SEWARD, Neb. – Game week is here for the Concordia University men’s basketball team. The seventh season of head coach Ben Limback’s tenure will get started on Friday at the Hastings College Classic with Lynn Farrell Arena serving as the venue. As part of the event, the Bulldogs will draw Dakota State University (S.D.) of the North Star Athletic Association and Friends University (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
This Week | Hastings College Classic
Friday, October 25 vs. Dakota State (0-1), 5 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
Saturday, October 26 vs. Friends (0-0), 2 p.m.
-Live Webcast/Stats
Limback and his team believe better things are in store with the large majority of the roster returning from the 2018-19 season that culminated with a 15-16 overall record. Concordia picked up its play in the back half of the season and won six of its final 10 GPAC regular-season games. It brings back three double-figure scorers in Brevin Sloup (16.4), Tanner Shuck (13.5) and Carter Kent (10.4). Limback and his staff have a good idea of what they will get from Sloup and Shuck and are confident that Kent will take his game to a new level this winter.
The Bulldogs knocked off some rust last week by playing against a couple of junior college teams in scrimmages. It was the first look at the improvement made by several veterans and at potential impact newcomers suck as quick-footed transfer guard Sam Scarpelli. Throw in another sophomore in Justin Wiersema and the backcourt is clearly more experienced. The frontcourt also has some proven performers such as Chuol Biel, last season’s GPAC leader in blocked shots. Sammy Adjei also has the potential to contribute much more than he did a year ago. Concordia hopes the sum of these parts adds up to a season that outperforms its eighth-place position in the GPAC preseason poll.
Friday’s matchup will put the Bulldogs up against the alma mater of graduate assistant coach Brendon Boomsma. Dakota State actually opened its season on Monday with a 75-65 home loss to Bethany College (Kan.). The new-look Trojans (who have a new athletic logo) are guided by 11th-year head coach Gary Garner. They will play six games in a row against GPAC opponents. In his senior season of 2017-18, Boomsma averaged a robust 6.3 points per game while starting 28 of 30 games. Without Boomsma, Dakota State slipped from 14-17 in 2017-18 to 9-22 in 2018-19.
Friends went 22-10 last season and qualified for the NAIA Division II national tournament. Seventh-year head coach Dale Faber’s squad was picked fourth/fifth (media/coaches’) in the KCAC preseason polls. Friends said goodbye to all-time leading scorer Jordan Murdock but welcome back All-KCAC performer James Conley, who averaged 14.2 points last season. The Falcons will take on weekend host Hastings Friday night before matching up with the Bulldogs on Saturday.
After this weekend’s action comes to an end, Concordia will then look forward to hosting the 20th annual Cattle Classic Nov. 1-2. The opponents for that weekend will be Dickinson State University (N.D.) and Benedictine College (Kan.).