VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Valley City State University Viking Men's basketball team will open the season tonight with a home game against the University of Minnesota-Morris Cougars. Tipoff at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Viking men are picked to finish eleventh in the Frontier Conference this season. The Vikings are coming off a 15-14 2024-25 season where they lost to eventual conference tournament champion Dickinson State in the tournament semifinals.

This will be a nearly totally new roster for the Vikings. Returning from last year's team will be seniors Caden Grinde and Nick Carlson, along with sophomore Sam Kobbervig.

Grinde averaged around six points per game last year and started in 25 of 29 games. He also averaged just over two rebounds per game. His best game was a 16-point effort versus the University of Jamestown on January 18^th.

Carlson came off the bench and averaged around one point and one rebound per game. His best game last season was. A four-point, three-rebound game versus Bellevue early in the season.

Kobbervig started nine games late in the season for the Vikings. He averaged four points and two rebounds per game. He scored a career high 19 points in a win over Dakota State on February 15^th.

Coach Ryan Montgomery, who starts his tenth season at the helm of the Vikings, will be looking to towards some transfers and a strong freshman class to help the Vikings in their first season in the tough Frontier Conference.
Some names to watch for a Seniors JR Cison and Kaleb Larson. Some height was brought in with the freshmen class in 6'7 Jaelyn Johnson, 6'6 Joel Nelson, and 6'8 Alex Lester.

The Vikings have a 28-game schedule with 22 games within the Frontier Conference. The first conference game of the season will be November 18^th at Mayville State. On November 21^st, VCSU will host Montana Western for the first Frontier Conference home game.