Rockford, Ill. - The Rockford University men's basketball team is making its fourth straight appearance in the NACC Tournament and its fifth in the last six seasons. The Regents secured at least one home playoff game and the fourth seed by virtue of their 79-66 win this past week against Concordia University Wisconsin. Ironically, the Regents will welcome the Falcons back to the Seaver Center for a NACC Tournament Quarterfinal game on Tuesday, February 20 at 7 PM. Should Rockford defeat CUW for the third time this season, the Regents will then either head to Milwaukee to face top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran College or host the eighth-seeded Aurora University Spartans on Thursday, February 22 at 7 PM. If the Regents are once again victorious, Rockford would be in the NACC Tournament Championship Game on Saturday, February 24 at a to be determined time and location.
Date - Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Time - 7:00 PM
Location - Seaver Center (Rockford, IL)
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2024 Men's Basketball NACC Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinal Games - Tuesday, February 20 at 7 PM
Game 1 - #8 Aurora University at #1 Wisconsin Lutheran College
Game 2 - #5 Concordia Wisconsin at #4 Rockford University
Game 3 - #6 MSOE at #3 Benedictine University
Game 4 - #7 Concordia Chicago at #2 St.Norbert College
Semifinal Games - Thursday, February 22 at 7 PM
Game 5 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (higher seed will host)
Game 6 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner (higher seed will host)
Championship Game - Saturday, February 24 (Time TBA)
Game 7 - Semifinal winners (higher seed will host)
Rockford University
- The Regents are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
- Rockford had won 7 straight NACC games prior to losing its season finale at Illinois Tech on Saturday.
- Rockford is in the top five in the NACC in fourteen major team statistical categories.
- Kevin Diemer was selected as the NACC Men's Basketball Player of the Week twice this year.
- Two weeks ago – He had 28 points, 13 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal and shot 50% from floor and 87.5% on free throws
- Mid-December - He averaged 22.5 points on 52.8% shooting, 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks
- Kevin Diemer is third in the NACC in scoring (18.4), fourth in assist to turnover ratio (2.1), eighth in assists (3.2), ninth in field goal percentage (48.2%), tenth in made 3-point field goals (2.0), 11th in rebounding (6.5) and 14th in blocks (0.8).
- Jaden Bell is first in the NACC in 3-point field goal percentage (44.6%), 1st in made 3-point field goals (2.6), 17th in scoring (13.4), 18th in steals (1.3) and 25th in assists (2.3).
- Micah Swanson is ninth in the NACC in blocks (1.0) and 20th in rebounding (5.7).
- Mateo Fernandez Solari is third in the NACC in steals (2.3) and 13th in assists (2.8).
- Kevin Diemer 1,000-point and 500-rebound clubs
- Diemer currently has 1,542 points (8th all-time) and needs 14 points to pass Jeff Mosher.
- Diemer currently has 821 rebounds (6th all-time) and needs 41 rebounds to pass Jeff Mosher.
- Micah Swanson 1,000-point and 500-rebound clubs
- Swanson currently has 998 points and thus needs just 2 points to become the 27th player in program history to score 1,000 points at Rockford.
- Swanson currently has 568 rebounds (15th all-time) and needs 24 rebounds to pass Goran Secerovic.
- Jeremy Reigle is in his fifth season as Rockford's head coach
- 65-47 overall record (.580 Win Pct) and 43-35 NACC record (.551 Win Pct).
- 4 straight NACC Tournament appearances.
- 1 NACC regular season title (2020-21).
- 1 NACC Tournament Championship Game appearance (2020-21).
- 2020-21 NACC South Division Coach of the Year.
Concordia University Wisconsin
- Concordia Wisconsin is 4-6 in its last ten games and has lost two straight.
- Concordia Wisconsin is in the top five in the NACC in four major team statistical categories.
- Samuel Meerstein was named the NACC Men's Basketball Player of the Week in late January.
- Samuel averaged 16.5 points and 9 rebounds, including a 32 pts-10 reb game in the Concordia Invitational Tournament.
- Freeman Jackson is eighth in the NACC in scoring (15.8), tenth in field goal percentage (45.5%), 11th in free throw percentage (74.0%), 14th in assists (2.7) and 23rd in steals.
- Samuel Meerstein is third in the NACC in free throw percentage (86.0%), 12th in steals (1.5), 14th in rebounding (6.0), 15th in scoring (13.5) and assists (2.6) and 18th in made 3-point field goals (1.5).
- Gabe Pruss is first in the NACC in blocks (2.0), 9th in rebounding (6.7), 16th in scoring (13.5) and 24th in assists (2.4).
- Zech Hans is 11th in the NACC in made 3-point field goals (1.8).
- Shawn Cassidy is in his 17th season as the head coach at CUW
- Coach Cassidy is the program's all-time winningest coach.
- 259-177 overall record (.594 Win Pct) and 202-103 NACC record (.661 Win Pct).
- 3 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (2020, 2015 and 2011).
- 2 NACC regular season titles (2021-22 and 2018-19).
- 2 NACC Tournament titles (2020 and 2015).
- 2010-11 NACC Coach of the Year.
- Rockford is 11-27 overall and 5-23 in NACC games against Concordia Wisconsin.
- Rockford won the first ever meeting between the two schools 78-69 at home on December 13, 1958.
- Rockford is 3-7 in the last 10 meetings against Concordia Wisconsin
- Rockford swept the two-game NACC regular season series for the first time ever this year.
- W 79-66 vs. Concordia Wisconsin (02/14/24)
- Rockford
- Concordia Wisconsin
- Gabe Pruss - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals and 1 assist
- Zech Hans - 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
- Freeman Jackson - 11 points, 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 block
- Sam Meerstein - 10 points, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds
- W 83-73 at Concordia Wisconsin (12/09/23)
- Rockford
- Concordia Wisconsin
- Zech Hans – 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
- Sam Meerstein – 18 points, 6 rebounds, 7 steals and 1 assist
- Gabe Pruss – 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks
Individual Leaders
Team Stats
| Rockford |
NACC Rank |
Statistic |
NACC Rank |
CUW |
| 77.3 |
4th |
Points per Game |
10th |
71.1 |
| 71.7 |
3rd |
Opponent's Points per Game |
7th |
75.5 |
| +5.6 |
3rd |
Scoring Margin |
9th |
-4.4 |
| 46.0% |
6th |
Field Goal Percentage |
8th |
44.5% |
| 44.3% |
4th |
Opponent's Field Goal Percentage |
3rd |
43.6% |
| 33.7% |
9th |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
12th |
30.1% |
| 35.5% |
9th |
Opponent's 3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
11th |
35.7% |
| 67.8% |
12th |
Free Throw Percentage |
9th |
71.6% |
| 38.2 |
2nd |
Rebounds per Game |
10th |
33.4 |
| 32.3 |
2nd |
Opponent's Rebounds per Game |
7th |
35.8 |
| +6.0 |
2nd |
Rebounding Margin |
8th |
-2.4 |
| 16.7 |
1st |
Assists per Game |
7th |
13.5 |
| 13.1 |
4th |
Turnovers per Game |
10th |
15.3 |
| 13.9 |
4th |
Opponent's Turnovers per Game |
5th |
13.6 |
| +0.8 |
4th |
Turnover Margin |
10th |
-1.6 |
| +1.3 |
2nd |
Assist to Turnover Ratio |
10th |
0.9 |
| 8.4 |
4th |
Steals per Game |
5th |
8.0 |
| 3.4 |
5th |
Blocks per Game |
3rd |
3.6 |
