MEQUON, Wis. - The Concordia University Wisconsin men's basketball team finished the 2024–25 season with a 15–12 overall record and an 11–7 mark in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, earning the No. 4 seed in the NACC Tournament and advancing to the semifinals. The campaign was driven by electric home court wins, standout individual efforts, and a mid season surge in which the Falcons won 13 of 16 games.
CUW opened the season with a stretch of close battles, including a sharp shooting performance at Illinois College where four players reached double figures. Sophomore Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) earned All Tournament Team honors, while junior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.) and sophomore Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.) provided consistent scoring.
During a December trip to Florida, the Falcons went undefeated for the first time since 2013, picking up wins over Mount Saint Vincent and Lasell. Landers tallied his first career double double and followed with a career high 27 points, earning NACC Player of the Week. Sophomore Severin Hilt (West Bend, Wis.) was perfect from the floor in the finale, and Verhagen added 23 second half points in an 84 to 64 rout of the Dolphins.
The team closed 2024 by scoring 114 points on New Year's Eve against Concordia Chicago, their highest output since 2016. Landers dropped 30, Verhagen added 24, and Merlo posted a double double.
In January, CUW posted a 7 to 1 record, launching into the top half of the league standings. Landers earned three straight NACC Player of the Week honors, highlighted by four consecutive 20 point games and several double doubles. Verhagen delivered five straight 20 point outings and a season high eight assists against Marian.
One of the year's defining moments came on February 5, when Verhagen exploded for 44 points and 10 assists in a 100 to 90 comeback over Lakeland. His 44 points were the second most in school history and the highest in the NACC this season. He earned national Team of the Week honors from D3hoops.com and later set the program record for free throws made in a season with 157.
That performance sparked back to back 100 point efforts, including a 103 to 87 win over Rockford where CUW shot a season best 63.8 percent. Landers and Verhagen combined for 64 points and Merlo added career highs in blocks and steals.
The Falcons clinched a home playoff game with a 97 to 71 win at Benedictine, led by a perfect 8 for 8 night from Merlo and a career high 12 points from sophomore Jayden Guyton (Whitefish Bay, Wis.). CUW then defeated Concordia Chicago for the third time, earning an 82 to 68 NACC Quarterfinal victory behind 30 points from Landers.
The season ended in the NACC Semifinals against nationally ranked Wisconsin Lutheran, but the Falcons closed the year with a winning record and a plus nine home scoring margin.
Logan Landers and Casey Verhagen were both named First Team All NACC, marking the first CUW pair to earn that distinction since 2020. Landers averaged 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, with nine double doubles and top five league ranks in field goal and free throw percentage. He also became just the third Falcon ever to collect more than 220 rebounds in a season. Verhagen led CUW in scoring at 20.0 points per game, along with 5.2 assists and 1.85 steals per contest, joining elite company with over 500 points in a single season.
Three Falcons — Landers, Hilt, and senior Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) — earned CSC Academic All District honors, with Landers advancing to the national Academic All America ballot.
With two All NACC returners and a core group filled with scoring depth and developing talent, the Falcons will aim to take another step forward in 2025–26, building on a season of signature wins, record breaking performances, and postseason progress.
