Last Thursday, the Northwestern Men’s Basketball season came to an end at the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Round of 16, falling to Georgetown (Kentucky) 73-70.
The Red Raiders finished the 2024-2025 with a record of 27-6 overall and 16-4 in conference play. This year marks the second year in a row the Raiders were eliminated in the Round of 16 but this post-season defeat does not take away from the success the Raiders experienced throughout the 2024-2025 campaign.
The Red Raiders started the season off hot, winning 18 straight games, including their first nine conference games. The team hit a period of rough losses over their next three games. In early January, conference rival Dordt spoiled the Raider’s hopes of a second-half comeback in a game at the Bultman, winning the contest 78-75. They would then lose a pair of games against Concordia and Morningside.
The Raiders would bounce back after that, winning three in a row before again facing a loss to Dordt in Sioux Center. The men would close out their remaining regular season schedule with victories.
In post-season action, the Raiders were the number three seed in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament and would go on to win their first-round game against Briar Cliff. NW was bested by Concordia in the semifinals and selected as a number six seed in the NAIA National Championship Tournament. The Raiders would end up surviving the first and second rounds of the tournament with wins against Graceland (Iowa) and number 12 Huntington (Indiana), but in Kansas City they would eventually lose in a thriller against Georgetown (KY). The team struggled in the first half of the game but overcame a 17-point deficit to take the lead in the second half. Despite the comeback, Georgetown would pull off the victory.
There were a lot of notable and exciting moments in the season. Senior Alex Van Kalsbeek made history in early January, becoming NW’s all-time points scorer, surpassing 2,479 points. On the team side of things, freshmen Jalen Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek enjoyed a good amount of playing time throughout the schedule, hoping to earn spots as potential starters for next season. Throughout the year, NW moved around in the NAIA rankings, posting as high as number three. It was another season to be proud of for the Raiders, and there seems to be much to anticipate in the years ahead.
The men’s team had another strong showing this season.
