2024-25 GPAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – League coaches took notice of the fact that the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team brings back its top nine scorers from last season, including NAIA Third Team All-American Noah Schutte. The Bulldogs landed atop the 2024-25 GPAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll released on Wednesday (Oct. 16) by the league office. Head Coach Ben Limback’s program pulled in 94 points and six first-place votes. Since the inception of the GPAC, Concordia had never before been placed first in the league’s preseason poll.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s 2024-25 squad will be headlined by the likes of Schutte and returning GPAC All-Conference award winners Brad Bennett and Tristan Smith. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2023-24 season that saw them share the GPAC regular season title, advance to the NAIA national round of 32 and finish at 24-8 overall. Concordia has reached the national tournament in three straight seasons and in four of the past five years.
The trio of Schutte, Smith and Bennett has been incredibly productive with 3,396 combined career points. Schutte has twice earned First Team All-GPAC honors and will enter the season as one of the league’s top players. The Bulldogs bring back all five starters from a lineup that also included sophomores Lukas Helms and Jaxon Stueve.
Concordia shared the 2023-24 GPAC regular season title with Hastings and Northwestern. The Bulldogs edged out the Red Raiders (93 points and four first-place votes) in the GPAC preseason poll. Dordt also got one first-place vote as the No. 3 team in the preseason rankings. The NAIA’s preseason national poll will be released on Oct. 23.
Limback’s crew is set to open the 2024-25 season by hosting the Cattle Classic on Nov. 1-2. The complete schedule can be found HERE.
2024-25 GPAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
(First place votes in parentheses)
1. Concordia – 94 (6)
2. Northwestern – 93 (4)
3. Dordt – 83 (1)
4. Morningside – 73
5. Briar Cliff – 64
6. Dakota Wesleyan – 53
7. Hastings – 50
8. Midland – 32
9. Doane – 30
10. Mount Marty – 22
11. Waldorf – 11