Beavers basketball heads out of state in early season

After spending nearly the entirety of the 2025-2026 season in the frigid north, the Minot State men’s and women’s basketball teams will be heading down south for warmer weather early into this season.

The Minot State men’s basketball team will tip off the new season at Hawaii Tip-Off Classic, Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, in Honolulu, HI.

The series of game will feature teams such as co-hosts Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific, NSIC foe Winona State, Lake Erie College, Saint Edwards and the University of Tampa.

The Beavers will be facing off against the Adelphi University Panthers out of New York.

The new season of Beavers basketball will come after a tragic end to the last season as the Beavers fell to the University of Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the NSIC Tournament in overtime 68-74.

Heading into the new season, the Beavers will be headed once again by head coach Randall Herbst.

Herbst started his first season as men’s basketball head coach last season, returning to the Beavers in the spring of 2025.

Herbst previously worked as an assistant coach for the team in their 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, guiding the Beavers to a a 26-17 record and the 2021 NSIC semifinals during his time with the team.

Before returning to Minot State, Herbst worked as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota for three seasons.

Heading into the new season, the Beavers men’s team is looking for another post season berth, and along with returning veterans, the beavers are adding a few new faces to the roster.

After three seasons with the University of North Dakota, Minot State announced in May of this year that junior forward Ryan Erikson will be joining the Beavers.

“I’ve known Ryan for a few years, having watched him have a successful high school career at Bismarck Century, and getting the chance to coach him and work with him at the University of North Dakota,” said Head Coach Herbst at the time of the announcement. “His best basketball in college is yet to come, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.”

The Beavers will also be bringing junior all-conference transfer Eden Hobbs from Williston State.

Hobbs averaged 21.9 points per game last season with Williston State, shooting 48.8 percent from the field, including 32.5 percent from the 3-point line.

“We are super excited for Eden to be a part of our program,” Coach Herbst said of Hobbs when the announcement was made. “Eden has a lot of passion, a great work ethic, and is a strong, versatile talent on both ends of the floor. He can score, rebound, and play multiple positions. Most importantly, he’s going to be a good teammate with a championship attitude.”

Though the men’s team will start their season in a warmer climate, the women’s team will have to wait a little bit longer to their’s.

The new season for the women’s basketball team is set to start their season on Saturday, October 17, with an exhibition match against Brandon University in Watford City, ND and will feature a second exhibition match a few weeks later in Grand Forks against the University of North Dakota on Sunday, November 8.

The Beavers women’s team ended last season with a record of 11-19 with a first round loss to Winona State University in the NSIC Tournament.

Heading into the new season, the Beavers will be returning talent from the previous season, such as now senior Taryn Hamling.

Last season was Hamling’s first as a Beaver, after transferring to Minot State from North Dakota State.

As a new Beaver, Hamling averaged a team-high 15.9 points per game, including a career-high 30 points in a match against Sioux Falls that year.

For her efforts last season, Hamling was awarded 2nd Team All-NSIC honors, her first honors with Minot State.

After their exhibition matches in October and early November, the Beavers women’s team will open their first official game of the season in the Caribbean with a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“I couldn’t be more excited to open the season in Puerto Rico,” Minot State head coach Ryan Clark said. “It’s a beautiful place to start the season off at; it will be a great opportunity for our team to come together early, build chemistry, compete, and most importantly, make incredible memories!”

Head Coach Clark has been leading the women’s team since 2024, taking the helm after spending two seasons as an assistant coach.

The Beavers will face off against the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon for their first official game, taking the court on Friday, November 13, at the Roger Mendoza Coliseum.