honored Smith as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week. Smith has been recognized as a GPAC Player of the Week five times (three times offensively and twice defensively) during the 2024-25 campaign. As a team, the 12th-ranked Bulldogs have pulled in eight GPAC Player of the Week awards this season.
The Elizabeth, Colo., native Smith led Concordia to GPAC wins last week over Hastings, 94-71, and Dakota Wesleyan, 91-76. From a defensive perspective, the Bulldogs limited the Broncos to 41.3 percent shooting and the Tigers to 45.3 percent shooting. Over those two victories, Smith tallied 47 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four blocked shots and three steals.
Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.702), second in blocks (1.6), fourth in rebounds (7.8), sixth in scoring (20.3), sixth in assists (4.0) and eighth in steals (1.7). In 105 career games as a Bulldog, Smith has compiled 1,429 points, 676 rebounds, 212 assists, 122 blocks and 106 steals. On the program’s all-time lists, Smith ranks fifth in blocks, 11th in rebounds, 12th in scoring and 21st in assists. He was named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List of 50 players on Feb. 15.
Smith and the Bulldogs (21-5, 14-4 GPAC) will host Doane at 7:45 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Prior to tipoff, Smith and his fellow senior classmates will be honored as part of senior day festivities.
Smith 2024-25 GPAC honors:
Offensive Player of the Week: Nov. 20, Dec. 17 and Jan. 14
Defensive Player of the Week: Jan. 28 and Feb. 18
Eleven Bulldogs represent men's basketball on 2024-25 NAIA Scholar-Athlete list Feb. 19, 2025
2024-25 NAIA Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete List
SEWARD, Neb. – A group of 11 Bulldogs represented the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball program on the list of 2024-25 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes announced on Wednesday (Feb. 19). Repeat honorees include Bradley Bennett, Zac Kulus, Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. The other seven Concordia Scholar-Athletes have earned recognition for the first time (full list below).
In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
In addition to collecting multiple NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards, veteran standouts in Bennett, Schutte and Smith were each named Academic All-District honorees by College Sports Communicators in 2023-24. CSC will unveil 2024-25 basketball all-district awards on March 25.
Concordia University, Nebraska ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,526 entering the 2024-25 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2024-25 Concordia Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes
· Bradley Bennett (Elkhorn, Neb.)
· Hayden Frank (Malcolm, Neb.)
· Garrett Grandgenett (Wahoo, Neb.)
· Brooks Kissinger (Ashland, Neb.)
· Zac Kulus (Bennington, Neb.)
· Jace Nelson (Gordon, Neb.)
· Karson Pihl (Lindsborg, Kan.)
· Noah Schutte (Laurel, Neb.)
· Tristan Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.)
· Brandt Van Dyke (Lawton, Iowa)
· Matthew Weismann (Gibbon, Neb.)
Smith, seniors demolish Doane in regular season home finale Feb. 19, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Quick starts to both halves were enough to provide the 12th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team the cushion it needed on senior night (Feb. 19). Despite Noah Schutte’s late scratch, the Bulldogs shot 56.9 percent and took care of business with an 89-59 demolition of visiting Doane. One of seven fourth-year seniors recognized prior to tipoff, do-it-all star Tristan Smith powered home 19 points as he continues to state his case for GPAC Player of the Year honors.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad went 13-1 at home during the 2024-25 regular season. With one contest left prior to the postseason, Concordia ran its record to 22-5 overall (15-4 GPAC).
“A lot of credit to them. They played hard defensively,” said Limback of a tight opening half. “They sped us up, and I thought we got a little out of rhythm. Second half, we came out great. Tristan started scoring inside and Zac (Kulus) and Brad (Bennett) got loose from three. We really started opening it up in transition finally. It’s different with Noah getting injured in warmups. That’s a game changer, but I thought we came out and adjusted to that right away.”
To Doane’s credit, it brushed off a 15-2 deficit out of the gate and trailed by only four, 38-34, at the break. The Tigers would get no closer. The Bulldog lead ballooned back to double digits less than two minutes into the second half and then grew to 20 (62-42) by the 10:30 mark. As part of the surge, Smith stuffed an alley-oop off the dish from Brooks Kissinger. It was one of four senior day stuffs for the Elizabeth, Colo., native.
The talent and skill advantage of Concordia took over as the game wore on. The Bulldogs outrebounded Doane, 41-29, and got double figure scoring outputs from Smith, Elijah Gaeth (13), Jaxon Stueve (13) and Brooks Kissinger (10). The Ashland, Neb., native Kissinger made his first career start while taking the place of Schutte. Concordia also continued to play without two other key sophomores, though it hopes to soon welcome Hayden Frank back to the lineup. Gaeth added six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Twelve different Bulldogs registered in the scoring column.
Efficiency offensively has been a theme for the Bulldogs and so too has been its play on the defensive end while going 15-1 since late December. Doane (9-18, 4-15 GPAC) managed to shoot only 38.1 percent on Wednesday. The Tigers were paced by the 13 points and eight rebounds from Jack Wilson. Leading scorer Brady Timm was limited to five points.
Smith and Bennett have stood out as the high-impact on-court performers in the senior class. The group also includes the likes of Riley Hoetfelker, Brayson Mueller, Josh Puelz, Tony Tubrick V and Matt Weismann. The emotions haven’t fully washed over Tristan, who was joined on senior day by his parents, Lance and Michelle, and each of his siblings, including former teammate Gage Smith, a fellow member of the program’s 1,000-point club.
“It’s definitely surreal,” Smith said. “I think all the seniors would agree on that. It comes up quicker than you think. We got out there and we were talking about it as it kind of hit right then. It was a great experience. I’m glad we were able to get a win in dominant fashion.”
Said Limback, “This could be an emotional day for a lot of people, but we know there’s a lot of basketball left. It’s a special day that we get to celebrate with our families, but when you know you have good basketball coming up, I think the emotions aren’t quite as heavy. This is a special group to me. To do this on senior day and to honor those guys and the parents for all their support is awesome.”
The Bulldogs will close the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Yankton, S.D., home to Mount Marty (10-15, 7-12 GPAC). Tipoff from Cimpl Arena is slated for 3:45 p.m. CT. In the meeting that took place in Seward on Jan. 15, Concordia toppled the Lancers, 89-62. Mount Marty had Wednesday night off from game action.
Depth on display in road win to close regular season Feb. 22, 2025
YANKTON, S.D. – While playing shorthanded, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team put together a dominant second half and motored away from Mount Marty in the 2024-25 regular season finale. Five Bulldogs tallied at least 13 points in what amounted to an 88-74 road victory in Yankton, S.D., on Saturday (Feb. 22). Concordia shot an otherworldly 81.8 percent from the field in the second half and locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GPAC tournament.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad moved to 23-5 overall (16-4 GPAC) and broke a program record for number of conference wins in a single season. It achieved that feat after opening league play at 1-3.
“First half, they really came out firing and made some threes,” Limback said. “I thought defensively we were solid, except for the rebounding. Second half, unbelievable shooting percentage. A lot of it was our unselfishness. Tristan Smith was getting triple-teamed in the paint. I love the way our shooters were ready to shoot. Zac Kulus was perfect from the field and Brad Bennett in the first half and Jaxon Stueve throughout (made shots). There were a lot of fun moments in the second half.”
The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 17 games and have done it while missing several key pieces here and there, such as Hayden Frank and Lukas Helms, and now Noah Schutte for both games this week. To compound its problems, Concordia started slow on Saturday, falling behind 16-8. Those early struggles were easily forgotten when the Bulldogs mounted a 22-4 run that turned a 62-59 nail-biter into a commanding 84-63 advantage. Frank returned to the floor to ignite that spurt with a trey that was assisted by Smith, who contributed six points and three assists during the aforementioned run.
Concordia nailed 18-of-22 second half shots in another impressive display of firepower. The offense worked through Smith, who nearly recorded a triple-double (13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists). Bennett drilled five treys in the first half and ended up with a team-high 17 points. Other double figure scorers were Kulus (16), Brooks Kissinger (15) and Stueve (15). Kulus went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor (4-for-4 from 3-point range) and added three assists and three steals to his stat line.
Mount Marty (10-16, 7-13 GPAC) made the Bulldogs work much harder to secure a win as compared to the 89-62 result in Seward on Jan. 15. The Lancers shot 50 percent (17-for-34) in the first half on Saturday before cooling to 31.3 percent (10-for-32) in the second half. Mount Marty got a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds from Sutton Arend and outrebounded Concordia, 30-26. However, the Lancers were unable to slow down a Bulldog team that shot 70.2 percent (33-for-47) overall and made 13-of-19 attempts from 3-point range.
Program all-time leading scorer Noah Schutte was a late scratch from Wednesday’s win over Doane after enduring an injury during warmups. In his place, Kissinger has made back-to-back starts. The Bulldogs are hoping to move closer to full strength as postseason play gets underway.
Said Limback, “The story of this team is having guys ready to play like that. To see Zac have the confidence to go in and give us a spark and maintain that is a real key. I thought he gave great defensive effort too. Tristan played through those doubles and triples, which can be frustrating, and played the second half without fouling. It’s a great team win, especially when you’re down Noah Schutte. That’s something that I’m proud of our team for – rising up through adversity.”
Postseason play is up next. In the GPAC quarterfinals on Wednesday, the second-seeded Bulldogs will welcome Midland (12-16, 7-13 GPAC) to Seward for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia won the two regular season meetings, 89-78 in Seward and 98-73 in Fremont.
Incomparable Smith reserves legendary status in Bulldog folklore, drops 48 in postseason win Feb. 26, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – No. 22 drove, spun, crossed over, dunked, finger-rolled, reverse slammed on top of a defender and muscled his way through double and triple teams, never stopping until he had etched his name into history. With the Friedrich Arena crowd egging him on, Tristan Smith found the energy for one last driving, whirling basket in the paint for the school record breaker. In doing so, the Elizabeth, Colo., native reserved legendary status in Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball folklore with his program standard setting 48 points as the 11th-ranked Bulldogs vanquished Midland, 101-81, on Wednesday (Feb.26).
The GPAC quarterfinal victory pushed Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad to 24-5 overall. Concordia has reached the conference semifinals for the fourth-straight year, but all anyone could talk about afterwards was No. 22.
“He’s incredible,” Limback said. “He’s been that way all year. He has a great first half and they weren’t doubling him. It was very clear they wanted to take on the perimeter game. There are going to be games where Tristan and Noah (Schutte) get doubled and games where they don’t. He was an animal. I’m just proud of the way our team came out in the second half. It was a fun win.”
Entering the day, Smith had hit 30 points in a game four times but never 40. No Bulldog had reached that lofty total since Jon Ziegler racked up 47 in his signature performance in an upset win over the University of Sioux Falls in 2007. Alas, it’s been a tough year for Jon Ziegler school records. With Wednesday’s game well in hand by the final few minutes, Smith took aim at Ziegler’s almost 20-year standard.
Smith reached 40 on a dunk. Then got to 42 on another jam. Then 44 on a layup with 3:37 to play. At the 1:47 mark, Smith drew a foul and drained two free throws for 45 and 46. With less than a minute-and-a-half to go, Smith missed a highly contested layup. As Concordia led by 18 (99-81) in the final minute, all attention shifted to the one they call T-Ray. Smith brought the ball up the floor, dribbled to his right, split two defenders in the paint and finished with the right hand. Forty-eight. The stuff of legend.
Still processing the moment, Smith remarked, “Towards the end of the game, I definitely realized I was still in there for a reason. My teammates are really unselfish guys. They knew I was getting close and knew I wanted it. They wanted it for me just as bad. They were finding me and letting me take some pretty bad shots. It shows the unselfishness of my teammates … It was pretty surreal in that moment. It’s not something you think about until you’re in that moment. I never thought about breaking the school record before.”
Those double teams didn’t come until the latter stages when everyone knew the ball was seeking out Smith. The Bulldogs did not even make a single trey until the second half. They led by a 40-31 score at the break behind the awe-inspiring Smith, who enjoyed a symmetrical game of 24 in the first half and 24 in the second. He made 19-of-26 shots from the field and 10-of-12 from the foul line in an ultra-efficient effort.
The return of weaponry like Schutte and Hayden Frank helped open things up further for Smith. In his return to the lineup, Schutte tallied six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes. Six Bulldogs scored in the range of six to nine points. Freshman Elijah Gaeth notched nine points, Brad Bennet contributed eight, Zac Kulus recorded seven and Brooks Kissinger and Jaxon Stueve put in six apiece. Concordia shot 58.9 percent from the floor in another offensive showcase. Smith added 10 rebounds and four assists to his final line.
Midland (12-17) played well offensively in shooting 52.9 percent (36-for-68) while led by 20 points from star guard Jake Orr. In trying to contain Smith, big man Jeff Rozelle picked up a fourth foul early in the second half and later fouled out. The Warriors have dropped 14-straight series matchups.
There was no way they were overcoming Smith’s superhuman effort on Wednesday. Said Limback, “It’s a tough deal because we had a double-digit lead. Normally he’d probably come out with about two or three minutes left. Our coaches were telling me how close he was at the end. It’s a tough one. It’s a special moment to get 48 points. He’s never going to forget that, and our team won’t. That’s this team – they don’t care (who gets the credit). They want to see him break records and see our team break records. It was a fun moment that none of us will ever forget.”
As the No. 2 seed in the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs have earned another home game. Concordia will welcome third-seeded and NAIA 13th-ranked Northwestern (25-4) to Friedrich Arena on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tipoff in the conference semifinals. The two sides split during the regular season with the home team winning in both instances. The Red Raiders defeated Briar Cliff, 83-65, in the quarterfinals.
40+ point games, Concordia Men’s Basketball history
48 – Tristan Smith vs. Midland (2/26/25)
Rough and tumble GPAC semifinal prizefight goes to the Dawgs Mar. 1, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – The star power of Tristan Smith defined the GPAC quarterfinals while rugged and physical defensive play characterized the GPAC semifinals. In the end, Hayden Frank rang the bell to signal a hard-earned semifinal victory for the 11th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team on Saturday (March 1) afternoon. The Bulldogs won by a final of 67-61 while limiting No. 13 Northwestern to 32.8 percent shooting inside Friedrich Arena.
Head Coach Ben Limback has led the program to the GPAC tournament title game for the third time in six seasons. Second-seeded Concordia will carry a 25-5 record into Tuesday’s championship clash.
“They did a great job of being physical and mucking up the paint,” Limback said of the Red Raiders. “They were running doubles and triples at Tristan. We didn’t shoot well, and I thought we started to panic a little bit. Then we stopped being aggressive, and it’s hard to run offense when you’re not being aggressive. Thankfully, down the stretch, we made enough free throws to put the game away. We’re in the position we are this time of year because we’ve guarded a lot better over the course of these last few months.”
A slugfest ensued between two sides that typically aspire to get up and down the court and score points in bunches. Smith got loose with a steal and one-hand dunk in the opening minutes, exactly the type of play Northwestern worked doggedly to avoid. In the face of swarms of Red Raiders, Smith turned it over six times in the first half. The rugged nature of the contest combined with Northwestern guard Jalen Langsy’s hot early shooting kept Northwestern tight until the Bulldogs ended the first half on a 12-2 run for a 37-28 lead.
Ultimately, Concordia got it done on the defensive end. With the Bulldogs nursing a 61-56 lead with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the contest, they held the Red Raiders to just one basket the rest of the way. A layup apiece from Noah Schutte and Brooks Kissinger stretched the lead to nine (65-56) heading into the final minute-and-a-half. For Concordia, 42.6 percent (23-for-54) shooting was just good enough, and its 45-32 rebound advantage helped it overcome 17 turnovers.
The matchup down low between Smith and freshman Jesse Van Kalsbeek played a major role in the outcome. The younger Van Kalsbeek is on his way to a fine career, but he struggled on Saturday while frequently bodied up by Smith. Van Kalsbeek went 4-for-18 from the floor and 4-for-11 from the foul line in a 12-point, 15-rebound effort. Two others for the Red Raiders (25-5) reached double figures: Langsy (18) and Conner Geddes (16).
This one wasn’t for the faint of heart. As the sophomore Frank said afterwards, “Tegts (Assistant Coach Ryan Tegtmeier) told us it was going to be physical. You just have to play through it. We lift for this – we work out for this. You see Noah and Tristan on the floor. They’re not small guys. We were ready for it. We had to come out and battle.”
Frank jumped back into the starting lineup on Saturday and poured in 17 points while netting 4-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc. Smith posted 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots for his ninth double-double of the season. In addition, Schutte added 16 points and six rebounds and Kissinger came off the bench to supply eight points and seven rebounds. Zac Kulus drained a trey during the late first half run.
Both sides were without key players as Northwestern All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek remains sidelined by injury and Concordia missed Elijah Gaeth and Lukas Helms. The latter is out for the season while Gaeth is expected to return as early as next week.
At this point, the constant for the Bulldogs remains its effort defensively and on the glass. Said Limback, “When you can hang your hat on defense and rebounding, that will carry you in every game. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting well or not shooting well. I feel like this is only going to prepare us better for Tuesday night against one of the best offensive teams in the country … Tristan had a tough day, but then you look at the stats and he scores 20. They did an outstanding job of making him uncomfortable. We just didn’t move the ball very well.”
Thanks to Morningside’s 109-106 overtime upset of sixth-ranked Dordt on the other side of the bracket, Concordia will host the GPAC Championship Game. The Bulldogs and Mustangs will square off inside Friedrich Arena at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Concordia also hosted the conference final in 2022 when it defeated Jamestown, 77-70.
Smith chosen to 15-player Hudgins Award Watch List, included in Dark Horse Dunker vote Mar. 3, 2025
College Slam Release | Small College Basketball
SEWARD, Neb. – The new school record holder for single-game scoring, Tristan Smith continues to grab the spotlight. On March 1, Small College Basketball (SCB) named Smith to its 15-player Trevor Hudgins Award Watch List, as selected by the National Awards Committee and SCB. Then on March 3, College Slam announced that Smith will be included in a fan vote for the 2025 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition. Smith was also recently chosen to the top 50 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award.
The Trevor Hudgins Award is presented annually by the Small College Basketball organization to the senior (or graduate student) who has had the finest overall career in college basketball outside of the NCAA Division I level. According to the organization, the criteria includes overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards and personal character. The player must play his entire career within “Small College Basketball.”
As a Dark Horse Dunker nominee, Smith is featured in the first round of voting. There are four total voting rounds. The contestants are competing for a chance to participate in the 2025 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships that will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on April 3. For additional details on how the voting process works, check out the release from College Slam linked HERE . Official voting will be conducted via @CollegeSlam on X/Twitter and @College_Slam on Instagram.
A First Team All-GPAC award winner as a junior, Smith has taken his game to new heights as a senior in 2024-25. The Elizabeth, Colo., native made history last week when he broke the program’s single-game scoring record with 48 points. Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.706), second in blocks (1.6), third in assists (4.1), third in rebounding (8.3), fourth in scoring average (21.0) and eighth in steals (1.6). In 109 career collegiate games, Smith has totaled 1,529 points, 720 rebounds, 230 assists, 127 blocks and 108 steals.
2025 Dark Horse Dunker Contestants
Nico Ashley, Less-McRae
Smith sweeps GPAC weekly awards heading into conference title game Mar. 4, 2025
GPAC Release
SEWARD, Neb. – He’s been the top player in the GPAC all regular season and nothing has changed in the postseason. For his efforts in the GPAC quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball senior Tristan Smith was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports GPAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week by the league office on Tuesday (March 4). Smith has raked in seven GPAC Player of the Week awards (of the team’s 10 weekly honors) during the 2024-25 season.
The GPAC honors sweep for Smith comes on the heels of him breaking the program record for points in a single game. The Elizabeth, Colo., native poured in 48 points on 19-for-26 shooting from the field and 10-for-12 shooting from the foul line as part of the team’s 101-81 GPAC quarterfinal win over Midland. Smith added 10 rebounds and four assists in that victory. Three days later, Smith posted 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots in the 67-61 GPAC semifinal win over 13th-ranked Northwestern. Defensively, Smith helped limit the Red Raiders’ star post player to 4-for-18 shooting from the floor.
Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.706), second in blocks (1.6), third in assists (4.1), third in rebounding (8.3), fourth in scoring average (21.0) and eighth in steals (1.6). In 109 career collegiate games, Smith has totaled 1,529 points, 720 rebounds, 230 assists, 127 blocks and 108 steals.
Next up, the Bulldogs will host the GPAC Championship Game at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday (March 4). Morningside will make a visit to Friedrich Arena as Concordia vies for the fifth GPAC tournament title in program history.
Smith 2024-25 GPAC honors:
Offensive Player of the Week: Nov. 20, Dec. 17, Jan. 14 and March 4
Defensive Player of the Week: Jan. 28, Feb. 18 and March 4
Thorn-in-the-(Morning)side sends Bulldogs to GPAC championship defeat Mar. 4, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Morningside simply has Concordia’s number. The Mustangs stampeded out of the gates by draining eight of their first 11 tries from 3-point range and built a second half lead as large as 16 points in the 2025 GPAC Championship Game. The 11th-ranked Bulldog Men’s Basketball team never could catch up while slipping, 87-77, inside a frenzied Friedrich Arena on Tuesday (March 4). Concordia appeared in the GPAC tournament title game for the fifth time in program history.
The only GPAC opponent Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad couldn’t solve all season was Morningside. Concordia will enter the national tournament at 25-6 overall.
“A lot of credit to Morningside,” Limback said. “We gave good effort tonight. They went on an unbelievable offensive spurt to start the game. I didn’t like our response. Mentally, at the free throw line, that’s usually how you can tell how locked in and how confident a team is. We started to get rattled, and we missed some key moments throughout the game … just things that are uncharacteristic of a team that believes and has that fight. Morningside had that belief for all 40 minutes.”
The best moments for the Bulldogs and their hyperactive crowd came just after the midway point of the second half. That’s when Concordia slashed a 15-point deficit to six (73-67) with a 9-0 run spurred by Zac Kulus. The Concordia Omaha High School alum started the surge by dropping a dime to Dane Jacobsen, resulting in a three-point play. Kulus then nailed a trey apiece at the 8:01 and 7:28 marks in inciting the loudest roars of the night.
The Mustangs (24-7) did not waver. The Bulldogs went scoreless on their next three possessions and fell back behind by double digits. An Aidan Vanderloo trey at the 4:01 mark made it an 11-point spread (80-69) and a dunk by Joey Skoff seconds later answered a bucket by Concordia’s Noah Schutte. The Bulldogs never pulled closer than eight over the game’s final five minutes. Morningside got it done all while Skoff played the final 8:43 with four fouls.
Defensively, the Bulldogs eventually found traction while mixing in zone and full-court pressure. The major difference came at the foul line, where the Mustangs went 18-for-23 (.783) and Concordia went 8-for-20 (.400). Morningside also got a starring performance from post Daniel Brocaille, who posted a game-high 28 points on 9-for-16 shooting. Skoff (13 points on 5-for-12 shooting) had a relatively quiet night by his standards. The Mustangs shot 50.0 percent (28-for-56) overall and 46.4 percent (13-for-28) from beyond the arc.
After being swept in the regular season by Morningside, Concordia (15-2 at home) believed this time would be different in front of the largest home crowd of 2024-25. The Mustangs spoiled the party by containing the seemingly superhuman Tristan Smith. The Elizabeth, Colo., native fought doubles all night while putting up 13 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots. Smith recorded a double-double in all three GPAC tournament games, proving himself as the league’s best player during both the regular season and postseason.
It was a fine evening for Schutte, who totaled 22 points (9-for-16 from the field), seven rebounds and five assists. Off the bench, Kulus netted 14 points on the strength of 4-for-8 long range shooting. In addition, Hayden Frank added eight points and six rebounds and Brooks Kissinger tallied nine points. Jaxon Stueve spent much of his night defending Skoff.
The Bulldogs had been a perfect 4-0 all-time in GPAC tournament championship games. Tuesday night’s clash marked the fourth time the program has hosted the conference final. The slow start and rough free throw shooting were difficult to overcome against red hot Morningside.
Said Limback, “We needed to settle in a lot sooner, but what a performance by Zac Kulus in the second half. That shows the stuff that we got in this team. The nice thing is we’re still playing … Our team fed off that (run from Kulus). Then Noah started to get going. Morningside is playing really well right now, and we just weren’t good enough tonight.”
On a statistical note, Schutte drew even with Matt List on the program’s all-time rebound list with 928 for a career. Schutte is also the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,291 points.
The NAIA has scheduled a national tournament selection show (via NAIA Network ) for 7 p.m. CT on Thursday. At which time, the 64-team field and bracket will be unveiled. Concordia is hoping to hear its name called as one of the four remaining first/second round host sites that was not already determined. The 2024-25 Bulldogs will make the program’s 14th all-time national tournament appearance.
Smith tabbed GPAC Player of the Year; four Bulldogs earn All-GPAC awards Mar. 5, 2025
2024-25 GPAC Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team: Tristan Smith (Player of the Year / Defensive Player of the Year); Noah SchutteSecond Team: Brad BennettHonorable Mention: Jaxon Stueve
SEWARD, Neb. – In putting together one of the most impressive seasons ever by a Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball player, senior Tristan Smith garnered appropriate recognition on Wednesday (March 5). The conference announced Smith as the overall 2024-25 GPAC Player of the Year and the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year. Smith is the first player to win both major GPAC awards in the same season since 2013-14. Smith was joined with All-GPAC honors by teammates in grad student Noah Schutte (first team), senior Brad Bennett (second team) and sophomore Jaxon Stueve (honorable mention).
The honorees have played major roles in another special season for Head Coach Ben Limback’s program. The Bulldogs stand at 25-6 overall and placed second in the GPAC in both the regular season and postseason.
Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.) becomes the program’s first GPAC Player of the Year since Rick Dietze in 2003-04 and its first GPAC Defensive Player of the Year since Chandler Folkerts in 2016-17. The signature performance to date for Smith was his school record 48-point outburst versus Midland in the GPAC quarterfinals. Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.701), second in blocks (1.6), third in assists (4.2), third in rebounding (8.5), sixth in scoring average (20.7) and eighth in steals (1.5). During the 2024-25 season, Smith has pulled in seven GPAC Player of the Week awards, has been named to watch lists for the Bevo Francis (best season in small college hoops) and Trevor Hudgins Awards (best career in small college hoops), was nominated for the Dark Horse Dunker competition and was tabbed the MVP of CIT. In 109 career collegiate games, Smith has totaled 1,542 points, 735 rebounds, 237 assists, 130 blocks and 108 steals. He is a two-time First Team All-GPAC selection.
Meanwhile, Schutte has added to his list of achievements that rank him among the greatest players in program history. The Laurel, Neb., native has picked up his fourth career All-GPAC honor – third first team selection. As a graduate student this season, Schutte is averaging 16.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He is shooting 57.7 percent (172-for-298) from the floor, 38.1 percent (24-for-63) from 3-point range and 71.6 percent (96-for-134) from the foul line. Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer on Jan. 8 with a 24-point outing at Doane. His current career totals through 144 games stand at 2,291 points, 928 rebounds (tied for most in program history), 266 assists and 96 steals. Schutte has twice been named an NAIA All-American: honorable mention in 2022-23 and third team in 2023-24. He was also chosen to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team in 2022.
A senior from Elkhorn, Neb., Bennett has been selected to the GPAC’s second team for a second-straight year (three career all-conference awards). Known for his outside shooting prowess, Bennett is averaging 9.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this season. He is shooting 44.9 percent (102-for-227) from the field, 39.3 percent (70-for-178) from beyond the arc and 83.9 percent (26-for-31) from the foul line. Bennett starred in the 99-72 thrashing of Dordt on Jan. 4 by pouring in 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting from long range. In his career, Bennett has compiled 969 points and has knocked down 198 treys. Only 11 players in program history have made more 3-point shots.
A Bellevue West High School alum, Stueve routinely draws the opposition’s top backcourt scorer as his defensive assignment. For his efforts, Stueve earned two GPAC Defensive Player of the Week awards this season. He is averaging 8.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steals per game while starting all 31 contests. Stueve is shooting 47.5 percent (86-for-181) from the field, 41.9 percent (49-for-117) from 3-point range and 87.5 percent (28-for-32) from the charity stripe. Stueve’s career-high of 23 points came in the win at Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 2. The recognition marks the first All-GPAC award of his career.
The Bulldogs will learn of their national tournament placement on Thursday as part of the NAIA selection show scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. The show will air live via the NAIA Network .
Featured Story
Bulldogs earn NAIA No. 6 seed, look to add memories to special season Mar. 14, 2025
Preview: Baker Pod
2025 MBB National Tournament Press Guide
Tournament Bracket | 2025 National Qualifiers
SEWARD, Neb. – The 14th all-time national tournament appearance in program history will take the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team to Baldwin City, Kan. As part of the bracket reveal on Thursday (March 6), the Bulldogs learned they had been rewarded with a No. 6 seed and an NAIA National Championship first round matchup with Bethel College (Kan.). Though it did not receive one of the 16 host bids, 11th-ranked Concordia will travel less than four hours to its destination for action that will tip off on Friday, March 14. As the host of the four-team pod, No. 3 seed Baker University will take on No. 14 seed Texas Wesleyan University in the first round.
Baker Pod (Liston Bracket)
Friday, March 14 (first round)
Saturday, March 15 (second round)
Quick Hitters
Head Coach Ben Limback has led the program to the national tournament for the fourth-straight year and for the fifth time in six seasons. The Bulldogs will match up with a Bethel team it saw inside Friedrich Arena back on Nov. 9. Concordia won that contest by a score of 89-79 behind a 20-point outing from Noah Schutte. During the regular season, the Bulldogs faced six teams that have qualified for the national tournament. The Threshers of North Newton, Kan., received an at-large bid to the national tournament.
The Bulldogs also ventured to the state of Kansas a year ago for national tournament play. Concordia reached the round of 32 while playing in Salina, home to Kansas Wesleyan University. Under Limback, the program’s deepest national tournament run came in 2022 when it made its way to the quarterfinal round. Both Schutte and GPAC Player of the Year Tristan Smith were key members of that squad.
The 2024-25 journey, so far
Expectations were exceedingly high in the preseason for a squad that returned all five starters and each of its top nine scorers from the 2023-24 team that shared the GPAC regular season title. As a result, the Bulldogs were pegged No. 1 in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. That meant everything should be easy, right? Not exactly. This 2024-25 edition still had to redefine who it was even while led by established stars in Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith.
Just before Christmas, Head Coach Ben Limback’s crew sat at 7-4 overall. Concordia had fallen out of the NAIA coaches’ poll after rising to No. 9 very early in the campaign. Defensively, the Bulldogs knew they had to be better.
Explained junior Zac Kulus in the middle of January, “Looking back, I would say our defense has changed tremendously. At first, we didn’t know our exact rotations. We struggled to rotate to the hot man. Coach really put emphasis on shell in practice. We’ve really started to defend a lot better.”
Weeks later, as Concordia advanced to the GPAC tournament title game, Limback could point to rebounding and defense as a major factor for why his side shot back up the national rankings and positioned itself as a No. 6 seed in the national tournament. At 25-6 overall, the 2024-25 team is one of seven in the program’s history to hit the 25-win mark. To do so has taken more than just the superhuman Smith and the incredibly consistent production of Schutte. It’s taken a commitment to defense, which sets up the Bulldogs’ lethal transition game.
Over the season’s first 11 games, Concordia allowed its opponents to average 79.1 points and shoot 48.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range. The Bulldogs then won 18 of their next 20 outings while opponents slumped to a scoring average of 70.2 and to shooting percentages of 42.8 from the field and 33.1 from beyond the arc.
There was no better example of what this Concordia team is capable of than the Jan. 4 home meeting with Dordt, the eventual GPAC regular season champion. The Bulldogs ran the Defenders out of the gym, 99-72, and the game really wasn’t ‘that’ close. Concordia led by 35 in the middle of the second half while spurred by eight 3-point field goals from the sniper Brad Bennett. As Limback said afterwards, “This stuff shouldn’t surprise this team. There is a lot of greatness in them.”
Even without knowing what the national tournament has in store, the 2024-25 season will be remembered for its many thrilling moments and historical happenings. Shame on you if you haven’t taken time to appreciate just how rare legends like Smith and Schutte – they don’t come around often. There was also the perfect month of January, a championship at the Concordia Invitational Tournament and a passing of the torch when it comes to some of the most sacred program records on the books. The stories and the camaraderie that come with those moments will be recounted for many years to come.
Back on Jan. 8, Schutte became the program’s all-time scoring king while taking that title from the legendary Jon Ziegler, who was in attendance that evening at Doane. Schutte went for 24 that night and enters the national tournament with 2,291 points (and 928 rebounds) on his career ledger. A 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound player at the high school level, Schutte will forever remember that night at Doane in the context of how it was celebrated with his teammates. The definition of mild mannered off the court, Schutte felt a special kind of emotion.
As Schutte remarked afterwards, “I was more focused on getting the win. Doane’s a gritty team. There was a lot of game left when I reached that milestone. After the game, my teammates and coaches embraced me and congratulated me in the locker room. I got a little emotional celebrating with them.”
It wouldn’t be the only Ziegler record to fall this season. The fans who attended the GPAC quarterfinal matchup with Midland on Feb. 26 were treated to the awe-inspiring greatness of Smith. All he did that night was pour in a school record 48 points in one what will go down as perhaps the signature performance of his career. Incredibly, Smith has dunked and slashed his way to a field goal percentage north of 70 while putting on the greatest show anyone could find in the NAIA.
In the aftermath of the new standard that came on 19-for-26 shooting from the floor, Smith reveled in the joy that the achievement brought to his teammates – and family, of course. Said Smith, “My teammates are really unselfish guys. They knew I was getting close and knew I wanted it. They wanted it for me just as bad. They were finding me and letting me take some pretty bad shots. It shows the unselfishness of my teammates.”
There was no better player in the GPAC in the regular season or postseason than Smith, who ranked in the top 10 of the conference in virtually every major statistical category. As Limback said, “He’s incredible. He’s been that way all year.” Fittingly, Smith was named the GPAC Player of the Year and the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year in a rare sweep of the league’s highest end-of-season awards. Meanwhile, Schutte picked up his third career First Team All-GPAC award.
Smith and Schutte have thrived as Bulldogs within the parameters of the team concept. Over the past four seasons, Concordia has won at least 24 games in three of them. For the ’24-25 team, there is no shortage of talent and experience – but it has had to overcome a rash of injuries that have popped up here and there. Consider that the Bulldogs have been without Lukas Helms since mid-January and have persevered while others have missed multiple games, such as Schutte (two), Hayden Frank (five) and Elijah Gaeth (two). Eight different players have started a game this season.
One of several high-impact sophomores (joining the likes of Brooks Kissinger and Jaxon Stueve), Frank has come back strong from a knee injury. He scored 17 points in the GPAC semifinal win over No. 13 Northwestern. No excuses have been made. “I trusted the training staff and trusted all the coaches that I should be out on the floor,” Frank said. “You have to go out there and play 100 percent. It doesn’t matter if you’re scoring 25 points or zero points, we preach defense. We go out there and bust our butts on defense. I work as hard as I can, and I know that the four other guys on the floor are going to do that as well.”
A freshman with a bright future, Gaeth has started seven games. He is one of those new pieces that had to be assimilated into a veteran team. It was time to grow up quickly when the likes of Frank and Helms were sidelined. Said Gaeth, “We had some new guys – still trying to figure it out with rotations and stuff like that. We continued to work and put that effort in. It’s been working out. We’re all on the same page. I feel like we’re going to keep this roll going.”
About the only disappointment for Concordia since the calendar flipped to 2025 was the home loss suffered to thorn-in-the side Morningside in the GPAC tournament title game. That sting will fade away as the Bulldogs begin national tournament preparation with the opportunity to play in Baldwin City, Kan.
The goal now is to advance to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, where the final 16 teams left standing will gather.
“We’re in the position we are this time of year because we’ve guarded a lot better over the course of these last few months,” Limback said. “When you can hang your hat on defense and rebounding, that will carry you in every game. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting well or not shooting well.
“We saw some areas that we have to get better at. With Northwestern and Morningside, we had the luxury of playing two national tournament teams leading up to the national tournament. We lost this one (to Morningside). At least we get another shot. The message is – no more second chances. This is it. We’re ready. I think this team has been looking forward to this run.”
National Tournament Facts
· The 2025 trip to nationals will mark the 14th all-time appearance (15-13 record) on the national stage for the program. Head Coach Ben Limback has now led the Bulldogs to five national tournament appearances, including the national tourney trips in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In the first nine appearances, all presided over by former head coach Grant Schmidt, the Bulldogs went a combined 11-9. Limback played for the national qualifying teams of 1996, 1997 and 1998.
· Concordia has won its first-round game at the national tournament seven times. Two teams in program history have reached at least the semifinals: the 1991-92 squad and the 2004-05 team (national runner up). The 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2021-22 squads advanced to the national quarterfinals. The 2021-22 team enjoyed a dream season while led by NAIA Second Team All-American Carter Kent. The Bulldogs dominated in the first two rounds held in Omaha, where they won by scores of 96-78 over Indiana University Northwest and 90-67 over Marian University (Ind.). Concordia then advanced to the round of 16 in Kansas City, Mo., where it knocked off Indiana University Kokomo, 75-65, before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Talladega College (Ala.), 77-69.
· During the ’22 run at the national tournament, Noah Schutte burst onto the scene and was named to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team. Over the four games, Schutte averaged 20.0 points and 9.8 rebounds while shooting 63.4 percent from the field. Of the 15 players on the postseason roster, 11 have appeared in at least one national tournament game: Schutte, Brad Bennett, Hayden Frank, Tyler Harre, Brooks Kissinger, Zac Kulus, Brayson Mueller, Tristan Smith, Jaxon Stueve, Tony Tubrick and Logan Wilson. The 2023-24 team reached the second round of nationals while playing in Salina, Kan. The 31 points scored by Schutte in the 83-81 first round win over Indiana University Northwest represented a program record for a national tournament game. In seven career national tournament games, Schutte has averaged 21.0 points and 8.1 rebounds.
· The 2004-05 team set a still-intact school record with 32 wins that season. On the way to reaching the national title game, the ’04-5 group defeated Trinity Christian (Ill.), Flagler (Fla.), Cornerstone (Mich.) and Cedarville (Ohio) in Point Lookout, Mo. The Bulldogs then fell at the hands of Walsh (Ohio) in the program’s lone national title game appearance. Concordia’s Marcus Wernke was the NAIA Division II national tournament record holder for most blocked shots in a game (nine) and most blocked shots in a single tournament (23). Both of those feats were accomplished in 2005. Jason Jisa was also honored with the Hustle Award at the ’05 tourney. NAIA Division II came to an end with a fusion of the two divisions following the 2019-20 season.
· Schmidt led the Bulldogs to their first-ever national tournament appearance in 1991. At that time, the NAIA was still just one division for basketball (there were two divisions during the 1991-92 through 2019-20 seasons). Four members of the 1990-91 squad have been inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame: Matt List, John Puelz, Devin Smith and Mike Works. The latter three were also members of the 1991-92 squad that broke through with the program’s first-ever national tournament win.
· On March 12, 2020, the Bulldogs played in the final NAIA Division II men’s basketball game ever. The remainder of the tournament following Concordia’s 87-84 loss to Ottawa (Kan.) was shut down due to COVID-19. The contest took place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. No current Bulldogs were part of that 2019-20 squad, which was welcomed back to Friedrich Arena this season for a fifth anniversary recognition.
Gaeth game-winner pushes Bulldogs to NAIA second round in heart thumper Mar. 14, 2025
2025 MBB National Tournament Press Guide
Tournament Bracket
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – While up against a foe it saw early in the regular season, the sixth-seeded Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team never could exhale on Friday (March 14) until Tristan Smith got his mitts on a baseball-style pass to seal the victory. Behind freshman Elijah Gaeth’s trey in the waning seconds, the Bulldogs survived and advanced with a 79-76 heart stopper of a win over No. 11 seed Bethel College (Kan.) in the first round of the NAIA National Championship tournament in Baldwin City, Kan.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will be one of 32 teams left standing when second-round action gets underway on Saturday. Concordia (26-6) has claimed its 16th all-time win at the national tournament.
“That was a great game. Hats off to Bethel,” Limback said. “They’re well-coached and a very good team. We knew that going in. Nothing was going to be easy. There were so many big-time moments at both ends. Zac Kulus hit a huge three when we needed a bucket. We didn’t shoot well and didn’t have a great rhythm at times. Tristan was doing what he does and just had to play through a lot of contact. What bigger moment than Eli Gaeth with the 3-pointer – those are the moments you remember … Fun game for everybody.”
Stars Tristan Smith and Noah Schutte both produced double-doubles on Friday, but it was Gaeth who found himself with the ball in his hands with the game on the line. Though a series of free throws followed the play, Gaeth’s trey made the difference. With the score knotted, 73-73, Gaeth drained a trey after getting his defender in to fly past on a pump fake. The shot sailed through the net with 11.2 seconds left. The Bulldogs proceeded to employ the foul-up-three strategy. Schutte drained two free throws for the game’s final points and the Threshers came up empty in a desperation situation.
Concordia first attempted to allow Smith and Schutte to create on the game’s most critical possession. With defenders swarming Smith, the GPAC Player of the Year kicked it out. Explained Gaeth of the moment, “It was a great environment. All our guys stepped up and played well. We got the dub … I threw it into Tristan, they doubled, I pump-faked, I was wide open and just let it fly. It went in. That was it.”
Neither team led by more than seven points all evening in a contest that featured 13 ties. The Bulldogs had their hands full with Carmelo Yakubu, who racked up 22 points and made 9-of-12 from the foul line. Yakubu and company made it a dead heat on the boards (38-37 in Concordia’s favor). Bethel (22-10) showed grit in rallying back to tie after falling behind by seven in the middle of the second half. The Threshers never managed to grab a lead down the stretch.
When times get tight, the Bulldogs know they can count on Smith and Schutte, both of whom have now played in eight career national tournament games. Schutte has scored at least 20 in six of those outings and achieved another major program record on Friday in rising to the top of the all-time rebound list (938 and counting). Schutte finished with a game-high 23 points (9-for-14 from the field) to go along with 10 boards. Meanwhile, Smith filled the stat sheet with 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots. Gaeth and Kulus chipped in with 10 points apiece. Kulus made 3-of-4 tries from long range on a day when Concordia struggled as a team (5-for-22) from the perimeter.
The growth the Bulldogs have experienced defensively allowed them to gut this one out. They held the Threshers to 40.6 percent shooting in the second half. Schutte, Smith and Jaxon Stueve each logged 30 or more minutes while helping Concordia squeak its way into the NAIA round of 32.
Said Limback, “God’s really blessed us with an opportunity to continue to play. We want to take advantage of that and be ready for a fun battle tomorrow night … You get to this point in the season, you’re going to go against multiple great players. (Yakubu) was fun to go against. He’s a great player.”
The Bulldogs have won their first-round national tournament game for the eighth time in program history. A spot in the national round of 16 and trip to Kansas City, Mo., will be on the line on Saturday when Concordia takes the court at 6 p.m. CT from the Collins Center on the Baker University campus. Third-seeded Baker protected its home court and defeated 14th-seeded Texas Wesleyan University, 72-58, in the second game in Baldwin City.
Era ends for all-time greats Schutte, Smith; Bulldogs fall in NAIA second round Mar. 15, 2025
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Third-seeded and NAIA 10th-ranked Baker University played at a level on Saturday (March 15) that the sixth-seeded and NAIA 11th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team simply couldn’t match. In the NAIA National Championship Round of 32, the Bulldogs dug a 22-point first-half hole while surrendering separate runs of 12-0 and 15-0. Buoyed by their ultra-aggressive defensive play, the Wildcats pulled away for an 80-65 victory inside the Collins Center in Baldwin City, Kan., where strong crowds for both sides gathered.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad finished the 2024-25 campaign at 26-7 overall. Concordia reached the national tournament for the fourth-straight year and for the fifth time in six seasons. Baker has advanced to play at the final site.
“That’s a good team and we knew that going in,” Limback said. “Great atmosphere – this is why you play the game. They got hot early. No. 2 (Ty Henry) got going and we were missing some good looks. Then they went on their run, and we just couldn’t get that momentum play to stop the bleeding. An eight-point lead gets to 12 and then it ballooned to 18. We didn’t play the same way we started the game. Second half, we challenged them, and I was proud of them. There’s a lot of fight in this team.”
As the final seconds ticked away, Noah Schutte subbed out of the game and received a lasting embrace from fellow star Tristan Smith. It marked the end of an era as Bulldog fans in attendance rose for a standing ovation in acknowledgement. Schutte and Smith went out as one would expect, playing fearlessly and relentlessly on the national stage. For the second-straight evening, both players registered double-doubles as Schutte posted a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds and Smith notched 13 points and 10 rebounds.
It wasn’t quite enough on a night that saw the host Wildcats (30-3) put together a stunningly impressive first half. The length and athleticism of Baker caused problems after Concordia hung tight early on. It was 9-7 in Baker’s favor at the first media timeout before the onslaught hit the Bulldogs like a brick wall. During a 10-minute stretch in the first half, Concordia managed only one field goal (although it did find ways to get to the foul line) and fell behind by a 38-16 score. Ahmed Mahgoub and Ty Henry led the charge for the Wildcats with a combined 23 points in the first half.
The deficit sat at 48-26 at the break. To make matters worse, Tristan Smith picked up his third and fourth fouls early in the second half. Smith still managed to play 31 minutes and Schutte went to work scoring tough buckets in the paint. An 11-4 run capped by Elijah Gaeth’s trey at the 5:35 mark got the Bulldogs back within 10 (66-56). The dagger for Baker was delivered by Mahgoub, who drained a three with under three minutes remaining to push the advantage back to 18 (75-57).
The Wildcats shot 51.7 percent (31-for-60) overall while limiting Concordia to 33.3 percent (19-for-57). The Bulldogs were able to climb within shouting distance in the second half with the help of 19-for-27 foul shooting. Off the bench, Gaeth, the hero of Friday night’s win over Bethel College (Kan.), notched seven points and Zac Kulus contributed six. On the other side, Nick Whittick dished out nine assists in steering his side’s offensive display.
The result means the conclusion of the college careers for Schutte, Smith, Brad Bennett (973 career points) and the rest of the senior class. Schutte moved his program all-time record totals to 2,340 points and 948 rebounds. Meanwhile, Smith finished with 1,577 points and 755 rebounds for his career. Limback and those who have gotten to know them personally cherish them for more than those statistics.
Said Limback, “With Tristan and Noah, everyone is going to see their points and rebounds and the accolades. They deserve those, but those of us in the locker room aren’t tearing up and having emotions because of the points and the rebounds. It’s because of who they are and the work they put in for the sake of the team. That’s all the seniors – from Matt (Weismann), Tony (Tubrick), Brayson (Mueller), Brad (Bennett) – all those guys laid it out there. It’s a special group. I told them, I’m never going to forget this team.”
The accomplishments in 2024-25 included the fourth highest win total in program history (tied with two other squads), a school record for conference wins in a season, an NAIA final regular season ranking of No. 11 and a CIT championship.
In summing up the season, Limback stated, “It was a blast. We thought we could go a long ways if we kept playing as well as we could. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. God gives us lessons in life. Sometimes they’re fun lessons and sometimes they’re tough lessons. Certainly, a lot to be proud of. We gave it our all. I’m going to walk away – and I think they will too – proud of what we accomplished.”
Additional Thoughts:
Noah Schutte – It's meant everything. What I'll remember the most is the guys that were part of the journey. The relationships and brotherhood we have created in this program will last a lifetime and all I can do is thank every teammate and coach that have pushed me every day to be a better player and person. I hope I represented Concordia in the best way that I could, and I'll always be thankful for my time here. The support has been endless for all of us and I'll miss wearing Concordia across my chest every time I stepped on the court.
Tristan Smith – These past four years have been some of the greatest of my life. I've made lifelong friends I never thought I'd meet through basketball and Concordia. The community behind Concordia basketball has shown us support through the ups and downs and has made college basketball an amazing memory I'll never forget. In the everyday grind you sometimes take it for granted, but now as an old head, I can say I'd do anything to be able to do it again. Not for the awful ‘Bern-outs’ but for the brotherhood, relationships and memories it brought. Concordia basketball will forever be a part of me, and I'll forever be a Bulldog. I hope that the culture of Concordia and the brotherhood continues to impact its players like it has for me. I just want to say thank you to every teammate, the coaches and the community for an amazing four years. I've loved every part of it.
Smith lands on 25-player Bevo Francis Watch List, advances in Dark Horse Dunker competition Mar. 16, 2025
Bevo Francis Award Info | Dark Horse Dunker Competition
SEWARD, Neb. – Though the 2024-25 season has concluded for Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball, you haven’t heard the last of Tristan Smith. This past weekend (March 14-15), Smith made the cut for the 25-player Bevo Francis Award Watch List and officially won his quarterfinal matchup in the State Farm Darkhorse Dunker competition organized by College Slam. The GPAC Player of the Year, Smith is one of only six NAIA players to be chosen to the latest Bevo Francis Award Watch List (as selected by Small College Basketball). In the Darkhorse Dunker competition, Smith has won fan votes in the first round and quarterfinal rounds.
The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball (outside of the NCAA Division I level). Considerations are season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. The Bevo Francis Award finalists will be announced on April 5 and the winner will be unveiled on April 7.
In the latest round of voting in the Darkhorse Dunker competition, Smith prevailed over College of Idaho’s Straton Rogers. Smith now advances to the semifinals in voting that will run March 17-21 via College Slam’s X/Twitter and Instagram accounts. The contestants are competing for a chance to participate in the 2025 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships that will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on April 3.
One of two players in the history of the GPAC to sweep the league’s player of the year and defensive player of the year awards in the same season, Smith put together one of the greatest campaigns ever by a Bulldog. This 2024-25 season, Smith averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and was the conference leader in field goal percentage (.688). In 112 career collegiate games, Smith totaled 1,577 points, 755 rebounds, 247 assists, 135 blocks and 109 steals. Smith helped lead the program to national tournament appearances all four years and to a combined three GPAC championships.
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Season-In-Review: Schutte, Smith leave legacy as Bulldogs enjoy another season to remember Mar. 25, 2025
The 2024-25 season will go down as one that clinched legendary status for Bulldog megastars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. Within the team concept, the two All-America level standouts led Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball on a memorable journey. Only three teams in program history have won more games than the one guided by Ben Limback in his 13th season as head coach. After an up-and-down first third of the campaign, the Bulldogs tightened the screws defensively and played – when at their peak – as well as anyone in the GPAC.
The journey included a pre-Christmas trip to Arizona, a stop in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Concordia Invitational Tournament, a home GPAC tournament title game and a national tournament stay in Baldwin City, Kan., home to Baker University. When it ended in the second round of the tournament, the emotions began to hit.
“Those who have followed Bulldog Basketball the last four years have seen some amazing accomplishments and amazing highlights,” Limback said. “You start with Tristan’s buzzer beater his freshman year – the SportsCenter game. This year he sets the school record for points in a game. The career Noah’s had and his sustained level of excellence is incredible. I think people recognize that. It’s not an easy thing to do that. They play the game in an exciting way. It’s one of those things where you also say goodbye to their families and the people and teammates that they are. All the seniors are special. It’s a great group that we had to say goodbye to in the locker room after the game. You can replace the rebounding and the points, but you can’t replace the camaraderie that you build.”
Of course, Schutte and Smith wanted to extend their careers and play at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City one more time. It didn’t work out that way, but the two standouts went out playing with the same relentlessness and productivity that characterized their on-court careers. Ultimately, the Bulldogs concluded the 2024-25 season at 26-7 overall and with a program record 16 GPAC regular season wins. At the height of its game, Concordia throttled eventual conference regular season champion Dordt, 99-72, inside Friedrich Arena in early January. From Dec. 21 through March 1, the Bulldogs won 18 of 19 games while proving themselves to be one of the best teams in the NAIA.
In hallmark achievements, Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer at Doane on Jan. 8 and later rose to the top of the school’s all-time rebound list in the national tournament win over Bethel College (Kan.). Schutte’s totals rest at 2,340 points and 948 rebounds for his career. Meanwhile, Smith put together arguably the finest single season ever by a Concordia player and was named the GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year. Smith broke program records for points in a single game (48 versus Midland) for a single season (677).
When Schutte was subbed out near the end of the second round national tournament game, he and Smith embraced each other in acknowledgment of a special run. As Schutte said afterward, “It's meant everything. What I'll remember the most is the guys that were part of the journey. The relationships and brotherhood we have created in this program will last a lifetime and all I can do is thank every teammate and coach that have pushed me every day to be a better player and person.”
Added Smith, “These past four years have been some of the greatest of my life. I've made lifelong friends I never thought I'd meet through basketball and Concordia. The community behind Concordia basketball has shown us support through the ups and downs and has made college basketball an amazing memory I'll never forget.” Extended comments from Schutte and Smith can be found HERE .
While the productivity of Schutte and Smith were a constant, the Bulldogs’ commitment to the defensive end became the key to the season. When Concordia sat at a modest 7-4 through 11 games, it was allowing opponents to average 79.1 points per game and to shoot 48.7 percent from the floor. The rest of the way, Concordia’s foes averaged 70.9 points and shot 43.3 percent. Defensively, Smith helped control the paint and sophomore Jaxon Stueve frequently drew the opponent’s top backcourt scorer.
The senior class featured Smith along with fellow varsity players in Brad Bennett, Brayson Mueller, Tony Tubrick and Matthew Weismann. On the perimeter, Bennett shot 38.0 percent from 3-point range in his final college season. He torched the nets with eight treys in the aforementioned rout of Dordt. Only 11 players in the history of the program have made more 3-point field goals than Bennett (198).
In headlining the junior class, Zac Kulus took a step forward and averaged 6.2 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the sophomore class made a major impact and featured the likes of Hayden Frank, Lukas Helms, Brooks Kissinger and Stueve. All four had the opportunity to start multiple games. Both Frank and Helms dealt with injuries throughout the season. In noteworthy efforts, Stueve went for 23 points in a win at Dakota Wesleyan, Kissinger twice poured in 21 points and Frank notched 17 points in the GPAC semifinal victory over Northwestern.
In one of the moments that will be most vividly remembered from the 2024-25 season, freshman Elijah Gaeth stepped into the spotlight. His trey in the closing seconds in the first round of the national tournament propelled the Bulldogs into the second round. Gaeth, Jake Hilkemann and Dane Jacobsen each earned valuable experience in their rookie seasons.
The dream of returning to Kansas City for action at the final site did not quite come to fruition, but Limback and coaches Ryan Tegtmeier and Joel Baker will not soon forget this season. They found this team to be an enjoyable one to be around on a daily basis.
Said Limback following the national tournament defeat, “It was a blast. We thought we could go a long ways if we kept playing as well as we could. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. God gives us lessons in life. Sometimes they’re fun lessons and sometimes they’re tough lessons. Certainly, a lot to be proud of. We gave it our all. I’m going to walk away – and I think they will too – proud of what we accomplished.”
Limback and his staff are now tasked with moving on without two of the program’s all-time greats. With four-straight national tournament appearances and five national berths in the past six seasons, Concordia’s appearance on the national stage has become an annual expectation. The Bulldogs believe they will be up to the task when the 2025-26 season rolls around.
Said Limback, “The challenge is you come off a solid season. With that, there are some guys we’re going to graduate with some serious accolades and production. At the same time, I think we have a group, especially our sophomore class, that has had a lot of time on the court. You look at a guy like Zac Kulus, who was really coming on and will now be a senior. We feel like it’s not a situation where we’re rebuilding but more so reloading. It will be a different team, certainly, but one that we’re already excited about. There is a lot of work to do, but the excitement is already starting to build for next year’s team.”
Records Broken in 2024-25:
Noah Schutte
· Points scored for a career (2,340)
· Rebounds for a career (948)
Tristan Smith
· Points scored in a single game (48)
· Points scored in a single season (677)
The program’s updated record book can be found HERE .
Concordia lands four honorees on CSC 2024-25 Academic All-District Team Mar. 25, 2025
2024-25 CSC Academic All-District Men’s Basketball Teams
SEWARD, Neb. – A quartet of Bulldogs from the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball program earned their way onto the list of 2024-25 Academic All-District Teams announced by College Sports Communicators on March 25. The honor roll includes repeat all-district recipients in Brad Bennett, Tristan Smith and Noah Schutte and first timer Brooks Kissinger.
The 2024-25 Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. Nominees also had to meet specific requirements in terms of games played and games started during the 2024 season. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
2024-25 CSC Academic All-District Honorees – Concordia Men’s Basketball
Brad Bennett | Sr. | Elkhorn, Neb. Major: Biology (Pre-Medicine)Notes: Two-time CSC Academic All-District award winner; 2024-25 Second Team All-GPAC (three-time All-GPAC honoree); three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Brooks Kissinger | So. | Ashland, Neb. Major: Business AdministrationNotes: First CSC Academic All-District award; 2024-25 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Tristan Smith | Sr. | Elizabeth, Colo. Major: Exercise ScienceNotes: Two-time CSC Academic All-District award winner; 2024-25 GPAC Player of the Year; 2024-25 GPAC Defensive Player of the Year; three-time All-GPAC honoree (first team twice); three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Noah Schutte | Grad | Laurel, Neb. Major: Business AdministrationNotes: Two-time CSC Academic All-District award winner; 2024-25 First Team All-GPAC (four-time All-GPAC honoree); two-time NAIA All-American (third team in 2023-24; HM in 2022-23); two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete; program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk (in the CSC release) and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on April 15.
GPAC Player of the Year Smith tabbed NAIA First Team All-American Mar. 31, 2025
2024-25 NAIA Men’s Basketball All-Americans
SEWARD, Neb. – Throughout the 2024-25 season, senior Tristan Smith stood out as one of the nation’s top players. Appropriately, the NAIA recognized Smith as a 2024-25 First Team All-American on March 31. Smith is one of 12 players nationally to be chosen to the first team and his selection marks the first time a member of the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball program has ever been named a First Team All-American.
One of two players in the history of the GPAC to sweep the league’s player of the year and defensive player of the year awards in the same season, Smith put together one of the greatest campaigns ever by a Bulldog. This past 2024-25 season, Smith averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and was the conference leader in field goal percentage (.688). In 112 career collegiate games, Smith totaled 1,577 points, 755 rebounds, 247 assists, 135 blocks and 109 steals. Smith helped lead the program to national tournament appearances all four years and to a combined three GPAC championships.
As a senior, Smith has also been lauded with Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators, was named GPAC Player of the Week a total of seven times and was included on Small College Basketball watch lists for the Bevo Francis Award (top player in the nation outside of NCAA Division I) and Trevor Hudgins Award (finest overall career outside of NCAA Division I). In addition, Smith won the Dark Horse Dunker Fan Vote. Though Smith had anticipated participating in the dunk contest at the Final Four, he withdrew in order to preserve potential eligibility at the NCAA Division I level.
Head Coach Ben Limback has coached five different players that have earned All-America honors as Bulldogs: Chandler Folkerts (2015-16 and 2016-17), Carter Kent (2021-22), Noah Schutte (2022-23 and 2023-24), Brevin Sloup (2019-20) and now Smith. The program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Schutte was honored as a Third Team All-American last season.
Tristan Smith career highlights
· 2024-25 NAIA First Team All-American
· 2024-25 GPAC Player of the Year
· 2024-25 GPAC Defensive Player of the Year
· Named to 2025 Bevo Francis and Trevor Hudgins Award watch lists by Small College Basketball
· Three-time All-GPAC honoree (first team twice)
· Two-time CSC Academic All-District
· Three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete
· Program all-time rankings of fifth in blocked shots (135), seventh in rebounds (755), 11th in scoring (1,577) and 18th in assists (247).
· Owns program records for points in a single game (48) and points in a single season (677).
All-Time Concordia All-Americans
Schutte, Smith represent Concordia with CSC Academic All-America accolades Apr. 15, 2025
2025-25 CSC Academic All-American Men’s Basketball Teams
SEWARD, Neb. – The accolades haven’t ceased pouring in for the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball star duo of Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. On Tuesday (April 15), College Sports Communicators recognized Schutte and Smith as 2024-25 NAIA Academic All-America Team selections. Smith landed on the first team while Schutte was named to the second team. Concordia is the lone NAIA men’s basketball program with two Academic All-America award winners this season. CSC also honored Schutte and Smith as Academic All-District award winners along with teammates Brad Bennett and Brooks Kissinger.
The 2024-25 Academic All-America® Men’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. Nominees also had to meet specific requirements in terms of games played and games started during the 2024 season. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
A native of Elizabeth, Colo., Smith has pulled in an impressive list of accolades following his senior season on the hardwood. Smith was recently named an NAIA First Team All-American (first in first teamer in program history). He also swept GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. This past 2024-25 season, Smith averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and was the conference leader in field goal percentage (.688). In 112 career collegiate games, Smith totaled 1,577 points, 755 rebounds, 247 assists, 135 blocks and 109 steals. Smith helped lead the program to national tournament appearances all four years and to a combined three GPAC championships. Additionally, Smith was included on watch lists for the Bevo Francis Award (top player in the nation outside of NCAA Division I) and Trevor Hudgins Award (finest overall career outside of NCAA Division I). Smith will earn his degree from Concordia in Exercise Science.
A four-time First Team All-GPAC honoree, Schutte concluded his Bulldog Basketball career as the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder. In 146 career games at Concordia, Schutte compiled 2,340 points, 948 rebounds, 268 assists and 97 steals while posting shooting percentages of 55.5 from the field, 40.8 from 3-pont range and 77.4 from the foul line. Schutte was tabbed an NAIA Third Team All-American in 2023-24 and an Honorable Mention All-American in 2022-23. The Laurel, Neb., native contributed to the same team success previously mentioned: four national tournaments and three GPAC championships. Over the five seasons Schutte played for the Bulldogs, the program won a combined 113 games. He was chosen to the 2022 NAIA National Championship All-Tournament team in leading the Bulldogs to the national quarterfinals. Schutte earned his degree from Concordia in Business Administration.
Smith chosen as All-Midlands Honorary Captain; four Bulldogs honored by OWH Apr. 20, 2025
OWH News Article
SEWARD, Neb. – For the fourth time in five years, the Honorary Captain of the Omaha World-Herald NAIA/NCAA Division III All-Midlands Men’s Basketball Team has come from the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball program. In a news article published on April 19, All-American Tristan Smith was tabbed the 2024-25 Honorary Captain by the World-Herald. Recent Bulldog award All-Midlands captains have included Justin Wiersema (2021), Carter Kent (2022) and Noah Schutte (2023).
As quoted in the World-Herald, Concordia Head Coach Ben Limback stated of Smith, “You could argue he had the greatest statistical year in Concordia history. He stayed healthy all year and just had an incredible, incredible year.”
The list of accolades for Smith for the 2024-25 season included NAIA First Team All-America accolades and a sweep of GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year awards. Smith was joined on the 2024-25 All-Midlands team by fellow Bulldogs in Schutte and honorable mention selections Brad Bennett and Jaxon Stueve. The World-Herald annually releases All-Midlands teams as a means of honoring the top players from Nebraska institutions outside of the NCAA Division I level.
Concordia’s four All-Midlands Team award winners helped the 2024-25 Bulldogs to an overall record of 26-7 and an appearance in the second round of the NAIA national tournament. Limback’s squad placed as the GPAC runner up in the regular season and postseason.
Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees:
· Tristan Smith, Honorary Captain
--2024-25 stats: 20.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 bpg, 1.5 spg, .688 fg%, .680 ft% in 33 games.
· Noah Schutte
--2024-25 stats: 16.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, .574 fg%, .720 ft%, .386 3-pt% in 31 games.
· Brad Bennett, Honorable Mention
--2024-25 stats: 9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, .438 fg%, .848 ft%, .380 3-pt% in 33 games.
· Jaxon Stueve, Honorable Mention
--2024-25 stats: 7.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.5 apg, .466 fg%, .829 ft%, .400 3-pt% in 33 games.
2024-25 NAIA/Division III All-Midlands Team, as selected by the Omaha World-Herald
G: Carlos Hines, Peru State 6-5, sr.
*Honorary Captain
Honorable Mention
Bellevue: TJ Fritz. Concordia: Brad Bennett, Jaxon Stueve. Doane: Brady Timm, Jack Wilson. Hastings: Maverick Binder, DaRon Hall. Midland: Trey McCain, Jeff Rozelle. Nebraska Wesleyan: Conner Brown, Carter Glenn. Peru State: Aaron Miller, Devin Tomlinson. York: Chris Dixon, Carl Thorpe Jr.
Smith honored as Midlands College Athlete of the Year by OWH Jul. 28, 2025
Omaha World-Herald News Article
SEWARD, Neb. – Among all men’s athletes across the state of Nebraska during the 2024-25 athletics season, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Tristan Smith stood out. In recognition of his incredible senior season with Bulldog Men’s Basketball, Smith was honored on July 26 as the 2024-25 Men’s Midlands College Athlete of the Year by the Omaha World-Herald. The news outlet annually hands out the award to the best Nebraska collegiate athlete outside of the NCAA Division I level.
Back in the spring, the World-Herald also named Smith its Honorary Captain of the 2024-25 All-Midlands Men’s Basketball Team. The accolades have poured in for the Elizabeth, Colo., native, who became the first NAIA First Team All-American in men’s basketball program history. Smith also swept GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year awards while leading Concordia to a 26-7 overall record and another appearance at the NAIA national tournament. For his combined athletic and academic efforts, Smith was named a Second Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators.
This past 2024-25 season, Smith averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and was the conference leader in field goal percentage (.688). In 112 career collegiate games, Smith totaled 1,577 points, 755 rebounds, 247 assists, 135 blocks and 109 steals. Smith helped lead the program to national tournament appearances all four years and to a combined three GPAC championships. He currently owns program records for points in a single game (48) and in a season (677).
As Head Coach Ben Limback told the World-Herald, “You could argue that he had the greatest statistical year in Concordia history. He just had one of those record-breaking seasons you dream about as a player.”
After exhausting his eligibility at the NAIA level, Smith is set to play the 2025-26 season at NCAA Division I University of Northern Iowa. Smith will wear No. 14 for the Panthers.