Early-Season Gauntlet Continues for Vikings Saturday at San Francisco

TIPOFF
The Portland State men's basketball team went into its 2026-27 season knowing it'd have to dedicate the early part of the season to discovering this group's strengths and weaknesses.

It's a brand-new team after all. The Vikings brought in 13 newcomers with only three returners, none of whom averaged more than six minutes a game last season.

Knowing that, head coach Jase Coburn set up a four-game road trip near the beginning of the season that featured three postseason teams. You learn more about yourself through adversity than walking over weaker opponents, so the thinking goes.

The Vikings have already played two of those three postseason teams. Seattle U and Colorado State – the Vikings' last two opponents – both made the NIT last season, while Saint Mary's, who the Vikings will play Monday, qualified for March Madness.

In between those three, the Vikings head to San Francisco for a 4 p.m. tipoff Saturday. While the Dons didn't make either postseason tournament last season, they still present a strong challenge for the Vikings. They beat the Vikings, 80-70, on Nov. 12 last season, while finishing 17-16 overall and 8-10 in WCC play. This season, WCC coaches picked the Dons to finish third in the league behind Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, and ahead of Seattle U.

The Dons figure to continue the Vikings' education process about their new team, then. That education process has included both positives and negatives. On the positive side, the Vikings confirmed their strength on the glass this past Wednesday at Colorado State. The Vikings out-rebounded the Rams by 13 (38-to-25), including a 14-to-1 advantage on the offensive glass that they turned that into an 18-0 lead in second-chance points.

It was the second time out of three games this season that the Vikings have shut out their opponent in second-chance points. They also shut out Lewis & Clark in their season opener on Nov. 3, outscoring the River Otters 25-0 in second-chance points.

Senior forward Jaquay Randolph led the Vikings' rebounding effort, as he finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds against a talented frontcourt for the Rams. The 18 rebounds were tied for the third-most rebounds by a Viking in a single game during the program's Big Sky era (1996 to present).

The Vikings head into their game against the Dons now ranked second in the Big Sky and in the top 50 nationally for rebounds per game (45.0), offensive rebounds per game (15.7) and rebounding margin (+15.7). Randolph, by missing the Vikings' season opener, doesn't have enough games to qualify for the per-game rankings individually. He'll enter the rankings if he plays Saturday, and should enter near the top with 16.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game so far this season.

Randolph has recorded back-to-back double-doubles to kick off his Portland State career, after he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Seattle U. The double-doubles should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Randolph's career. He led NCAA Division II with 25 doubles-doubles in 29 games for Southern Wesleyan last season.

Where the Vikings would hope to be better against the Dons Saturday would be in ball control. They gave up 10 first-half turnovers to Colorado State Wednesday, which the Rams turned into a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers. And considering the Vikings' first half deficit was 16, that 13-point swing proved critical. PSU turnovers also helped spark Seattle U in the second half of their game last Saturday.

Forcing turnovers have been one of the Dons' primary strengths this season. They lead the WCC with 16.0 turnovers forced per game. That's helped them rank second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 63.3 points per game.

Those numbers are in line with the Dons' last game, a 63-58 USF win over Montana this past Tuesday. They held the Grizzlies to just 36.0 percent (18-for-50) shooting from the floor, a season low for a USF opponent. They held Radford to 44.0 percent (22-for-50) shooting in their season opener, then 37.1 (percent against North Dakota State (18-for-50).

The Vikings haven't mustered more than 50 percent from the field outside of their season opener against Lewis & Clark.

If they're going to do so Saturday, then it'll come from taking care of the ball. Do that, and the Vikings will give themselves a chance, even as they fight through an adverse schedule in an effort to learn about their new team.

GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-2) VS. SAN FRANCISCO (3-0)
INFO: Saturday, Nov. 14, 4 p.m. PT, San Francisco, Calif. (War Memorial at The Sobrato Center)
TV: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO:

The San Francisco Dons have opened the season with three straight wins over Radford (76-62 on Nov. 2), North Dakota State (79-70 on Nov. 6) and Montana (63-58 on Nov. 10). The Dons never trailed in their first two games but gutted out a win over the Grizzlies despite leading for less than seven minutes.
The Dons came into the year, their fifth under head coach Chris Gerlufsen, picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference. They finished tied for fifth in the WCC last season at 8-10 in conference play. They were 17-16 overall, including an 80-70 win over the Vikings on Nov. 12 last season.
Ndewedo Newbury, a 6-7 forward from London, was named to the preseason all-conference team. He was an honorable mention All-WCC pick following the 2023-24 season but has missed most of the last two seasons with injury.
The Dons represent a strong defensive team as they lead the WCC in turnovers forced per game (16.0) while they rank second in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 63.3 points per game. Additionally, the Dons rank fourth in the WCC for field goal percentage defense (.388), blocks per game (4.3), steals per game (8.0) and turnover margin (+2.7).
Individually, Gustaf Knudsen and Newbury rank second and seventh in the WCC with 2.00 and 1.33 blocks per game, respectively. Ben Oosterbaan and Knudsen then rank fifth and ninth in the WCC with 2.00 and 1.67 steals per game.
Offensively, the Dons are averaging 72.7 points per game, ranking them eighth in the WCC. They also rank eighth in field goal percentage (.439), as well as sixth in three-point percentage (.338) and seventh in three-pointers per game (7.7).
Oosterbaan leads the Dons with 16.0 points per game, ranking him eighth in the WCC. Dylan Bordon and Knudsen also average in double figures with 12.0 and 10.0 points per game, respectively. Oosterbaan leads the Dons with 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking him ninth in the WCC.

SERIES NOTES:

The Dons took a 2-1 lead in the all-time series between them and the Vikings with an 80-70 victory in San Francisco last season.
All three previous meetings between the Vikings and Dons have been in San Francisco.
The Vikings' lone win over the Dons came on Dec. 16, 2016, when the Vikings won 82-78.

TIP-INS:

LAST TIME OUT: The Vikings fell behind 42-26 by halftime of their game against Colorado State Wednesday, and couldn't make up the deficit in the second half, falling to the Rams 87-71.
STRONG ON THE GLASS: The Vikings out-rebounded a stout front line from Colorado State by 13 Wednesday (38-to-25). They have won the rebounding battle in two of their three games now and rank second in the Big Sky and in the top 50 nationally for total rebounds per game (45.0), offensive rebounds per game (15.7) and rebounding margin (+15.7).
ROAD GAUNTLET: Saturday's game at San Francisco will be the third of a tough four-game trip to kick off the season that sees the Vikings play three teams that made the postseason last year. The Vikings have already played Seattle U (L, 60-79, on Nov. 7) and Colorado State (L, 71-87, on Nov. 11), both of which made the NIT last season. They'll play Saint Mary's Monday after the Gaels made March Madness last year. Meanwhile, Saturday's opponent, San Francisco, was picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference.
NOTHING'S WRONG WITH A SECOND CHANCE: The Vikings held a 14-to-1 advantage on the offensive glass Wednesday night against Colorado State. They turned that into an 18-0 advantage in second-chance points. It was the second time the Vikings shut out their opponent in second-chance points. Besides Colorado State, the Vikings outscored Lewis & Clark 25-0 in second-chance points. The Vikings are averaging 18.7 second-chance points per game through their first three games.
TURNOVER MARGIN: The Vikings have lost the turnover battle in their first three games of the season. They head into Saturday's game with a minus-4.33 turnover margin, ranking them 10th out of 11 teams in the Big Sky Conference. That's against how the Vikings have typically been under head coach Jase Coburn. The Vikings have led the Big Sky Conference in turnover margin in three of their previous five seasons under Coburn, while they ranked third last season.
OPPONENT SHOOTING PERCENTAGE: The Vikings' last two opponents have both shot better than 50 percent from the field. Seattle U made its last 12 shots from the field while finishing at 51.9 percent (27-for-52) against the Vikings on Nov. 7. Colorado State did one tick better Wednesday, shooting 52.9 percent (27-for-51) from the field. That's another atypical stat for the Vikings as they've led the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense each of the last two seasons (.427 in 2024-25; .417 in 2025-26).
FREE POINTS: The Vikings have been able to get to the free throw line in every game so far. They lead the Big Sky in both free throws made (19.3) and attempted (30.0) per game. The Vikings have struggled at times from the line when they've gotten there, though. They shot just 60.5 percent (26-for-43) from the line against Lewis & Clark, then 62.5 percent (15-for-24) against Seattle U. They improved to 73.9 percent (17-for-23) against Colorado State Wednesday, however.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING: The Vikings believe they have bolstered their shooting capabilities over the offseason. That proved true in their season opener against Lewis & Clark when they went 11-for-28 (.393) from deep. Seattle U and Colorado State have made it tougher on the Vikings over the last two games. They finished 5-for-20 (.250) from deep against Seattle U, then went 6-for-20 (.300) against Colorado State. They're still averaging more makes per game this year (7.3) than last year (6.7).
RING NIGHT VICTORY: The Vikings opened their season with a 111-59 victory over Lewis & Clark Tuesday. Six different Vikings scored in double figures between KC Ibekwe (17), Luke Kearney (17), Yaroslav Nikonov (14), Trevor Frank (13), Antonio Pusateri (10) and Nehemiah Pollard (10).
UNSELFISH BASKETBALL: The Vikings assisted on 24 of their 37 field goals against Lewis & Clark. Freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas led the team with eight assists, five of which came during an extended 35-9 PSU run in the second half. Sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov has recorded five assists against Lewis & Clark and Colorado State and now ranks tied for 11th in the Big Sky Conference with 3.67 assists per game.
TRADEMARK DEFENSE: If there's one thing the Vikings have been known for under head coach Jase Coburn, it's their high-energy defense. They have led the Big Sky Conference in steals in four of their previous five years under Coburn, while they have led in turnover margin in three of those five years. Last year, they not only led the conference in steals (at 7.6 per game) but also scoring defense (70.3 points allowed per game), field goal percentage defense (.417) and turnovers forced per game (12.8). They're slower to claim that mantle through two games this season, however, as they rank 10th in the Big Sky in steals per game (4.33) and turnover margin (-4.33) so far.
DEEP BENCH: Eleven different players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game for the Vikings. Out of those 11, only Jaquay Randolph (31.9), Yaroslav Nikonov (25.5) and Gantas Križanauskas (20.6) average more than 20.0 minutes per game.
MIKE LUND DUNK TRACKER: Thirty-seven-year SID Mike Lund, who retired over the summer, started tracking dunks when the Vikings joined the Big Sky Conference during the 1996-97 season. In his honor, this year's dunk tracker looks like…1 for Dennis Johnson III…1 for KC Ibekwe…1 for Antonio Pusateri.

PLAYER NOTES

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov has scored in double figures in all three games this season. He led the Vikings with 16 points against Seattle U last Saturday, and had 14 points against Colorado State and Lewis & Clark… Through three games, Nikonov ranks in the top 15 of the Big Sky for points (14.7, 6th), assists (3.67, T-11th), free throw percentage (.842, 8th), three-pointers per game (2.00, T-11th), blocks per game (0.67, T-13th) and defensive rebounds per game (3.33, T-14th)… Nikonov is averaging 5.33 free throws made per game and 6.33 attempts per game….Nikonov played in the Russian Superleague for the CSKA-2 team, the second-level team in the CSKA club, where he averaged 17.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this past season.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE KING: Senior forward Jaquay Randolph led NCAA Division II with 25 double-doubles in 29 games last season for Southern Wesleyan, so it's fitting that he's opened his Portland State career with back-to-back double-doubles. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds while making his Portland State debut against Seattle U. He followed with 23 points and 18 rebounds Wednesday at Colorado State. His 18 rebounds were tied for the third-most rebounds by a Viking in a single game during the program's Big Sky era (1996 to present)…By missing the Vikings' season opener, Randolph has not played in enough games to be ranked among the Big Sky leaders on a per-game basis. He will after Saturday's game at San Francisco, though, at which point he figures to join the leaders for points per game (16.5 currently) and rebounds per game (14.0)…Randolph averaged 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game while shooting 61.0 percent from the floor last season for Southern Wesleyan…In addition to double-doubles, Randolph also led NCAA Division II in rebounding last season.
KING OF THE CITY: Fifth-year center KC Ibekwe – whose nickname "KC" stands for King of the City – nearly had a double-double in only 16:25 of action in the team's season opener against Lewis & Clark. He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds while going 7-for-8 from the field…He was 3-for-3 Wednesday at Colorado State, leaving him at 78.6 percent (11-for-14) shooting for the season…Ibekwe ranks tied for 13th in the Big Sky in blocks (0.67) and tied for sixth in offensive rebounds (2.00) per game.
GANTAS HAS GANAS: Freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas came off the bench to record six points, eight assists and four rebounds in the Vikings' season opener against Lewis & Clark…Five of his eight assists came in the second half when the Vikings shot 71.0 percent from the field…He earned his first start of the season Wednesday at Colorado State…He ranks 10th in the Big Sky with a 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio, with nine assists against four turnovers.
COOL HAND LUKE: Senior forward Luke Kearney showed a smooth stroke while tying for the team lead with 17 points in the Vikings' season opener against Lewis & Clark. Kearney went 5-for-8 overall and 3-for-5 from three-point range against the River Otters...He's 5-for-10 (.500) from three-point range this season…He also ranks tied for 13th in the Big Sky with 0.67 blocks per game…Kearney won a ring with Utah State last season, after playing his first two years at Air Force…He had his most productive year during his second season with Air Force when he averaged 8.9 points per game and made 52 three-pointers.
POLLARD WILL TRY HARD: Four of senior guard Nehemiah Pollard's 10 rebounds so far this season have come on the offensive end, including all three Wednesday against Colorado State...His effort on the glass has helped him get to the line where he's 8-for-10 (.800) so far this season, ranking him tied for 10th in the Big Sky.
SKYTTÄ CAN SCOOT: Senior guard Emil Skyttä filled the stat sheet with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Vikings' season opener against Lewis & Clark…He's totaled only six points and six rebounds combined over the Vikings' previous two games, however…He won a ring with North Dakota State last season…He played against the Vikings within the Big Sky Conference at Sacramento State from 2023-25.
LET'S BE FRANK: Senior guard Trevor Frank made 220 three-pointers over the previous three years at NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist. So, it's only natural that he started his PSU career with four three-pointers in the team's season opener against Lewis & Clark…He's gone 2-for-8 combined over the last two games, however…Frank ranks tied for 11th with 2.00 three-pointers per game.
MY ANTONIO: Senior forward Antonio Pusateri has gone 9-for-12 (.750) from the field while averaging 6.0 points per game in just 11.1 minutes per game off the bench. He scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting against Lewis & Clark. He followed up with six points on 3-for-3 shooting against Seattle U, then had two points on 1-for-2 shooting at Colorado State…Pusateri ranked second in NCAA Division II with 22 double-doubles last season while playing for Lubbock Christian. The person he ranked behind is now his teammate in Jaquay Randolph.
DJ DOESN'T SKIP A BEAT: Sophomore guard Dennis Johnson III played a season-high 21 minutes at Colorado State Wednesday, scoring four points and recording two assists…Johnson was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year while playing for Western Washington last season alongside current Portland State teammate Nehemiah Pollard.

HEAD COACH JASE COBURN

GENERAL: Head coach Jase Coburn, the 2025-26 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, begins his sixth season leading the Vikings program. He was named Portland State's Head Coach on April 16, 2021. Coburn is the 14th men's basketball coach in PSU history and the seventh in the Big Sky era (1996-97 to present).
THAT WINNING FEELING: Head coach Jase Coburn is sixth in career wins as a head coach at PSU. Coburn is currently 83-77... Coburn has a 32-29 record in non-conference games in his six years at the helm of the Viking Ship. That includes a respectable 13-20 road record in those games... PSU is 24-16 in non-conference play since the start of the 2023-24 season... among Big Sky schools, he has had the most success against Northern Arizona (9-1), Idaho (9-2) and Idaho State (9-3) and the least success against Eastern Washington (2-8) and Montana (2-9).
THE CENTURY MARK: Head coach Jase Coburn needs 17 wins this season to become just the third Portland State head coach to reach 100 career wins for the Vikings. He'll join Sharkey Nelson (162 wins from 1953-65) and Tyler Geving (112 wins from 2009-17) in the 100-win club when he does. Coburn would become the second-fastest out of the three to 100 wins if he were to accomplish it this season. Nelson needed 168 games to reach 100 wins, while Geving needed 220 games. Coburn has coached 160 games at Portland State.

PRESEASON NOTES

POLL PREDICTIONS: The Vikings were picked to finish tied for fourth and fifth in the Big Sky Conference by league coaches and media, respectively. The Vikings were part of a clear top five in the conference. Montana State, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington finished 1-2-3 in both polls. The Vikings matched Montana for fourth in the coaches poll but finished behind the Grizzlies in the media poll. That was the only difference between both polls, as every other team slotted into the exact same spot across both predictions.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Redshirt senior guard Koren Johnson received preseason All-Big Sky honors. Johnson made the team with Northern Colorado's Langston Reynolds, who was named preseason MVP, as well as Montana State's Jed Miller, Utah Tech's Ethan Potter, Eastern Washington's Andrew Cook and Alton Hamilton IV, and Southern Utah's Jaiden Feroah.
LAST SEASON RECAP: The Vikings were 20-11 in 2025-26, winning the Big Sky Conference regular season title for the first time in 18 seasons. It was the best record by a Viking team since a 23-10 finish in 2008-09… the Viking program has won three Big Sky Championships in 2004-05, 2007-08 and 2025-26. PSU won Big Sky Tournament titles in 2007-08 and 2008-09… Portland State's 20 wins tied for third-most in the Big Sky Conference era and were the most in eight years by a Viking team... the Vikings' 13 Big Sky wins ranked as second-most in school history (PSU was 14-2 in 2007-08)... PSU's six straight road wins (Jan. 1-Feb. 12) established a new school record. It broke a mark of five set between Jan. 21 and Feb. 15, 1954! (the Vikings' longest Big Sky road winning streak is nine games and stretched over two seasons - 2008 and 2009)... the six Big Sky road wins ties for most in a season (6-2 in 2007-08)... Portland State reached 7-0 in league play for the first time in its Big Sky. The Vikings had gotten to 4-0 twice previously (1997-98, 2004-05)... Portland State had a stretch for 15 consecutive Big Sky home wins (2/15/2024 to Jan. 17, 2026), tying a school record.
RETURNERS: In 2026-27, Portland State will have one of its smallest returning classes in program history. Three players return to the program… two of the returning players are forwards: SR Charles Chukwu (6-9, 4.2 mpg, 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg) and SO Brayden Barron (6-6, 4.3 mpg, 0.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg); and one is a guard: SO Colt Ness (6-0, 5.6 mpg, 0.8 ppg, 1.1 apg)… unfortunately, an off-season injury will prevent Barron from playing in 2026-27.
NEWCOMERS: Among Portland State's newcomers are six post players and seven guards. Four are Division I transfers, five are Division II transfers and four are foreign club players… senior guard Emil Skyttä (6-5, 3.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg) is a transfer from North Dakota State. He also spent two seasons playing against the Vikings at Sacramento State (8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg in 2024-25)… senior guard Trevor Frank (6-1, 10.3 ppg in 106 games) is a transfer from Dallas Baptist. He was a two-time Lone Star Conference Sixth Man of the Year and All-Lone Star Conference as a junior. Frank made 220 three-point field goals in 106 games… Dennis Johnson III (6-3, 12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.4 spg) and Nehemiah Pollard (6-4, 15.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38 3-pt FG) are transfer guards from Western Washington… former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year senior Koren Johnson (6-1) brings his point guard bonafides to the Vikings via Louisville and Ole Miss… freshman guard Gantas Križanauskas (6-4) is a Lithuanian player who has played for the Rytas Vilnius Club… another international player is sophomore guard Yaroslav Nikonov (6-5), who has spent the past five years with CSKA Club in Moscow… fifth-year center KC Ibekwe joins the Vikings after previous stops at Pacific (2025-26), Washington (2024-25) and Oregon State (2022-24). Ibekwe led Oregon State in blocks both years he played for the Beavers, including 38 as a sophomore. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while starting 22 of his 32 appearances as a sophomore at OSU…the Vikings look forward to the talents of senior forward Jaquay Randolph (6-10, 20.8 ppg, 15.4 rpg, .610 FG%) who led the nation in rebounding and double-doubles (25) at the NCAA II level. He also had a school-record 49 points in one game and grabbed 27 rebounds in another game for Southern Wesleyan… senior forward Antonio Pusateri (6-7, 16.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 37 blocks, .593 FG%) brings an inside presence from Lubbock Christian. He ranked second in the nation at the Division II level with 21 double-doubles, earning All-Lone Star Conference, Newcomer of the Year and NABC second team All-District. Pusateri led the Chaps to a 27-6 record and the NCAA playoffs… freshman forward Francesco Corato (6-8) is a native of Venice, Italy where he played for Umana Reyer BC… senior forward Luke Kearney (6-7, 1.7 ppg) is a transfer from Utah State. He played two prior seasons at Air Force. As a sophomore, Kearney averaged 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and hit a team-high 52 three-point field goals… also signing with the Vikings is freshman forward Alexandros Skliros (6-8), a member of the Greece U18 International team this past year.
HOME RECORD: As they enter their season playing in Viking Pavilion, Portland State can look back at a remarkable run at home. The Vikings were 11-3 at home last season and are 35-6 at home since the start of the 2023-24 season… Portland State had a stretch for 15 consecutive Big Sky home wins (Feb. 15, 2024 to Jan. 17, 2026), tying a school record… Portland State has lost only 17 non-conference home games in the last 17 seasons (76-17). PSU is 33-16 against Division I schools, and 43-1 against lower division schools over that span.