The RV University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Men's Basketball team is starting their 2026-27 campaign at home against the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears in a non-conference matchup between NSIC opponents. The game is on November 9th with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m.

Bulldogs Start Season:

After the Bulldogs successful 2025-26 campaign that saw UMD win the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2003 and reach the Sweet Sixteen for just the second time in program history, the Bulldogs are ready to hit the court for another season.

The Bulldogs will look for players to step up to the challenge this season after departures from Mattie Thompson, Kole Hanson, and Noah Paulson. UMD will also look to veterans Caleb Siwek and Nick Katona to lead the charge.

Head Coach Justin Wieck enters his ninth season with the Bulldogs. Wieck holds a 165-70 record with the Bulldogs. Under Wieck's lead, the Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, and won the 2026 NSIC Tournament. 

While the Regular Season crown has remained elusive for the Bulldogs, UMD is expected to be in strong contention for the 2026-27 title. The Bulldogs were selected third in the NSIC Preseason Poll, and were selected as preseason favorites in the North Division.

There are several new faces on the Bulldogs roster this season. Darik Dissette joins the Bulldogs after leading the Minot State Beavers in minutes during the 2025-26 season. The Bulldogs also picked up four freshman for the upcoming year; Jacob Hibner, Issac Olmstead, Wes Rahn, and Calvin Anderson.

Some of the key returners looking to make an impact this season will be Caleb Siwek, Nick Katona, and Jackson Fowlkes.

Caleb Siwek returns for his fifth season with the Bulldogs this year. The graduate student from Rosemount, Minnesota played the second-most amount of minutes in single-season program history during the 2025-26 campaign, and will look to lead the Bulldogs again this season. Siwek was selected as the NSIC North Division Preseason Player of the Year, and is 193 points away from becoming the 46th 1,000-point scorer in UMD program history.

Nick Katona also returns for his fifth season. The Shakopee, Minnesota native is a key defensive piece for the Bulldogs. Katona was 19th in the nation last season in defensive boards, nabbing 192 on the year. Paired with his ability to get steals, Katona's defense will be crucial to the Bulldogs' potential success this upcoming season.

Jackson Fowlkes enters his third season with the Bulldogs for the 2026-27 campaign. The junior from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota scored 316 points for UMD last season, averaging nine points a game, and is looking to continue that success this upcoming year.

Having come off the bench last year, Wyatt McBeth, Owen Leach, and Daniel Molhoek will play a greater role in the Bulldogs 2026-27 campaign. Andrew Rader will also look to make an impact at the five spot after the departure of Mattie Thompson and Noah Paulson.

About the Golden Bears:

Concordia-St. Paul is expected to have another strong season in the NSIC. The Golden Bears were picked to finish fifth in the NSIC this season, receiving 153 votes in the preseason poll.

The Golden Bears were a top contender in the NSIC last season, finishing tied for third place in the conference with a 14-8 conference record, and were 19-10 overall. The Golden Bear's season came to an abrupt end in the NSIC Tournament after the Bulldogs upset them in Sioux Falls.

Concordia-St. Paul will be led by Senior guard Owen Carlson. The Mahtomedi, Minnesota native averaged 13.4 points per game for the Golden Bears, and was one of the best three-point shooters in Division-II last season, shooting 46% from beyond the arc.

The Golden Bears got two key transfers during the offseason. Brandon Hrncir, a junior from Farmington, Minnesota came to Concordia-St. Paul after averaging 13.0 points per game for the Sioux Falls Cougars. The other is fifth-year forward Nick Burke, who the Golden Bears picked up from Bethel. The Victoria, Minnesota native was the Royals leading scorer during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 17.3 points, and also averaged 6.2 rebounds per game as well.

Concordia-St. Paul also lost two All-NSIC players. First-Team All-NSIC guard Ben Kopetzki transferred to Appalachian State in Division-I, and Second-Team All-NSIC forward Sam West graduated.

Head Coach Matt Fletcher:

Matt Fletcher enters his 7th season with the Golden Bears after having been the head coach at Bethany Lutheran. Fletcher has built the Golden Bears from being a three-win team in his first season to NSIC Champions, winning their first NSIC title during the 2024-25 season. He also led the Golden Bears to their first Division-II NCAA Tournament appearance in the same season, falling in the second-round against Washburn. He also won NSIC Coach of the Year in the 2024-25 season.

All-Time Series: 

UMD Leads 23-14
Last Game: UMD 75-71 (3/1/26)
Last CSP Win: 93-89 (12/21/24)
Wieck vs. CSP: 10-1
Fletcher vs. UMD: 1-7

The Bulldogs have had the historical edge on the Golden Bears, with UMD leading the series 23-14. However, the Golden Bears and Bulldogs were tied 13-13 prior to the arrival of Coach Wieck.

From Last Time:

The University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball team outlasted Concordia University-St. Paul 75-72 to earn their first entry into the NSIC Tournament Semifinals since the 2023-24 season. UMD was led by Kole Hanson with 16 points, hitting 44.4% (4-9) from the field, 50% (2-4) beyond the arc, and 100% (6-6) from the free throw line. Following close behind was Caleb Siwek and Mattie Thompson with 13 points and two steals each.