2025 Commitments

Player	High School	Height	Position	College
Elliot Bessen	Eau Claire North	6'1"	Guard	UW-Platteville (D3)
Zander Bigger	Superior Central	6'4"	Forward	Gogebic (NJCAA D2)
Gage Braiedy	Mora	6'1"	Guard	UW-Superior (D3)
Carson Brown	Cherry	6'1"	Guard	Rochester CC (NJCAA D3)
Jack Charbonneau	New Richmond	6'5"	Forward	Bethel (D3)
Marnaries Ferguson	Duluth Denfeld	5'11"	Guard	Central Lakes (NJCAA D3)
Gavin Gores	Cumberland	6'9"	Forward	Wyoming (D1)
Gavin Grondin	Kingsford	6'1"	Guard	Lake Superior State (D2)
Jordan Guenette	Negaunee	6'0"	Guard	North Central Michigan (NJCAA D2)
Josh Heggernes	Mora	6'2"	Guard	Luther (D3)
Dakota Holm	Winter	6'5"	Forward	Barclay (NCCAA)
Jaxon Jurmu	Marquette	6'1"	Guard	Alma (D3)
Brooks Johnson	Duluth Marshall	6'5"	Wing	Minnesota-Duluth (D2)
Oskar Kangas	Iron Mountain	6'5"	Wing	UW-Oshkosh (D3)
Lane Laux	Houghton	6'2"	Guard/Wing	Gogebic CC (NJCAA D2)
Alex Lester	Nevis	6'7"	Forward	Valley City State (NAIA)
Caden Luoma	Ishpeming	6'2"	Wing	Gogebic CC (NJCAA D2)
Jacob MacPhee	Marquette	6'6"	Forward	Michigan Tech (D2)
Sam Majeske	Unity	6'0"	Wing	Judson (NAIA)
Wesley Mboga	Eau Claire Memorial	6'4"	Wing	UW-Stout (D3)
Trevor Nolan	Munising	5'10"	Guard	Bay (NJCAA D2)
Noah Oberfeld	Mora	6'5"	Forward	Dakota Wesleyan (NAIA)
Zack Orr	Rice Lake	6'0"	Guard	UW-Stevens Point (D3)
Connor Raleigh	New Richmond	5'11"	Guard	Northwestern-St.Paul (D3)
Ty Rhoem	Luck	6'4"	Forward	Northwestern-St.Paul (D3)
Jayden Sagataw	Hannahville Nah Tah	6'0"	Guard	Bay (NJCAA D2)
Kyler Sager	Marquette	6'1"	Guard	Bay (NJCAA D2)
Waylon Sales	Gwinn	6'6"	Forward	Alma (D3)
Morgan Sleik	Kingsford	6'5"	Forward	Carroll (D3)
Evan Strand	Rice Lake	6'1"	Guard	Bethel (D3)
Zak Walters	Luck	5'11"	Guard	Northwestern-St.Paul (D3)
Kingsly Whitebird	Cass Lake-Bena	6'2"	Wing	United Tribes (NJCAA D2)
Jehiel Zielke	Mellen	6'4"	Forward	Gogebic (NJCAA D2)

Top 10 College Prospects (2023)

My list of the Top 10 players currently in the Northwoods who I think will make the biggest impact once they get to college. This is based on statistics, in person evaluation, and my personal preference for style of play. Only high school players from the 2022-2023 season are listed, graduating classes of 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

1. Isaac Asuma (Cherry) - The Minnesota Gopher commit made it clear that he's every bit as good as what people are saying. Earning himself a Top 200 ranking in the 2024 class for the nation according to some websites. From what I've seen in AAU this summer he's looking like he has developed even more since last season. Hopefully people on the Iron Range enjoy the last season with Asuma at Cherry!

2. Brooks Johnson (Hermantown) - Had some great games on a struggling Marshall team as a sophomore. Transferred to Hermantown heading into his junior season. Averaged 31.4ppg as a sophomore. Scored over 40 points six times, including a career-high 56 points on two separate occasions. The 6'5" wing has been looking pretty bouncy in the summer AAU season. Already owns D1 offers from Northern Illinois and Charleston and a D2 scholarship offer from Minnesota-Duluth.

3. Gavin Gores (Cumberland) - The 6'8" forward came on strong during his sophomore season. Averaged 16.3ppg and 9.6rpg while shooting 57.8% from the floor. Those are solid numbers and he'll need to improve on those as he continues to mature. Gets up and down the court very well. The nice thing with him is he has plenty of room to develop and continue to grow his game. Landed his first D1 offer from Loyola Maryland in July 2023. 

4. Grant Warren (Marathon) - Had a strong sophomore year, then followed it up with a Marawood Conference Player of the Year his junior year. The 6'9" forward will look to build on his 24.0ppg and 13.4 rpg from last season. A versatile player that can step outside and drive/knock down threes, score in the post, or get out and run in transition. Owns an offer from Michigan Tech heading into his senior season.

5. Jobe Juenemann (Duluth East) - The 6'2" guard had a great senior season along with being named a semi-finalist for the MBCA McDonald Award in Minnesota. Has deep shooting range to go along with being a good athlete. Averaged 16.3ppg and shot 41% from three as a senior. I'm a little surprised he didn't garner more D2 interest. Committed to Bemidji State.

6. Isaiah Kastern (Solon Springs) - The 2024 6'5" forward really took his game to another level during his junior season. Should be the favorite for the Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year, and hoping to lead his team to the WIAA State Tournament. Averaged 23.4ppg and 11.0rpg as a junior. Very strong athlete who can finish at the rim through contact or step out to the perimeter and be a scoring threat. Has garnered plenty of D2 interest, but I'm currently unaware of any official scholarship offers.

7. Austin Josephson (South Ridge) - Finished his high school career with over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. The 2023 6'9" forward has still been developing and should benefit from some consistency at the college level. Has great length and size, just needs to combine everything to become more well-rounded. Committed to Bemidji State.

8. Oskar Kangas (Iron Mountain) - One of the better players in the Upper Peninsula currently, and still has two years of high school (class of 2025). The 6'6" wing-forward is a tough matchup for a lot of opponents. He can go inside and outside and is a very willing passer for his team. 

9. Ryan Popowich (Bruce) - Has been a staple for Bruce since his freshman season. The 2024 6'5" wing has caused some problems in the Lakeland Conference. He'll need to step up his production this season if Bruce wants to remain towards the top of the conference. That might be a lot asking him to build off Lakeland Player of the Year, 23.2ppg and 8.9rpg. 

10. Stephen McGee (Greenway) - The only 2026 player on this list is the 6'8" forward. A relatively unknown player from Greenway, Minnesota. There is plenty of room for him to grow his game over the next couple of years for the slender lefty forward. Capable of knocking down three pointers, has a soft touch around the rim, and is a willing passer. Once he adds more weight and confidence he has the potential to be a real threat in the Northwoods!

Breakdown Basketball Summer Series @ Mountain Iron-Buhl (2023)

Participating Teams: Barnum, Cromwell-Wright, Deer River, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Mountain Iron-Buhl, Rock Ridge

Tuesday, July 11

Hosted at Mountain Iron-Buhl High School

8:00am (Court 1) - Grand Rapids vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl

8:55am (Court 1) - Deer River vs. Hibbing (Game #4)

8:55am (Court 2) - Grand Rapids vs. Barnum

9:50am (Court 1) - Barnum vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl

9:50am (Court 2) - Rock Ridge vs. Cromwell-Wright (Game #5)

10:45am (Court 1) - Winner of Game #4 vs. Winner of Game #5 (Game #6)

10:45am (Court 3) - 3-Team Consolation Pool A vs. C

11:40am (Court 2) - 3-Team Consolation Pool A vs. B

11:40am (Court 3) - 2nd Place 3-Team Pool vs. Loser of Game #6 (3rd Place Game)

12:35pm (Court 1) - Winner of 3-Team Pool vs. Winner of Game #6 (Championship Game)

12:35pm (Court 2) - 3-Team Consolation Pool B vs. C

3-Team Pool: Barnum, Grand Rapids, Mountain Iron-Buhl

3-Team Consolation Pool: Loser Game #4 (A),  3-Team Pool 3rd Place Team (B), Loser Game #5 (C)

2022 Graduate Updates (Freshman Year)

A quick follow-up about all of the 2022 Northwood commits who played during their freshman year of college. 

Tate Besteman (Rudyard) - Mid Michigan

Appeared in 14 games as a true freshman. Averaged 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Scored a career high of 8 points against Alma JV.

Aidan Bellisle (Menominee) - Northern Michigan

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Evan Bennett (Superior) - UW-Superior

Appeared in 8 games as a true freshman. Averaged 1.0 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 4 points against Finlandia.

Jaden Borseth (Ewen-Trout Creek) - Gogebic

Appeared in 27 games and made 26 starts as a true freshman. Averaged 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 24 points in his first game against Itasca. In the same game he went 10-10 from the free throw line and had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Will Boser (Eau Claire Memorial) - Concordia-St. Paul

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Khai Branham (Bemidji) - St. Mary's

Appeared in 11 games as a true freshman. Averaged 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Scored a career high of 19 points against Gustavus Adolphus. 

Robert Bueckers (Pine River-Backus) - North Central (MN)

Played on the JV team as a true freshman. No varsity statistics were recorded.

CJ Campbell (New Richmond) - Northern Michigan

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Cooper Diedrich (Athens) - UW-Stout

Appeared in 16 games as a true freshman. Averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Scored a career-high of 11 points against UW-Whitewater.

Matthew DiGiorgio (Hurley) - Gogebic

Appeared in 24 games as a true freshman. Averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 16 points against UWSP Marshfield. 

Cameron Driver (Superior) - Itasca

On the Itasca roster, but didn't appear in any games as a true freshman. Could potentially still have 4 years of eligibility if this season was a redshirt season.

LeRoy Fairbanks IV (Cass Lake-Bena) - Minnesota-Morris

Appeared in 7 games as a true freshman. Averaged 2.0 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Scored a career high of 4 points multiple times. 

Noah Freddersen (Menomonie) - North Dakota State

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Tre Holmes (Hibbing/Northwestern) - Iowa Lakes

Appeared in 21 games as a true freshman. Averaged 3.5 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. Shot 35.9% from three-point range. Scored a career high of 15 points against Rock Valley, while recording a career high of 3 assists.

Colin Hudson (Escanaba) - Bay

Appeared in 32 games and made 30 starts as a true freshman. Averaged 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 22 points against Mid Michigan College. Recorded a double-double in his first career game against Harper College with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He was named to MCCAA Second Team All-Conference and the MCCAA All-Freshman Team at the end of the season.

Jayce Kipling (Ishpeming) - DuPage

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Von Lyons (Ironwood) - Gogebic

Appeared in 14 games as a true freshman. Averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 6 points against Bay College.

Jack Matrella (Bessemer) - Finlandia

Appeared in 13 games as a true freshman. Averaged 1.3 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 10 rebounds against Wisconsin Lutheran, including shooting 2-2 from three-point range. Finlandia announced they were closing at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. No word on where Jack is planning to attend next.

Monte Mayberry (Northwestern) - Cardinal Stritch

Cardinal Stritch announced they were closing at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. No word on where Monte is planning to attend next.

Ayden McDonald (Hibbing) - Augustana

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Announced he was transferring to Minnesota-Duluth.

Koy Nelson (South Shore) - St. Scholastica

Appeared in 10 games as a true freshman. Averaged 1.6 points per game. Scored a career-high of 8 points against St. Olaf.

Andre Renta (Hudson) - St. Cloud State

Appeared in 28 games and made 8 starts as a true freshman. Averaged 5.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Scored a career-high of 15 points against Sioux Falls in the final game of the season. Also had a game against Minot St. where he scored 12 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists.

Braxton Sbraggia (Hurley) - Gogebic

Appeared in 28 games along with 12 starts as a true freshman. Averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 12 points of two occasions this season. Finished second on the team with 7 blocks on the season. Finished with the highest field goal percentage on the team with an overall percentage of 51.1% (68-133).

Andrew Schienebeck (Chequamegon) - Northern Vermont-Johnson

Appeared in 6 games during his true freshman season. Recorded 2 points and 1 rebound on the season.

Johnny Schutz (Jeffers) - Finlandia

Appeared in 25 games and made 7 starts as a true freshman. Averaged 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Scored a career-high 27 points against Maranatha Baptist, which included making 6 three-pointers. Finlandia announced they were closing at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. No word on where Johnny is planning to attend next.

Sam Serna (Cherry) - Hibbing

Appeared in 19 games and made 1 start during his true freshman season. Averaged 2.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game. Scored a career high of 6 points on four separate occasions. 

Mekhi Shaw (Eau Claire Memorial) - Southwest Minnesota State

Redshirt during true freshman season. Didn't record any statistics. Will have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

Phillip Sheetz (Moose Lake-Willow River) - North Central (MN)

Played on the JV team as a true freshman. No varsity statistics were recorded.

Connor Smale (Escanaba) - Finlandia

Appeared in 25 games as a true freshman. Averaged 3.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. Scored a career high of 12 points against UW-Superior, while going 4-5 from three-point range. Finlandia announced they were closing at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. No word on where Connor is planning to attend next.

Luke Strasser (Ontonagon) - Gogebic

Appeared in 16 games as a true freshman. Averaged 0.4 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. Scored a career-high of 3 points against Madison College.

Tanner Swanson (Superior) - Ridgewater

Appeared in 23 games and made 28 starts during his true freshman season. Averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Scored a career high of 14 points against Bethany Lutheran JV. 

Jasper Timm (Duluth Marshall) - UW-Stout

Appeared in 8 games as a true freshman. Finished the season with stats of 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.

Keion Twyman (Chippewa Falls) - UW-Stout

Appeared in 5 games as a true freshman. Finished the season with stats of 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

Will Van Scoy (Duluth East) - UW-River Falls

Appeared in 24 games as a true freshman. Averaged 4.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Scored a career-high of 9 points against St. Scholastica.

Milton Verseman (Northland Pines) - Finlandia

Appeared in 5 games as a true freshman. Finished the season with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. Finlandia announced they were closing at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. No word on where Milton is planning to attend next.

LJ Wells (Eau Claire Memorial) - Northern Kentucky

Appeared in 24 games and made 4 starts during his true freshman season. Averaged 1.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Also added 10 steals and 4 blocks throughout the season. Exploded for his career high of 20 points and 7 rebounds in a game against Toledo. 

John Witcher (Hudson) - Elmhurst

Appeared in 6 games as a true freshman. Scored a total of 7 points and grabbed 7 rebounds on the season. In his first appearance he made his only three-pointer on the season, which resulted in his career high of 3 points.

2023-2024 College Transfers

Player	High School	Transfer From	Transfer To	Grad Year
Dalton Banks	Eau Claire North	Southern Illinois	Illinois State	2020
Zac Johnson	River Falls	Augustana (SD)	UW-River Falls	2021
Monte Mayberry	Northwestern	Cardinal Stritch)	N/A	2022
Connor Smale	Escanaba	Finlandia	Bay	2022
Foster Wonders	Iron Mountain	Southern Illinois	UW-Green Bay	2021
Darius Yohe	Ishpeming	William Woods	Emporia State	2019

Lakeland East Summer League (2023)

Tuesday, June 6

At New Auburn High School

5:00pm - New Auburn vs. Birchwood

6:00pm - Lake Holcombe vs. Birchwood

7:00pm - New Auburn vs. Lake Holcombe

At Flambeau High School

5:00pm - Flambeau 1 vs. Bruce

6:00pm - Bruce vs. Cadott

7:00pm - Flambeau 1 vs. Cadott

Tuesday, June 13

At Birchwood High School

5:00pm - Birchwood vs. Flambeau 2

6:00pm - Flambeau 2 vs. Cadott

7:00pm - Birchwood vs. Cadott

At Lake Holcombe High School

5:00pm - Lake Holcombe vs. Flambeau 1

6:00pm - Bruce vs. Flambeau 1

7:00pm - Lake Holcombe vs. Bruce

Tuesday, June 20

At Cadott High School

5:00pm - Cadott vs. New Auburn

6:00pm - New Auburn vs. Lake Holcombe

7:00pm - Cadott vs. Lake Holcombe

At Bruce High School

5:00pm - Bruce vs. Flambeau 2

6:00pm - Flambeau 2 vs. Birchwood

7:00pm - Bruce vs. Birchwood

Tuesday, June 27

At Bruce High School

5:00pm - Bruce vs. New Auburn

6:00pm - New Auburn vs. Flambeau 2

7:00pm - Bruce vs. Flambeau 2

At Lake Holcombe High School

5:00pm - Flambeau 1 vs. Lake Holcombe

6:00pm - Lake Holcombe vs. Cadott

7:00pm - Flambeau 1 vs. Cadott

Tuesday, July 11

At Flambeau High School

5:00pm - Flambeau 2 vs. Flambeau 1

6:00pm - Flambeau 1 vs. New Auburn

7:00pm - New Auburn vs. Flambeau 2

At Cadott High School

5:00pm - Cadott vs. Bruce

6:00pm - Bruce vs. Birchwood

7:00pm - Cadott vs. Birchwood

Ashland Summer League (2023)

Wednesday, July 5

6:00pm (Court 1) - Ashland vs. Drummond

6:00pm (Court 2) - Bayfield vs. Washburn

6:00pm (Court 3) - Mellen vs. Winter

7:00pm (Court 1) - Mellen vs. Drummond

7:00pm (Court 2) - Ashland vs. Washburn

7:00pm (Court 3) - Bayfield vs. Winter

Wednesday, July 12

6:00pm (Court 1) - Bayfield vs. Drummond

6:00pm (Court 2) - Washburn vs. Winter

6:00pm (Court 3) - Ashland vs. Mellen

7:00pm (Court 1) - Bayfield vs. Mellen

7:00pm (Court 2) - Drummond vs. Washburn

7:00pm (Court 3) - Ashland vs. Winter

Wednesday, July 19

6:00pm (Court 1) - Ashland vs. Bayfield

6:00pm (Court 2) - Mellen vs. Drummond

6:00pm (Court 3) - Drummond vs. Winter

7:00pm (Court 1) - Ashland vs. Washburn

7:00pm (Court 2) - Mellen vs. Drummond

7:00pm (Court 3) - Bayfield vs. Winter

Wednesday, July 26

6:00pm (Court 1) - 1 Seed vs. 4 Seed

6:00pm (Court 2) - 2 Seed vs. 3 Seed

6:00pm (Court 3) - 5 Seed vs. 6 Seed

7:00pm (Court 1) - 1/4 Winner vs. 2/3 Winner

7:00pm (Court 2) - 1/4 Loser vs. 5/6 Winner

7:00pm (Court 3) - 2/3 Loser vs. 5/6 Loser