River Forest, Ill. - The 2025-26 Concordia University Chicago (CUC) men's basketball season for the Cougars opens with a mix of optimism and challenge, as Head Coach Rashaan Surles looks to build on the foundation laid in his first two seasons, which culminated in back-to-back Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament appearances. The Cougars secured the #5 seed last year with a 9-9 conference record and an 11-15 overall finish, demonstrating their capability to compete consistently in the NACC.

Last Season

The season opened on the road with an intense, high-scoring 109-96 loss at Greenville University. The Cougars quickly regrouped to secure their first win, dominating Illinois Tech (IIT) 85-68 in their NACC opener. The non-conference slate continued with a thrilling trip to the LeTourneau Classic in Texas, where CUC clinched a spectacular overtime win against McMurry (103-100), thanks to Joel Watts' (Homewood, Ill.) near full-court buzzer-beater, before narrowly falling to host LeTourneau (74-72) the next day. Heading back home, the team notched a landmark 82-67 victory over Elmhurst University, their first against the school since 1980.

The heart of the NACC schedule began with a tough stretch, including a loss at #9 Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) (91-67) and a win over Edgewood College (74-61), followed by a defeat at St. Norbert College (SNC). The team took a break from conference play for an inter-region game at North Central College before facing rival Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) to close out the calendar year, falling 114-95. Crucially, the Cougars secured a key early January NACC victory at home against Aurora University (67-64), though they dropped tough, close contests to Benedictine and an overtime thriller at Lakeland University (77-76). The team then faced two tough road tests, falling at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) (111-92) and at home against a strong WLC team (92-78). 

Mid-January saw them compete in the 72nd Annual Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT), where they first fell to Concordia (Neb.) and then showed significant improvement against rival CUW, cutting a previous 19-point loss to just a four-point difference (69-65) in the consolation game. The final stretch of the regular season proved decisive, with the Cougars going 5-2 in the last seven NACC games to clinch the fifth seed, highlighted by a 75-67 win over Marian, 83-82 victory at Rockford University, and crucial late-season wins at Aurora (74-69), Illinois Tech (82-76), and a final home win over MSOE (71-63). Their season ended in the first round of the NACC tournament, falling to the #4 seed CUW, 82-68.

"The biggest takeaway from last year that we want to continue to build on is our ability to rebound and defend, " says Coach Surles. "Last year in the conference we finished ranked 3rd in opponent FG% and 5th in defensive rebounding, improving from 11th and 12th respectively in the season prior."

Returning Players

The Cougars enter the 2025-26 season with the expectation of continuing their playoff push, though the challenge of replacing an outstanding senior class will test the team's new core.

The biggest task for Coach Surles will be finding a way to compensate for the major statistical and defensive void left by the graduation of Jacob Collicott (Lafayette, Ind.), Joel Watts (Homewood, Ill.), and Sean Beckman (Hoffman Estates, Ill.). This group included the team's leading scorer, rebounder, and NACC Defensive Player of the Year. 

The team will lean heavily on experienced returning veterans to step into these crucial roles. Darrian Williams (Garland, Texas) is the expected leader in the backcourt; he was a top-five contributor last season, averaging 10.1 points per game with 44 assists and 43 steals, and his ability to score and facilitate will be paramount. Aaron Brown (Joliet, Ill.) provides interior consistency, shooting 48% from the field and averaging 8.3 points last season, and his efficient scoring punch will be critical as the team retools its frontcourt production. 

Complementing the veterans, the maturation of the first-year players from last season will be essential. Tallis Lowery (Fairview Heights, Ill.), Honore Yangoua (Williamstown, Ky.), AJ Willard (Germantown, Wis.), Ryker Johnson (Fond du Lac, Wis.), and Kenton Pryor (Hazel Crest, Ill.) all saw impactful minutes as rookies and are now poised for significantly expanded roles. Having absorbed the pace of collegiate basketball, this group is expected to step into leadership positions and provide the energy and scoring depth needed to compete in the NACC.

"Simply put, our returners had a chance to get their feet wet last season and now we're expecting them to take the next step towards moving this team towards our collective goals," Coach Surles mentioned. "We have a lot of guys that are capable of having breakout seasons."

Fresh Faces

The backcourt gains both size and experience through transfer additions. The team welcomes Vic Garrett (Chicago, Ill.), a junior guard from Chicago who previously played at East West University. His experience at the collegiate level should provide immediate maturity and plug-and-play capability into the rotation. 

The incoming freshman class features a number of talented guards who will compete for minutes and develop under the veteran core. Local products like Jaydon Watts (Homewood, Ill.) and Nathan Nano (Norridge, Ill.) are joined by Jacob Robinson (Saint Louis, Mo) and Caleb Tyus (Normal, Ill.). Matthew Guthrie (Carlyle, Ill.) and Luca Bade (LaGrange Park, Ill.) bring immediate size and rebounding potential, adding to the Cougars' interior presence.

The blend of experienced transfers and high-potential freshmen gives the coaching staff new options for defensive sets and offensive rotations as they navigate the rigorous NACC schedule.

With a number of new faces added to the program this season, Coach Surles noted, "We have a lot of new guys that are eager to come in and add value, in one way or another. We've brought in kids with good character and that are coachable, whom we expect to continue to develop on and off the court - and be ready when their name is called."

A Look Ahead

The 2025-26 season schedule for the Cougars opens with a highly-anticipated home game against Greenville University on November 8th, giving the team an immediate opportunity for redemption after falling to them last year in a high-scoring affair. Following a quick road trip to Millikin University on November 12th, the Cougars face a challenge by heading west to Oregon for the Schumann Classic on November 21st and 22nd, where they will take on George Fox University and Pacific University. This long road swing will be a crucial early-season test for the team's cohesion and conditioning, particularly for the younger players. The team will travel once more for competition against Alma College on November 29th before heading into NACC play.

The NACC schedule officially tips off on December 3rd at home against Edgewood College, a team the Cougars defeated twice last season, making it a critical contest for securing an early conference win. This is followed by a challenging stretch of NACC road games at Rockford University on December 6th and the high-intensity Division Street rivalry game at Dominican University on December 10th. 

The team returns home for Alumni Day against non-conference opponent Adrian College on December 14th before wrapping up the December NACC slate at home against rival Aurora University on December 17th. Before entering into the new year, the Cougars have one more non-conference trip to North Park University on December 30th. 

January features two critical home games against former ranked team Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) and Rockford University, followed by a tough road trip to Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). The Cougars host Illinois Tech and Lakeland University before finishing January with a rigorous road block: three NACC contests at Aurora University, St. Norbert College (SNC), and rival Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) on January 28th. 

The February schedule begins with a key home game against Benedictine University on February 4th and is quickly followed by a road game at WLC on February 7th. The final stretch sees CUC travel to Edgewood College on February 11th, host Marian University on February 14th, and welcome Dominican University for Senior Day on February 18th. The regular season concludes on the road against Lakeland University on February 21st. This demanding January and February conference schedule will ultimately determine the Cougars' seed and their bid for a third consecutive NACC Tournament appearance.

When discussing the season ahead, Coach Surles said "We want to have a balanced play style this season, having shown the ability to play up-tempo and the ability to slow it down. With the depth this roster makeup has, each game could be called differently depending on who gets going early on and how teams are playing us… We're a young team that is hungry and looking to establish ourselves in the conference. A lot of new pieces, and moving parts that throughout the season we expect to come together gracefully."

2024-25 Statistical Leaders

• Minutes Per Game: Jacob Collicott (33.5)
• Points Per Game: Jacob Collicott (17.9)
• Rebounds Per Game: Jacob Collicott (10.0)
• Total Assists: Jacob Collicott (90)
• Total Steals: Jacob Collicott (87)
• Total Blocks: Jacob Collicott (26)

Men's basketball kicks off the 2025-26 season on November 8 by hosting Greenville University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and coverage for the game, as well as everything CUC men's basketball related, can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.