IRVINE, Calif. – New Concordia University Irvine men's basketball coach Scott Clark and his staff are excited to announce their first recruiting class of incoming Golden Eagles.

There are 11 total new faces joining the nest with five returning members from last year's squad that made the PacWest Conference Tournament.

"We are excited to welcome this incoming recruiting class to join our five returners on this year's team," said Coach Clark, a former CBU assistant who was hired by CUI this summer after helping lead the Lancers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. "Our staff worked with urgency, while also making sure we bring in the type of student-athlete that fits our program and more importantly our university. We are looking forward to building upon the great foundation of CUI men's basketball while beginning a new era."

ONE MORE RUN
Two grad students will look to play key roles for CUI this coming season.

Tyler Isaak was Coach Clark's first commit and joins the Green and Gold from the University of Montana. "T.I." appeared in all 34 games last year at the D1 school, and averaged 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Grizzlies. Prior to his time at Montana, Isaak also excelled at Citrus College where he averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 41 percent from three-point land. He was an All-State and All-Conference honoree and helped Citrus go 29-3 that season.

"T.I. brings veteran leadership to this group," said Coach Clark. "He is a versatile player with great intangibles that we expect to see early on."

Neel Beniwal joins CUI as a 6'7 forward who attended the University of San Diego. Dating back to his high school days at The Phelps School, he is known for his three-point shooting and can get hot from downtown at any time.
"Neel's ability to shoot the basketball will be a great asset," said Coach Clark. "We are excited about the experience he brings to our program."

JUNIORS IN MINT CONDITION

The staff focused on bringing in multiple guards to the fold. Zee McCown is a 5'10 junior guard from Louisville, Kentucky who excelled at Assumption University. McCown started all 62 career games and helped lead Assumption to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight run in 2025. He averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds as a sophomore while shooting 47 percent from the floor.

"Zee brings a lot of experience to our team," said Coach Clark. "He has played in big time games, knows how to run a team, and can distribute the basketball at a high level."

Amiri Meadows will join the backcourt as a 6'1 junior transfer from Citrus College. The Bellflower, Calif. native averaged 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a sophomore and was even named WSC Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2026. He is the all-time leader in steals at Citrus and helped lead the Owls to an astounding 59-5 overall record in two years (28-0 in conference).

"Amiri has shown his ability to impact winning over the course of his career," explained Coach Clark. "He's played for great coaches in Matt Dunn (St. John Bosco) and Brett Lauer (Citrus). He will bring a level of competitiveness that will elevate our program."

Pejan Slater is no stranger to the PacWest Conference and comes to CUI from Chaminade University. As a 6'7 junior forward, Slater has started nearly 50 games over the course of his collegiate career, which includes time at Cal Poly Humboldt and Citrus College.

He shot 42 percent from the floor as a freshman at Humboldt and improved to 49.5 percent shooting at Citrus where he averaged 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.

"Pejan will bring size and strength to our front court that will help our team," said Coach Clark. "He also has experience in the west region."

Another junior joining the squad is Jacob Simon, a 6'6 guard from Saddleback College. Simon is a local San Juan Hills High School alum and also gained collegiate experience playing at Chapman University. The San Juan Capistrano native helped Saddleback make the CCCAA state playoffs.

"Jacob is an athletic, older player who will bring good size and experience to the roster," added Coach Clark. "He is a great fit for our program and what we are trying to build here as we lay the foundation."

ANOTHER LUKA IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Luka Djurovic will help attack the glass from the guard position as he averaged 7.4 points and 6.8 rebounds at Chadron State College. Listed at 6'8 and originally from Danilovgrad, Montenegro, Djurovic was one of Chadron State's top rebounders and will look to make a difference in a similar way with the Green and Gold.

"Luka brings versatility and size to our team," said Coach Clark. "His proven ability to rebound the basketball stood out."

FOUR FRESHMAN FACES

Concordia added four total freshman to the fold in this recruiting class. Another tall addition is Clint Hamann, a 6'11 forward from Berlin, Germany. Hamann played nearly 20 minutes per game at BG Hessing Leitershofen (Germany ProB) and averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds. He also shot 60 percent from the field to help win the U19 German Championship with Alba Berlin.

CUI dipped into its New Zealand pipeline with the addition of 6'6 guard Mattie Dalton. The younger brother of former Concordia Golden Eagle Charlie Dalton, Mattie played for League Champion Tuatara in the NZNBL and was coached by CUI alum and former NAIA National Champion Cameron Gliddon. He also scored 19.8 points during eight games at a national tournament as a North Harbour U20 representative.

"Mattie has a high upside," said Coach Clark. "He comes from a successful basketball family and is driven by the game. He has international experience that will serve him well.

Scottsdale, Arizona native Cole Pepe is a 6'4, 205 pound wing from Notre Dame Prep. A First Team All-Region and 5A East Sky Defensive Player of the Year honoree, he posted an impressive 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio as a senior. He appeared in eight games at D1 Grand Canyon University before deciding to join the Golden Eagles.

"Cole is a great fit for us," added Coach Clark. "He comes from a high-level program and his habits will be felt here at CUI."

Anthony Magee is a freshman 5'9 guard from Chaminade High School in Los Angeles. Magee had a highly decorated prep career and shot 41 percent from the field. He was averaged 8.9 points per game and earned 3 Player of the Game Awards during the season before his senior season ended early due to injury.

"Anthony is an impressive young man from a great family," said Coach Clark. "His maturity and habits will be contagious in the locker room."

Concordia's returning student-athletes are also hungry to contribute and mesh with the new Golden Eagles. Radek Homer emerged as a lockdown defender and led the team in steals, even earning PacWest Defender of the Week honors last December.  The versatile Ben Krystkowiak also played in all 30 contests and provided scoring punch off the bench in his first season in Irvine.

Point guard Kevin Haupt has been a steadying influence as a ball-handler that can catch fire at any moment. After serving as an understudy for former CUI Golden Eagle Award winner Connor Gleason, Haupt played in 27 games as a sophomore and enjoyed a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio to help the team in various ways.

The athletic James Freeman also provided highlight-reel dunks on multiple occasions to the delight of the Concordia faithful and joined Homer as an Academic All-PacWest selection. Akeem Akeredolu brought energy to the table as another motivated big that could provide a boost to the team at any moment.

All five of those talented returners will help lead the way as the newcomers carve out a name for themselves with basketball season just around the corner.

CLICK HERE for a first look at the 2026-27 CUI men's basketball roster page

The 2026-27 CUI men's basketball schedule was also just finalized. 

Concordia's regular season opener will come on its home floor, as the Golden Eagles debut against Colorado Christian on Monday, Nov. 9th at 7 p.m. PT.  Concordia is slated to open its conference season at Westmont on December 12th to begin PacWest play after multiple non-conference matchups.

CLICK HERE for the full 2026-27 CUI men's basketball schedule