SEWARD, Neb. – After winning twice last week within the GPAC, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team will dip outside of league play this week and make a trip to The Grand Canyon State. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad looks forward to weekend matchups with No. 4 Arizona Christian University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the Phoenix area. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has improved to 7-3 overall (4-3 GPAC) following victories over Hastings, 101-82, and Waldorf, 103-79. In the victory in Forest City, Iowa, All-American Noah Schutte reached a major milestone in eclipsing 2,000 career points.
This Week
Friday, Dec. 20 at No. 4 Arizona Christian (9-1), 3 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. CT
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: ACU Events Center (Glendale, Ariz.)
Saturday, Dec. 21 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (3-5), 3 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. CT
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: ERAU Activity Center (Prescott, Ariz.)
By the numbers
· On Dec. 9, the NAIA released its first official RPI for the 2024-25 season. In that calculation, the Bulldogs appeared at No. 33 with a schedule ranked as the 17th most challenging in the NAIA. The RPI does not include games against non-NAIA opponents, such as Concordia’s two Cattle Classic opponents, NCAA Division III Central College (Iowa) and Nebraska Wesleyan University. GPAC teams listed above the Bulldogs in the RPI are No. 6 Dordt, No. 14 Northwestern and No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan. In the NAIA coaches’ poll unveiled on Dec. 11, Concordia did not receive votes after being ranked as high as No. 9 earlier this season. The NAIA RPI can be found HERE.
· Every GPAC team has played at least six conference games to this point. At 4-3 in league play, the Bulldogs are situated in fifth place in the GPAC standings behind Dordt (6-0), Northwestern (6-0), Morningside (6-2) and Dakota Wesleyan (4-2). The Defenders (14-0) and Red Raiders (12-0) also remain unbeaten overall. Northwestern was especially impressive last week in routing No. 23 Morningside, 97-77, on the road. Conference individual leaders include Dordt’s Lucas Lorenzen in scoring (24.0), Mount Marty’s Tash Lunday in rebounding (9.5) and Luke Rankin in assists (8.9).
· The wins last week marked the first two times this season that Concordia hit the 100-point mark. The Bulldogs shot 54.7 percent (35-for-64) versus Hastings and a season high 60.0 percent (39-for-65) at Waldorf. The team’s double-figure scorers versus Hastings were Brooks Kissinger (21; career high), Brad Bennett (20), Noah Schutte (17), Tristan Smith (15) and Jaxon Stueve (14). Smith (eight assists) and Schutte (seven assists) put on a passing clinic in a contest that saw Concordia knock down 16 treys. Three days later, the Bulldogs hit another 10 triples and got a career-high 35 points from Smith, who made 13-of-19 shots from the floor (including 3-for-4 from 3-point range). Midway through the second half at Waldorf, Schutte made a bucket in the lane that gave him 10 points for the game and 2,001 for his career. Kissinger and Lukas Helms chipped in 12 points apiece and Concordia owned the boards, 36-18. Hastings (1-9, 0-6 GPAC) and Waldorf (3-10, 2-5 GPAC) have slipped to a combined 4-19 on the season.
· The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum Schutte joined an exclusive 2,000-point club that includes only two others: Jon Ziegler (2,099) and Tom Raabe (2,016). Ziegler played during the 2003-04 through 2006-07 seasons and Raabe played from 1967-68 through 1970-71 (prior to the introduction of the 3-point arc). For comparison’s sake, Ziegler played in 128 career games, Raabe played in 101 contests (started all of them) and Schutte reached 2,000 points in game No. 125. In his Bulldog career, Schutte has also totaled 790 rebounds, 224 assists and 83 steals. Schutte was named an NAIA All-American in both 2023 (honorable mention) and 2024 (third team). On the program’s all-time rebound list, Schutte ranks behind only Matt List (928), Gage Smith (899) and Chandler Folkerts (868).
· The Elizabeth, Colo., native Tristan Smith is playing at a tremendously high level. Among GPAC players, he ranks second in steals (2.5), second in blocked shots (1.5), third in rebounding (8.2), fourth in assists (4.0) and sixth in scoring (20.0). A recent newcomer to the program’s 1,000-point club, Smith has racked up career tallies of 1,100 points, 554 rebounds, 147 assists, 95 blocked shots and 86 steals. The next Concordia player in line to reach 1,000 points might be sharpshooting guard Brad Bennett. The Elkhorn, Neb., native split time between JV and varsity as a freshman before enduring an injury and then making his way onto the varsity full-time as a sophomore. Bennett has amassed 784 career points and is a 40.4 percent career 3-point shooter (154-for-381).
· The Bulldogs will take aim at the No. 4 team in the NAIA on Friday. The program’s most recent win over a team ranked in the top 10 occurred on Nov. 23, 2021, when Concordia defeated then 10th-ranked Jamestown, 92-76, at home. So far this season, the Bulldogs have played one game against a team that was ranked at the time of tipoff: No. 23 Morningside on Dec. 4. The result was an 82-69 defeat. Concordia is about to play consecutive road games for the first time this season. The Bulldogs are 6-1 at home and 1-2 on the road in the early going.
Concordia Projected Starting Five
G – Brad Bennett, 6-1 (11.5)
G – Hayden Frank, 6-2 (8.1)
G – Jaxon Stueve, 6-4 (7.8)
F – Noah Schutte, 6-4 (17.4)
F – Tristan Smith, 6-5 (20.0)
The opponents
Arizona Christian competes as a member of the NAIA’s Golden State Athletic Conference. The Firestorm have become a power in the NAIA while having reached the national tournament six-straight seasons while having won four-straight conference regular season titles. The 2021-22 squad reached the national semifinals (the same season that Concordia appeared in the quarterfinals). Arizona Christian climbed to No. 1 in the NAIA coaches’ poll in the Nov. 27 edition and currently sits at No. 4 in the poll. The Firestorm appeared at No. 1 in the first official NAIA RPI. Arizona Christian returns NAIA Third Team All-American guard Trent Hudgens, who is averaging a team high 14.5 points per game. Head Coach Jeff Rutter’s squad is 9-1 with the lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 7 Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.). This is a hectic week for the Firestorm, which will play a game apiece on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. After hosting Concordia on Friday, Arizona Christian will welcome Morningside to town on Saturday. ACU averages 83.2 points per game and allows 72.5 points per contest.
Arizona Christian Projected Starting Five
G – Dominic Gonzalez, 6-3 (9.9)
G – Trent Hudgens, 6-1 (14.5)
G – Ese Onakpoma, 6-4 (13.8)
F – Anthony Howell, 6-7 (11.8)
F – Arik Nicholas, 6-5 (6.4)
Like Arizona Christian, Embry-Riddle is a GSAC member. The Eagles sport a 4-5 record following an 8-19 campaign in 2023-24. Head Coach Ben Tucker’s program has received a jolt from the arrival of freshman guard Noah Gifft, who is averaging a team high 16.8 points per game. As a team, ERAU is averaging 73.0 points offensively and allowing 75.3 points per game defensively. The campus in Prescott is located 100 miles north of Phoenix and sits among Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountain Range. The school was founded in 1978. The program continues to seek its first national tournament appearance. Before hosting Concordia on Saturday, the Eagles will entertain Doane at home on Friday.
Embry-Riddle Projected Starting Five
G – Noah Gifft, 6-3 (16.8)
G – Jake Klingler, 6-2 (8.2)
G – Isaiah Wong, 5-10 (8.4)
F – Peter Dress, 6-6 (11.0)
F – David Teibo, 6-5 (3.3)
Next week
Upon the team’s return to Nebraska, the Bulldogs will host MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) on Saturday, Dec. 28. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena.