The men’s basketball team’s last season defied expectations. The Cardinals defeated the then No. 1 ranked Augustana College, won the CCIW and hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament. They defeated Chatham University in the first round, but saw their season end in the second round to the then No. 20 ranked Loras College with a final score of 84-82.
This season the Cardinals are poised for another big year. Heading into it the team was understandably ranked third in the nation, since losing two players from last season’s team, Jack Bronc, ’19, and Tommy Koth, ’19, to graduation. With four of their five starting players returning, the starting line-up includes Aaron Jones, ’20, Blaise Meredith, ’21, Connor Raridon, ’20, Matt Cappelletti, ‘20, and Aiden Chang, ’20. Chang returns for his fifth year after suffering a season-ending injury.
“It’s nice recognition (being ranked third) for our team, but it’s a tribute to what they’ve done in the past, but at the same time it doesn’t mean anything. I think every year we have high expectations for each team. Obviously, with the number of returning players, I think it’s no different from the past. It’s not about where you start, it’s where you finish,” said Head Coach Todd Raridon.
Connor Raridon is coming off a stellar junior season where he led the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) in assists per game (5.1), fifth in points per game (18.0) and rebounds per game (7.3). Raridon also racked in a unanimous First Team All-CCIW selection and was named to the First Team All-Central Region and Second Team All-American Selection, but he isn’t done yet.
“I just hope to perform at a high level. I want to be the best player and teammate I could be and hope to do a bit of everything. I want to help lead our team and help win some games,” said Connor Raridon, ’20.
The Cardinals will also be getting one of their best defenders back in Aiden Chang, ‘20. Chang is coming back for his fifth year after a scary injury that ended his last season nine games in. In the 2017-2018 season, Chang led the Cardinals in steals with 25 and scored in double figures throughout the season.
“The return of Chang is nice,” said Coach Raridon. “He’s still not 100%, but he’s getting there.”
A couple of other players that Coach Raridon expects to improve this season are Blaise Meredith and Will Clausel. Meredith ranked third on the team in points per game (10.4) and rebounds per game (4.8). Meredith was also named to the All-CCIW Second Team last year. Clausel played in all 29 games for North Central. He averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 18.2 minutes while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.
The Cardinals had a tough start to the season as they were 4-2 early on, losing to UW-Oshkosh and Benedictine University. The Cardinals dropped from the No. 3 spot in the preseason poll to No. 16 in the updated Top 25 poll. The team has since picked up more than a few wins, bringing their current overall record to 13-3. The men’s basketball team is set to face Augustana College on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. inside Gregory Arena.
