For the first time in nine years, Taylor men’s basketball qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
The Trojans earned an at-large bid to compete at the National Tournament in Orange City, Iowa following their 84-73 loss in the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals to No. 19 Bethel.
Three tournament games were hosted on No. 20 Northwestern College’s home court at the Bultman Center. Taylor participated in the first game on March 13, with the bout beginning competitively. Taylor head coach Austin Peters said the team’s strength showed in their early shots, as the Trojans matched the Red Raiders for the initial 10 minutes.
“I think the level we play at in the Crossroads League helped us prepare,” junior forward Pete Combs said.
Combs attributed their starting strength to a strong pre-championship schedule. However, the Raiders pulled a 15-point lead to breakaway and leave halftime at 55-37.
The red offense took the second half with a similar lead, putting up 45 more points at a 51.5 field goal percentage. The purple-and-gray contended with nine turnovers, shooting 27.8%.
Junior guards Izaiah Day and Anthony McGhee attempted combat, both claiming double digits. Day put up 17, while McGhee claimed 15 points and 5 rebounds.
Freshman guard Anor Wogar had 8 points. He contributed to the 31 points coming from the bench, only 1 less than the starting five. Taylor’s big man, sophomore Levin Smith, had a career-high of 5 assists.
Peters said his advice following halftime centered around Northwestern’s standout guard, sophomore Jalen Langsy.
“Try to tighten up on their best player and make someone else beat us,” Peters said.
Taylor’s defense lowered Langsy’s scoring from 27 points in the first half to 5 in the second. However, his 32 points led scoring for the Raiders. Sophomore forward Jesse Van Kalsbeek ended the evening with 25 points, along with nine rebounds and four steals for Northwestern.
The second-year duo are in the running for the Bevo Francis Award, an annual honor for the finest in small college basketball.
Taylor ultimately fell to Northwestern in a 100-63 runaway.
The Trojans ended the season with an 11-7 conference record and 19-11 overall record. The 2025-2026 crusade marked the most wins for Taylor since the 2016-2017 season.
The last national appearance in 2017 resulted in a Trojan loss to No. 11 Trinity International University in the Sweet 16. At this time, the NAIA was split into two divisions, with Taylor placed in Division II. Taylor’s qualification marked 16 appearances in program history for the national tournament.
“I think it’s a goal for our team, to get back to making that national tournament a perennial thing,” Combs said. “Because of injuries and other stuff that happened to the team, a lot of freshmen got thrust into roles we needed them to be in.”
He said the underclassmen handled their roles well throughout the season while physically adjusting at the national level. The Trojans’ progress sets the foundation for the future, as the young team looks to return to the national championship next year.
Preparation for the 2026-2027 season begins now. Peters said much-needed rest was the priority over spring break, before his “hungry and motivated” team headed back to the weight room in April.
