FARGO, N.D. – Former North Dakota State basketball standouts Vinnie Shahid and Sam Griesel both signed with new European squads on Monday for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Shahid will join Champagne Basket in France for his sixth professional season, playing in the Pro B League. The team plays in the cities of Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne in northern France.
Griesel will join Alba Berlin in Berlin, Germany, continuing for his third pro season in the Basketball Bundesliga and Basketball Champions League.
Shahid’s career has spanned teams in Luxembourg (2020-21), France (2021-22), Iceland (2022-23), Italy (2023-24), and Germany (2024-25), capturing back-to-back Player of the Year awards in France and Iceland. This past season for HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim in Germany, Shahid averaged 16.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Griesel transfers to Alba Berlin in Germany’s top league after spending his first two pro seasons with Telekom Baskets Bonn in the same league. He averaged 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists for Bonn in 2024-25.
The duo played together for NDSU from 2018-20, helping the Bison to back-to-back Summit League titles and NCAA Tournament berths.
https://gobison.com/news/2025/7/21/mens-basketball-vinnie-shahid-sam-griesel-sign-in-europe-for-upcoming-season.aspx