2023-24 GPAC Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team: Noah Schutte; Tristan Smith
Second Team: Brad Bennett
SEWARD, Neb. – Three prominent veteran players from the 20th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team earned distinction as 2023-24 GPAC All-Conference award winners, as announced by the conference on Wednesday (March 6). The honor roll includes first team selections Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith and second team choice Brad Bennett. Schutte has garnered first team accolades in back-to-back seasons as one of the GPAC’s best players.
The Laurel, Neb., native Schutte is putting the finishing touches on his fourth season of an incredible career as a Bulldog. On the season, Schutte is averaging 20.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor, 36.1 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the foul line. In 113 career collegiate games, Schutte has totaled 1,783 points, 716 rebounds, 189 assists and 75 steals. On the program’s all-time lists, Schutte ranks fifth in scoring and seventh in rebounding. He is now a two-time First Team All-GPAC award winner and was selected as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2022-23. Schutte made himself known on the national level as a sophomore when he was named to the 2022 NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team. Schutte has been a key figure on two GPAC championship teams at Concordia.
In a full season as a junior, Smith has risen to stardom while continuing to ‘wow’ fans with his thunderous dunks. Smith moved up to the GPAC’s first team after being recognized as an Honorable Mention All-GPAC recipient in 2022-23. The Elizabeth, Colo., native is averaging 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.46 blocks and 1.25 steals per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor and 64.6 percent from the foul line. Smith has collected 14 double-doubles on the season. Over three seasons as a Bulldog, Smith has tallied 870 points, 457 rebounds, 104 assists, 79 blocks and 60 steals in 77 games.
Like Smith, Bennett has moved from honorable mention to second team all-conference status. The Elkhorn, Neb., native ranks sixth among all GPAC players with 64 3-point field goals on the season. The sharpshooter is averaging 10.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor, 39.8 percent from beyond the arc and 72.2 percent from the foul line. In 64 career collegiate games, Bennett has recorded 650 points, 180 rebounds and 101 assists while making 122-of-305 attempts from 3-point range.
Up next for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will be the national tournament. Concordia will learn of its national tournament draw on Thursday. The NAIA men’s basketball selection show is scheduled to air at 6 p.m. CT via the organization's YouTube channel.