SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University men’s basketball team will feature juniors Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup and then a whole lot of new faces on Monday when the 2018-19 season tips off. The Bulldogs will go head-to-head with Kansas Wesleyan University in the season opener, which is set for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff inside Walz Arena. The Bulldogs also began the 2017-18 campaign against the Coyotes and came away with a 75-72 win in Salina, Kan.
The contest will be carried live by 104.9 Max Country radio and by the Concordia Sports Network. Tyler Cavalli is back to again serve as play-by-play broadcaster.
Head coach Ben Limback’s squad was picked 10th in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll after placing sixth last season. Shuck is a proven commodity on the wing. The marksmen from Grand Island, Neb., begins his junior campaign having totaled 705 points and 152 3-point field goals over his first two seasons as a Bulldog. Shuck averaged 13.0 points per game last season and could be in for an even bigger year. He and Seward High School product Brevin Sloup give Concordia solid offensive options on the perimeter.
The frontcourt saw the most transitioning. At times this year, Limback could use three transfers along the front line with the likes of Sammy Adjei (Miramar CC), Zach Auguste (Scottsdale CC) and Chuol Biel (McCook CC). Sophomore Ryan Holt, a 6-foot-5 native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., got his feet wet on varsity as a freshman and could also factor into the mix. In the backcourt, freshman Carter Kent of Crete High School has a chance to make an immediate impact.
Kansas Wesleyan, 16-13 overall in 2017-18, has more familiarity within its roster. The Coyotes return nine letter winners from last season. In the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference polls, head coach Anthony Monson’s squad was picked third by the coaches and fourth by the media (out of 13 teams). Kansas Wesleyan got a big boost from the return of post player Jordan McNelly, who did not compete in the second semester last season. In his first 12 games, he averaged 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. He scored 25 in the meeting with Concordia last October.
The Bulldogs will play three times as part of their opening week. They will also play host to the 19th annual Cattle Classic (Nov. 2-3). Opponents at the Cattle Classic will be 25th-ranked St. Thomas University (Fla.) and Barclay College (Kan.).