RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- After almost a month of preseason workouts and practices, the Concordia-Chicago men's basketball team is finally gearing up for its season opener, slated for a 7 p.m. tip off tomorrow night against Loras College.
Live statistics and video broadcast links can be found at
cucougars.com/coverage.
The Series... Tomorrow night's match up will be the second time in three years that the Duhawks will face the Cougars on opening night. Last battling on opening night of the 2017-18 season, Loras won the contest 104-87 inside Geiseman Gymnasium.
Kollar's Corner... While Head Coach
Steve Kollar has been at CUC since the spring, this season will mark his first at the helm of the Concordia-Chicago men's basketball program. Following a four-year stint at Blackburn College, Kollar has coached 19 All-Conference players, two Freshman of the Year winners, one Conference Player of the Year, one Regional Player of the Year, two All-Americans and three Academic All-Americans throughout his coaching tenure. He comes to CUC already familiar with the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference as well, as he was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Benedictine from 2013-15.
Don't Forget... Coach Kollar brings 10 newcomers with him this season, along with three key returning pieces to last year's starting rotation in senior
Neil O'Donnell, junior
Jalen Meeks and sophomore
Landen Gladney. Between the three, O'Donnell, Meeks and Gladney combined for 914 of CUC's 2,127 total points last season. In Gladney alone, the Cougars return last season's NACC and All-Central Region Freshman of the Year, who accounted for 20.8 percent of Concordia's total scoring just a season ago. Gladney heads into his sophomore season with 21 career double-doubles already under his belt.
Duhawk Nation... Already receiving votes in the
d3hoops.com national rankings, the Loras College Duhawks finished last season with a 23-7 overall record, which included an NCAA tournament run and Sweet 16 appearance. This year, the Duhawks were slotted third in the American Rivers Conference preseason polls after graduating three of its 2018-19 statistical leaders. Despite the losses, Loras does return former All-Conference Honorable Mention honoree Jordan Boyd, who recorded 306 points, 135 rebounds, 17 blocks and 30 steals last season as a freshman.
Notables... Tomorrow night's season opener will be CUC's second consecutive true road opener. Dating back to the 2010 season, CUC is 1-8 in season openers having last won their opening tip off in 2014 against Knox College in a 90-76 victory, in Galesburg, Ill. Head Coach of the Duhawks, Chris Martin, and CUC's Head Coach
Steve Kollar are former college teammates and roommates during their own college basketball careers at Elmhurst College.
For additional live and up-to-date content throughout tomorrow's contest, be sure to tune into
@cuc_menhoops on Twitter.
