After being ranked #24 in the NAIA Pre-Season Men's Division II Basketball Poll, the Valley City State University Vikings open the year's first official poll as the #19 team in the country.

After a 5-2 start and a win over then #7 Northwestern College, the Vikings jumped five spots in the weekly NAIA poll. Valley City State also has wins over NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Crookston and two wins versus NAIA Division I Dickinson State University.

The Vikings are the highest and only ranked Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) team.

Valley City State travels to the University of Minnesota-Morris on Tuesday, December 4th before returning home for back to back home games on Thursday, December 6th and Friday, December 7th versus Presentation College and Trinity Bible College.