SEWARD, Neb. – The 19th annual Cattle Classic is set to tip off on Friday afternoon inside Walz Arena. The basketball classic features a total of four men’s games and four women’s games over the course of the two-day extravaganza. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.
Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods in exchange for admission. Ten canned items will get an adult a weekend pass. Complete admission information for the Cattle Classic can be found HERE.
2018 CATTLE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 2
- Women: Doane University vs. University of Saint Francis (Ind.), 1 p.m.
- Men: Barclay College (Kan.) vs. Hastings College 3 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Peru State College, 6 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. St. Thomas University (Fla.), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3
- Women: Doane University vs. Peru State College, 10 a.m.
- Men: Midland University vs. St. Thomas University (Fla.), 12 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. University of Saint Francis (Ind.), 3 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Barclay College (Kan.), 5 p.m.
The Men’s Field
Concordia University
Head coach: Ben Limback, 6th season
2018-19 Record: 1-0
2017-18 Record: 17-13
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Neb.
Top Player: Junior sharpshooter Tanner Shuck is the most accomplished player on the roster having been named honorable mention All-GPAC last season. The Grand Island, Neb., native began the season on Monday by pouring in 15 points in a 70-59 home win over Kansas Wesleyan University. With Shuck now at 720 career points, he is on the verge of becoming the program’s next 1,000-point scorer. He’s a career 40.7 percent shooter from 3-point range.
Overview: This team looks essentially completely different than the one that took the court in 2017-18. The uncertainty led to the Bulldogs being picked 10th in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. However, there were some encouraging signs on Monday for a squad that debuted two transfers and two freshmen, three of whom were part of the starting lineup along with Shuck and point guard Brevin Sloup. The fortunes of this team depend a lot upon how quickly the newcomers develop and how they jell with the likes of Shuck and Sloup. Friday’s matchup with St. Thomas will be another big early season test.
Barclay College
Head coach: Charles Brodhead
2018-19 Record: 0-0
2017-18 Record: 9-15
Conference: Midwest Christian College Conference (National Christian College Athletic Association)
Location: Haviland, Kan.
Overview: Barclay finished 7-2 in conference play to top the Midwest Christian College Conference last season. Against NAIA competition, the Bears went 0-6 in 2017-18.
Hastings College
Head coach: Bill Gavers, 6th season
2018-19 Record: 1-1
2017-18 Record: 20-11
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Hastings, Neb.
Top Player: Hastings returns second team All-GPAC selections in junior forward Bart Hiscock and senior guard Kevin Miller from a 2017-18 squad that placed fifth in the GPAC and won 20 games overall. Hiscock is the team’s top scoring option. Over the first two games of this season, he has totaled 45 points. Last season the native of Bennington, Neb., averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Overview: The Broncos were picked sixth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. So far this season, head coach Bill Gavers’ squad has lost to Friends University (Kan.), 86-72, and defeated York College on the road, 90-87. Four Hastings starters averaged more than 30 minutes played in the weekend invite at York. Hastings last appeared at the national tournament in 2010.
St. Thomas University
Head coach: Adrian White (interim head coach)
2018-19 Record: 0-0
2017-18 Record: 23-8
Conference: The Sun Conference (NAIA Division II)
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla.
Top Player: The Bobcats said goodbye to their top four scorers from a St. Thomas team that reached the round of 16 at the national tournament this past March. That leaves 6-foot-6 senior forward Khalil Williams as the team’s leading returning scorer at 9.5 points per game. Williams played in 29 of the team’s 31 games, making three starts in 2017-18. He shot 55.6 percent from the floor and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game.
Overview: Not only did St. Thomas lose star player Raheem Bowman, it also lost the 2017-18 The Sun Conference coach of the year Patrick Gayle, who is now the head men’s basketball coach at Albany State University. Adrian White took over the role on an interim basis. The Bobcats were pegged third out of 10 teams in The Sun Conference preseason coaches’ poll and checked in at No. 25 in the NAIA Division II national coaches’ poll.