RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The men's basketball season starts tomorrow, and the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars are ready to get back on the court.
 
Coach Surles
In his fourth season at the helm, Head Coach, Rashaan Surles is excited to see what the season holds for the Cougars. "I'm excited about the group we have coming together," Coach Surles beamed of his team. "We have a good mix of experience and new faces and there's a lot of potential with this team." Coach Surles also touched on what the team has been focusing on this preseason. "Our biggest emphasis right now is building trust, establishing our identity, and learning how to consistently play for one another. If we continue to grow together, we can become a very competitive team."
 
Last Season
The season began with the home opener against Greenville University. The battle with the Panthers has always been intense over the years, and last season proved no different as the Cougars fell in a tight game, 94-90. CUC then hit the road and fell to Milliken University, 76-62. The non-conference slate continued with a trip to Forest Grove, Oregon for the Schumann Classic. The Cougars secured their first win of the season against George Fox University (78-66) before falling in an overtime thriller to Pacific University (81-76). The Cougars dropped one more non-conference game against Alma College on the road.
 
December kicked off Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play for the squad. In a dominant performance back on their home courts, the Cougars won, 63-56. Darrian Williams (Garland, Texas) led the squad that night with 18 points. The Cougars kept that momentum into the next two games, defeating Rockford University (57-54) and Dominican University (72-61). CUC closed out 2025 on a three-game losing streak, dropping non-conference games to Adrian College and North Park University, along with a NACC matchup with Aurora University.
 
The Cougars rang in the new year with a narrow NACC victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), after Williams tied the game up in the final two minutes of play, free throws from Honore Yangoua (Williamstown, Ky.) and Aaron Brown (Joliet, Ill.) secured the 85-84 victory. CUC then hit a tough conference stretch, falling to Rockford, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), and Illinois Tech. The Cougars picked up a 70-67 victory at home against Lakeland University before losing the next five games to Aurora, St. Norbert College, Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Benedictine University, and the second matchup with WLC.
 
For the final four games of the season, the Cougars finished 2-2, highlighted by a 62-59 victory over Edgewood and a 77-69 win over Division Street rival, Dominican. The Cougars finished 8-17 overall and 7-11 in the NACC, narrowly missing out on the NACC tournament.
 
"Last season gave us valuable experience and showed us the areas where we need to continue growing," Coach Surles reflected. "We learned a lot about consistency, mental toughness, selflessness, and what it takes to compete at a high level every day. We want to take those lessons into this season and use them as a foundation for continued growth, both individually and as a team."
 
Returning Players
The Cougars return a strong core of players from last season, all of whom will be strong leaders on the court.
 
Sophomore Matthew Guthrie (Carlyle, Ill.) had an outstanding debut season, having played in all 25 games and leading the team in blocks (22) while ranking fourth in the NACC in blocked shots. He will look to continue to showcase his defensive talents.
 
Senior Aaron Brown will continue to be a key player on the court, having led the team in free throws made (52) and rebounds (149). Brown also registered the second-most points on the team last season (260). His presence around the basket will be critical for the Cougars.
 
Jacob Robinson (Saint Louis, Mo.) steps into his sophomore season, looking to expand his leadership role. Robinson provides depth and opportunity from beyond the arc, having ranked second on the team last season in three-pointers.
 
Also returning to the court for the maroon and gold is Jaydon Watts (Homewood, Ill.), Luca Bade (Lagrange Park, Ill.), Carson Knoll (Frankenmuth, Mich.), AJ Willard (Germantown, Wis.), Jordan Lacey (Belleville, Ill.), Ryker Johnson (Fond du Lac, Wis.), and Yangoua.
 
Coach Surles had this to say of his returners. "[They] are extremely important to what we're building because they provide continuity and an understanding of our expectations. We need them to continue to embrace leadership roles and help set the standard every day. Their growth, consistency, and willingness to bring the new and younger guys along will be a big part of our success. With bigger roles this season, I'm expecting huge strides from all of them.
 
New Faces
The Cougars welcome a plethora of new players, bringing experience and hunger.
 
Those making their collegiate debuts include Tadari Clark (Chicago, Ill.), Brayden Ablin (Plainfield, Ill.), Cameron Woods (Oak Park, Ill.), and Qadar Copeland (Orlando, Fla.). The Cougars also brought in multiple transfers, including Rylan Jean-Baptiste (Orlando, Fla.), Adonys Christo (Orlando, Fla.), Knyle Lundy (Atlanta, Ga.), Cameron Chandler (Griffith, Ind.), Carson Brownfield (Chicago, Ill.), Batuhan Goktas (Antalya, Turkey), and Shaun Nichols (Atlanta, Ga.).
 
"Our incoming class brings a lot of energy and willingness to learn," Coach Surles praised. "They're adjusting to a new environment and understanding what is expected of them, but they've also shown a lot of potential. We're going to be patient with their development while challenging them to compete, learn from mistakes, and contribute to the team in whatever ways they can."
 
A Look Ahead
The 2026-27 season kicks off with an exciting road exhibition matchup against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) on November 4. The Cougars then travel to Dubuque, Iowa over the weekend for the Loras College tournament. CUC will play Bethel University on November 7 before playing the host, Loras on November 8. To finish out the beginning stretch of away games, CUC will play Greenville University on November 11, a game that has proven to be an intense, high scoring battle from year to year.
 
On November 14, the Cougars welcome Alma College to Geiseman Gymnasium for the home opener. Then, a quick non-conference matchup with Carthage College on November 21, splits up the first two NACC games of the season. CUC will play Aurora and Dominican on November 18 and 24, respectively.
 
December opens up with a trip up to Madison, Wis. to take on conference opponent, Edgewood. Three days later, on December 5, the Cougars play their lone home game of the month, welcoming Rockford to River Forest. CUC returns to Wisconsin on December 12 to take on WLC before ending the year with a non-conference matchup against Principia College in St. Louis, Mo. on December 15.
 
The new year rings in with a home non-conference competition against North Park University on January 2, before diving into the second half of NACC play. Between January 6 and January 16, the Cougars play four games, taking on Rockford, MSOE, Illinois Tech, and Lakeland. The only home contest in that 10-day stretch will be against MSOE. However, January ends with a three-game home streak. CUC will host Aurora, St. Norbert, and CUW on January 20, 23, and 27, respectively.
 
A trip to Benedictine on February 3 kicks off the new month. The Cougars then play back-to-back home games against WLC and Edgewood on February 6 and 10, respectively. There will be two more road contests against Marian and Dominican on February 13 and 17, respectively, before the regular season finale, when the Cougars host Lakeland on February 20.
 
The NACC Tournament begins on February 24.
 
"Our goal is to get better each and every game and be ready to answer the bell at all times," Coach Surles noted of the program. "We want to be a team that plays hard on both ends, shares the basketball, competes for every possession, and continues to get better throughout the season."
 
The Cougars kick off the season on Wednesday, November 4 at 6:00 pm in an exhibition against SIUE. Coverage for this game and all CUC men's basketball games for the season can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.