Vikings men's basketball reloads for 2026-27 season
After falling in the semifinal round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament, the Augustana men’s basketball team enters the 2026-27 campaign with eight new players and a newly renovated home court.
“We got 18 guys that are hard workers, great teammates and they care about culture,” head coach Cody Schilling said. “They care about being Augustana Vikings, and all they want to do is play and win basketball games.”
The Vikings lost six players in the offseason, including starters Sam Rensch and Tameron Ferguson. To reload alongside the 10 returning players, Schilling brought in four freshmen and four transfers ahead of this weekend’s season-opening trip to Little Rock, Arkansas.
“We got a lot of new bodies and fresh faces, but it’s been exciting and we’ve had a fun preseason,” Schilling said. “We’ve done a really really good job of not trying to rebuild, but trying to reload a little bit.”
Among the newcomers is shooting guard JJ Ferrin, who transferred from Wayne State to play for Augustana for his senior year.
“I was taking a risk and betting on myself by going through the portal,” Ferrin said. “I found a great fit here. It’s certainly been an adjustment but I’ve had a good coaching staff and team around me.”
When the Vikings return to Sioux Falls for their home schedule, they will play in a newly renovated facility.
After moving home games back on campus from the Sanford Pentagon and Sioux Falls Arena at the start of the 2025-26 season, the university completed the Elmen Center Revitalization Project this October. Funded by a $2 million donation from the Elmen family, the project added a new wood floor, LED lighting, a new sound system and chairback bleacher seating.
Schilling also said he’s appreciative of the amenities that fans will experience when watching a home game.
“Being back on campus in a renovated Elmen Center, we’re excited,” Schilling said. “There’s just a lot of energy.”
On the court, the team is also working to keep up a fast-paced offense and high-energy help defense.
“We’re trying to play fast and run hard,” senior shooting guard Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola said. “We’re trying to keep up a good flow of pace on the court.”
Redshirt freshman guard Riley Johnson said part of keeping up the pace includes getting the ball down the court within the first five seconds of possession.
On defense, Johnson said the focus is on quick help-side rotations when a defender gets beat off the dribble.
“If one of our guys gets beat we’ve gotta be there to help fill in the gaps,” Johnson said. “We gotta play together and put out each other’s fires.”
Ferrin said that this constant communication creates transition scoring opportunities by forcing turnovers and controlling possession. To build that chemistry, players said they are focusing on incremental improvements during preseason practices.
“And we can work on stacking days too,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said. “We’re just trying to get 1% better each day.”
Schilling said the team’s three goals this season are winning more than 20 games, capturing the conference championship and returning to the NCAA Division II tournament.
The men’s basketball team opens its season this weekend with the NSIC/GAC Challenge in Little Rock, Arkansas. They play against Arkansas-Monticello at 1 p.m. Friday and Ouachita Baptist at 3 p.m. Saturday.
