25-26 Conference Previews - Great Northern (MI)

Team Previews:

Escanaba Eskymos (2024-25 season: 9-14 overall, 2-6 conference, 4th)

Graduated their 2nd-Team All-Conference selection in Javon Stevenson. Taylor Asgaard was an All-Conference Special Mention selection as a junior last year. Asgaard was also an All-UP Honorable Mention pick. 

Gladstone Braves (2024-25 season: 7-17 overall, 0-8 conference, 5th)

Their best players were sophomores and freshman last season, which was a bad combination for how senior dominated the conference was. The lone sophomore who was a 1st-Team All-Conference player was Lonnie Davey. The 5'10" guard averaged 20 points per game, while shooting 38% from three point range last season. Only one freshman was named to the All-Conference list, and it was the 5'9" point guard Alex Prins from Gladstone

Kingsford Flivvers (2024-25 season: 22-4 overall, 7-1 conference, t-1st)

Graduated two impactful players who are going to be tough to replace, Gavin Grondin and Morgan Sleik. The good news is that they bring back three All-Conference selections from last season; Jack Kriegl (2nd-Team), Jett Buckley (Honorable Mention, and Owen Olkkonen (Honorable Mention). The 5'10" Kriegl was also an All-UP Honorable Mention selection last season. 

Marquette Sentinels (2024-25 season: 22-4 overall, 7-1 conference, t-1st)

Last year's All-UP Team of the Year. All-UP Player of the Year, Jacob MacPhee, is gone, and so are Kyler Sager and Jaxon Jurmu who were also All-UP players. They did have one other All-UP player, and luckily he is back for his senior season; 6'5" Connor Fierstine. Ford Richardson (Minnesota-Duluth football commit) was an Honorable Mention All-Great Northern last season. Pavel McCutcheon (Grand Valley State football commit) is 6'7" and provides some size for the Sentinels. Marquette should benefit from successful JV and freshman programs, they went a combine 14-1 in Great Northern play last season.

Menominee Maroons (2024-25 season: 13-12 overall, 4-4 conference, 3rd)

The Maroons return two seniors who were both All-Conference selections last season. Tanner Theuerkauf (1st-Team) and Darrent Butler (2nd-Team). Theuerkauf averaged 16.6 points per game as a junior and was All-UP First Team for the second straight season. Dylan Beal is a junior who was a Special Mention selection in the Great Northern last season. Four other seniors on the roster this season.

Projections:

1. Menominee

2. Marquette

3. Kingsford

4. Gladstone

5. Escanaba

Conference Overview:

Menominee seems to have one of the older and more experienced teams in the conference, with potentially the best player in the conference. The biggest concern is can they make that big of jump from 13-12 to winning to conference. Marquette lost a lot of their scoring from last season, but have a large senior class and have had success at all of their program's levels. They always have enough talent coming through the program, it will mostly be how long will it take to mesh after losing three very important pieces last season. Kingsford returns enough talent from last season, in some players who were younger last season. Three players who were good for them last season, but a lot of talent was lost for the Flivvers. Gladstone should be better, but size is going to be an issue still. They are still younger than most of the teams in the conference. They might be a year away from being competitive at the top of the conference. Escanaba always seems to have good athletes, but it hasn't translated over to the basketball side lately. They could finish 4th in conference again, but anything higher than that seems unlikely.

Conference MVP: Tanner Theuerkauf (Senior) - Menominee

Other Players to Watch:

Taylor Asgaard (Senior) - Escanaba

Dylan Beal (Junior) - Menominee

Darrent Butler (Senior) - Menominee

Lonnie Davey (Junior) - Gladstone

Connor Fierstine (Senior) - Marquette

Jack Kriegl (Senior) - Kingsford

Alex Prins (Sophomore) - Gladstone

Games to Watch:

Westwood @ Kingsford (12/8/25)

Menominee @ Crystal Falls Forest Park (12/16/25)

Marquette @ Westwood (1/27/26)

Menominee @ Iron Mountain (2/2/26)

Houghton @ Marquette (2/10/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Copper Mountain

Team Previews:

Baraga Vikings (2024-25 season: 15-7 overall, 8-3 conference, t-4th)

Daniel Connor gives the Vikings some of the only real interior presence in the conference. The 6'5" forward was an Elite Team selection in the conference as a junior, and All-UP 2nd team. Joseph Fish and Landon Smith both return after being named to All-UP Honorable Mention (Smith made Honorable Mention All-Conference as well). Fish and Smith are both listed at 6'2", giving more size to go with the 6'5" post (Daniel Connor). If they can replace Nolan Hendrickson's production, they could push for a top three position in conference.

Bessemer Speedboys (2024-25 season: 16-10 overall, 7-4 conference, 6th)

The Speedboys got hot to end the season and won six straight games before falling to Crystal Falls Forest Park, who made it to the State Semi-Finals. They beat all three teams who tied for the conference title in that stretch (Dollar Bay, Ewen-Trout Creek, and Wakefield-Marenisco). 6'3" Leland Hollenbeck was a 2nd-Team All-Conference selection as a junior. Jayden Verrett and Cayden Harju were both Honorable Mention All-Conference as sophomores. If they can carry momentum over from the end of the season, they could be a dark horse to win the league.

Chassell Panthers (2024-25 season: 4-19 overall, 1-10 conference, t-10th)

After a tough season, the Panthers do have two All-Conference selections returning from last season, Brayden Larson and Grady Olson. They did graduate one other All-Conference selection, Thomas Loukus. Loukus also happened to be their lone senior on the roster. They had a total of five players on the roster who were freshman or eighth graders. 

Dollar Bay Blue Bolts (2024-25 season: 20-5 overall, 9-2 conference, t-1st)

Their best players last season were juniors and sophomores, that gives them a ton of experience coming back. The Blue Bolts had a tremendous turn around, improving their win total by 10 from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025. Liam Tourtillott and Calen Kentala were 1st-Team All-Conference selections, with Baron Colbert being named to the 2nd-Team. Bessemer beat them in overtime to end their season early, but I assume they will be ready to defend the title.

Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers (2024-25 season: 17-6 overall, 9-2 conference, t-1st)

Graduating two 1st-Team All-Conference selections is tough for anyone (Austin Gordon - Conference MVP & Caden Besonen - Conference DMVP). Brody Majurin is the lone All-Conference selection remaining on the team. The sophomore guard is going to have to become a leader quickly to replace the previous names. E-TC is known for their basketball, so I'm sure they have some other young players ready to step in and contribute. It might be tough in a year where other teams have a ton of experience coming back, but expect them keep themselves in the mix.

Jeffers Jets (2024-25 season: 7-16 overall, 5-6 conference, 7th)

Graduated their only All-Conference selection in Landon Larson from last season. Jeffers has been consistent at the top of the conference in recent years, so it's tough to imagine a world where they aren't in the top half of the conference. With that being said, most of those years they have had a known player on the roster returning. Could this be the year they are in a bit of a rebuild?

Ironwood Red Devils (2024-25 season: 14-7 overall, 8-3 conference, t-4th)

Two All-UP selections graduated from last season, Axton Ruotsala and Nick Miskovich. Along with them, All-Conference selection Landon Buerger graduated. Brendan McCullough is their returning All-Conference selection, and stands at 6'2". 

L'Anse Purple Hornets (2024-25 season: 10-14 overall, 4-7 conference, t-8th)

Started last season out with a four game winning streak, even got to a 5-1 record. Unfortunately, they ended the season losing 11 out of their last 13 games. Now sophomore, L'Anse was a young team last season, with two freshman being some of their biggest contributors. Now sophomore, Sam Lee was an All-UP 2nd-Team selection. Returning Keegan Davidson (senior) and Talan Larson (sophomore) were All-UP Honorable Mention last season. I'm not sure they are ready to compete for a conference title, but they should move up slightly.

Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes (2024-25 season: 2-21 overall, 1-10 conference, t-10th)

Josh Daavettila was a 1st-Team All-Conference selection, even with the Lakes struggles last season. He was the only All-Conference selection for the team. Even with Daavettila back as a junior, it seems that size and depth are going to be major concerns for Lake Linden-Hubbell. It will be a younger group with more than likely only three upperclassmen. 

Ontonagon Gladiators (2024-25 season: 7-16 overall, 4-7 conference, t-8th)

Jack Nelson was an All-Conference selection last season and returns for the Gladiators. Unfortunately they two other selections in Jerry Majurin and Carson Uotila. 

Wakefield-Marenisco Cardinals (2024-25 season: 14-10 overall, 9-2 conference, t-1st)

All-Conference selection Chase Lane comes back for his junior season. He was also an All-UP Special Mention selection last season. They do return one other All-Conference selection in Brock Pangrazzi, a 6'4" sophomore forward. Pat Perron was their other All-Conference selection, but he graduated. A scorer and some height makes for a good combination in the conference. 

Watersmeet Nimrods (2024-25 season: 4-17 overall, 1-10 conference, t-10th)

It wasn't a great season for Watersmeet, and now you add in that they lost their only All-Conference selection in Blake Shively. 

Projections:

1. Dollar Bay

2. Wakefield-Marenisco

3. Baraga

4. Bessemer

5. L'Anse

6. Ewen-Trout Creek

7. Ironwood

8. Jeffers

9. Chassell

10. Lake Linden-Hubbell

11. Ontonagon

12. Watersmeet

Conference Overview:

Dollar Bay has the momentum from last season, if it can carry over they should be a tough out with this senior class. Wakefield-Marenisco, Baraga, Bessemer, and L'Anse all have talented players returning that should all be impactful enough for their teams to compete at the top. In that order is mostly based on how much proven talent they have returning. The next wave is teams that lost a lot of talent. Ewen-Trout Creek should be able to manage to stay in the top half of the conference. Ironwood always seems to find players that keep them competitive. Jeffers just doesn't have that returning dominating person that they usually have. The last wave of teams is kind of the unproven group. Chassell and Lake Linden-Hubbell have returning players, but their teams struggled last season. Ontonagon and Watersmeet both struggled, but both lost talent from last year.

Conference MVP: Liam Tourtillott (Senior) - Dollar Bay

Other Players to Watch:

Daniel Connor (Senior) - Baraga

Leland Hollenbeck (Senior) - Bessemer

Caleb Kentala (Senior) - Dollar Bay

Chase Lane (Junior) - Wakefield-Marenisco

Sam Lee (Junior) - L'Anse

Games to Watch:

Ironwood @ Hurley (12/4/25)

Munising @ Bessemer (12/5/25)

Powers North Central vs. Baraga @ Michigan Tech (12/30/25)

Houghton @ Dollar Bay (1/9/26)

Calumet @ L'Anse (2/2/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Great River

BIG

Team Previews:

Aitkin Gobblers (2024-25 season: 10-17 overall, 8-6 conference, 4th)

Return one of the more promising 2026 prospects in Isaac Asmus, who is a UW-Superior commit. The 6'8" forward averaged 20.1 points and 14.6 rebounds per game as a junior. Asmus holds the Aitkin career and single season rebounding record. Senior Caleb Smith finished last season with an impressive 127 assists. He averaged 8.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Noah Moss is a junior who had a good season last year, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. New head coach this season, Landon Janzen.

Crosby-Ironton Rangers (2024-25 season: 11-16 overall, 7-6 conference, 5th)

Jack Kovatovich was an important piece for what the Rangers were able to do last season. He averaged 15.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 41.9% (68-162) from three.  Senior, Ethan Millsop will provide some size at 6'4" and did his share of scoring and rebounding last year. Millsop shot 42.3% (22-52) from three point range last season. Jacob English is a 6'4" sophomore, and should be the muscle that they need since he averaged 6.2 rebounds per game last year. English is one of the top football players in the 2028 class in Minnesota. New head coach this season, John Hoge.

Mora Mustangs (2024-25 season: 26-2 overall, 13-0 conference, 1st)

The loss of Gage Braiedy and Noah Oberfeld is huge for Mora, both are playing in college this season. Braiedy at UW-Superior and Oberfeld at Dakota Wesleyan. Senior Caleb Evenson is one of the few players who saw significant playing time last year with their deep senior class. The 6'0" guard will have to carry a heavy load for the team this year. Graham Balmer is a junior who does a little bit of everything. 

Pine City Dragons (2024-25 season: 9-18 overall, 5-11 conference, 8th)

Should be an interesting season as Kyle Allen has left to go coach at New Richmond (WI). He'd been at Pine City since 2011. Struggled to find any information on any of their players.

Rush City Tigers (2024-25 season: 6-20 overall, 5-10 conference, t-6th)

Lukas Diedrich is back after being very solid for Rush City during his junior season. Should have some other solid athletes returning to go with Diedrich. Couldn't find much information on returning players.

Projections:

1. Aitkin

2. Crosby-Ironton

3. Mora

4. Rush City

5. Pine City

Conference Overview:

It'll be an interesting season after Mora comes off a great season, but graduated a lot of talent. A few new coaches are added to the mix as well. Aitkin gets my nod having Asmus and a few surrounding players returning. Crosby-Ironton could overtake them, and Jack Kovatovich could make a case for Conference MVP. Mora appears to have enough talent back to keep them relevant. Rush City is above Pine City for the time being strictly because Pine City lost their head coach. Other than that, that is a blind guess.

Conference MVP: Isaac Asmus (Senior) - Aitkin

Other Players to Watch:

Jacob English (Sophomore) - Crosby-Ironton

Caleb Evenson (Senior) - Mora

Jack Kovatovich (Senior) - Crosby-Ironton

Noah Moss (Junior) - Aitkin

Caleb Smith (Senior) - Aitkin

SMALL

Team Previews:

Braham Bombers (2024-25 season: 22-7 overall, 12-3 conference, 3rd)

There were no seniors on the roster last season. It's a promising season when you look on paper for the Bombers. Tyler Eklund was named the Great Rivers Conference MVP last season after averaging 26.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 5.6 steals per game. Fellow senior, Tanner Doble was an All-Conference selection last year after averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Junior, Soren Lilly was the third All-Conference selection after averaging 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

East Central Eagles (2024-25 season: 20-8 overall, 12-2 conference, 2nd)

Senior, Xavier LeTexier scored his 1000th career point last season. Add in another senior with 6'7" Ben Carlin, that should make them one of the early favorites in the Small side of the conference. Carlin also scored his 1000th career point in his junior season.

Hinckley-Finlayson Jaguars (2024-25 season: 6-21 overall, 5-10 conference, t-6th)

Seniors Grady Ausmus and Blake Bowers are back after a productive junior seasons. Both of them provide some height for the Jaguars; Ausmus at 6'4" and Bowers at 6'3". Ausmus had a record breaking night against Carlton/Wrenshall last season when he recorded 27 points and 27 rebounds. The 27 rebounds broke the school record.

Mille Lacs Raiders (2024-25 season: 8-19 overall, 4-10 conference, 9th)

Isle and Onamia combined a few years ago to form Mille Lacs. Josh Nickaboine is a senior guard who had a good season last year. He set the school record for threes make in a game against Ogilvie, making nine threes. Gabe Honek is another senior guard who has been a mainstay on varsity for a few years now. 

Ogilvie Lions (2024-25 season: 1-25 overall, 0-13 conference, 10th)

The good news is that they only graduated two seniors from last season. The bad news, height is going to be a huge concern for them this season. Johnny Hoffman is a junior now and had a solid season last year. 

Projections:

1. Braham

2. East Central

3. Hinckley-Finlayson

4. Mille Lacs

5. Ogilvie

Conference Overview:

Very top heavy in this side of the conference with Braham and East Central. Braham took the series between the two last season 2-1. Braham is going to get the nod for the conference title. East Central will make it interesting though. They have some size and scoring abilities to keep up with Braham. Hinckley-Finlayson and Mille Lacs could swap places, both of them seem to have enough pieces back that they could beat each other. Ogilvie appears to have some work to do in conference play.

Conference MVP: Tyler Eklund (Senior) - Braham

Other Players to Watch:

Grady Ausmus (Senior) - Hinckley-Finlayson

Ben Carlin (Senior) - East Central

Tanner Doble (Senior) - Braham

Xavier LeTexier (Senior) - East Central

Soren Lilly (Junior) - Braham

Games to Watch:

Crosby-Ironton @ Pequot Lakes (12/4/25)

East Central vs. Ely @ Duluth East (1/3/26)

East Central @ Braham (2/6/26)

Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin @ Aitkin (2/13/26)

Cherry @ Braham (2/19/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Northland

Team Previews:

Blackduck Drakes (2024-25 season: 3-24 overall, 2-12 conference, 7th)

Coltyn Puffe was an Honorable Mention selection last season as a freshman. They do graduate Rock Cook who was a 1st-Team All-Conference selection. They were able to sweep Laporte last season.

Cass Lake-Bena Panthers (2024-25 season: 15-13 overall, 10-4 conference, 2nd)

Three returning All-Conference selections, and none of them are seniors this year. Sophomore Joseph Wind was a 1st-Team All-Conference selection last sesaon. Junior Adrik Fowler and sophomore Kenyon Goggleye were both Honorable Mention. They don't have a lot of height coming back this season, that might be their biggest weakness.

Laporte Wildcats (2024-25 season: 0-28 overall, 0-14 conference, 8th)

A tough season from the Wildcats last season. The positive outlook for this season is that Honorable Mention selection, Henry Weber is back for his junior season.

Nevis Tigers (2024-25 season: 27-6 overall, 14-0 conference, 1st)

Northland Conference opponents are probably glad to know that Alex Lester has graduated and they don't need to see him anymore. Graduated two other 1st-Team All-Conference selections in Isaac Bessler and Devan Lindow. The good news is three other All-Conference selections are back in senior AJ Bessler (1st-Team), junior Peyton Benson (HM), and senior Ethan Buckholtz (HM).

Northome/Kelliher Mustangs (2024-25 season: 15-13 overall, 5-9 conference, 6th)

Graduate two All-Conference players from last season; Billy Jack Schoenborn (1st-Team) and Kaanan Forseen (HM). Anthony Johnson is a returning senior and he scored his 1000th career point late last season. Johnson will have to be ready to score more of the load this season.

Pine River-Backus Tigers (2024-25 season: 15-13 overall, 7-7 conference, 5th)

Graduated Tate Norman, who was a 1st-Team All-Conference player as a senior. They do bring back their other 1st-Team All-Conference selection in Isaiah Aulie, who is now a senior. Junior Isaiah Downie was a Honorable Mention pick last season as well. Mason Nelson is a 6'8" senior that is capable of playing inside and outside. They do have a new head coach since Jordan Ackerman resigned this offseason.

Red Lake Warriors (2024-25 season: 13-13 overall, 9-5 conference, t-3rd)

Graduated two 1st-Team All-Conference picks in Tyrone Beaulieu and Andrew Roy. They do return junior Austin Perkins, who was a Honorable Mention selection last season. The Warriors have consistently been one of the better programs in the Northland Conference in the last ten season. Don't expect that to change just because of a few graduated players.

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves (2024-25 season: 20-7 overall, 9-5 conference, t-3rd)

Probably the biggest hit to any team comes for Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. Losing five All-Conference selections from a season ago. A very senior dominated team last year, with eight players who graduated, with three of them being over 6'5". Returning four varsity players from last year, only one of them is listed taller than 6'0".

Projections:

1. Cass Lake-Bena

2. Nevis

3. Pine River-Backus

4. Red Lake

5. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley

6. Northome-Kelliher

7. Blackduck

8. Laporte

Conference Overview:

Cass Lake-Bena and Nevis have had a strong hold on the Northland Conference over the last 10 years. I'm going to stick with those two as the top two in the conference, in that order. Pine River-Backus probably has the most returning, which makes them probably a safe pick on my end. Red Lake almost always remains in the conversation, always a younger player ready to step in. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley seems like a trap team as of right now. After graduating so much, it's hard to really know where they might finish. Northome-Kelliher seems like they should be better than Blackduck and Laporte on paper. I don't anticipate the 7th and 8th positions changing from last season.

Conference MVP: AJ Bessler (Senior) - Nevis

Other Players to Watch:

Isaiah Aulie (Senior) Pine River-Backus

Peyton Benson (Junior) - Nevis

Kenyon Goggleye (Sophomore) - Cass Lake-Bena

Austin Perkins (Junior) - Red Lake

Joseph Wind (Sophomore) - Cass Lake-Bena

Games to Watch:

Red Lake @ Mountain Iron-Buhl (12/3/25)

Mountain Iron-Buhl @ Cass Lake-Bena (12/11/25)

Braham @ Nevis (12/20/25)

Crosby-Ironton @ Pine River-Backus (1/13/26)

Cass Lake-Bena @ Red Lake County (2/27/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Iron Range

Team Previews:

Chisholm Bluestreaks (2024-25 season: 9-18 overall, 4-3 conference, 4th)

Graduated all three of their All-Conference selections from last season, Ethan Lauzen (1st), Lawrence Oberg (1st), and Dom Pascuzzi (HM). Junior Michael Chambers had a solid season where he averaged 8.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.7 steals. 

Deer River Warriors (2024-25 season: 27-3 overall, 6-0 conference, 1st)

Graduated Nick Bakkedahl and Caiden Schjenken from last season, who were both 1st-Team All-Conference selections. Cale Jackson and Schjenken were the second and third leading scorers in the conference at 26.5 PPG and 25.8 PPG. Lawrence Bowstring is back after being Honorable Mention last season. The senior averaged 8.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. Junior Kevin Doerr had a solid season last year, he averaged 7.4 points and 1.5 assists per game. 

Ely Timberwolves (2024-25 season: 17-11 overall, 4-4 conference, 5th)

Graduated Caid Chittum who was a 1st-Team All-Conference selection along with the leading scorer in the conference at 26.8 points per game. Two seniors are returning in Jack Davies and Drew Johnson, both were Honorable Mention selections last season. Davies averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game. Wyatt Tedrick is a junior and averaged 1.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. 

Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin Titans (2024-25 season: 13-12 overall, 5-2 conference, 2nd)

The first year of Greenway and Nashwauk-Keewatin combining for the basketball season. Stephen McGee V is a 6'10" forward who is committed to play at Northern Michigan. Last season he averaged 19.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks per game. Simeon Wells is another senior who put together a productive season last year. He averaged 7.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Warren McLouden is a senior who was an All-Conference selection last season.

International Falls Broncos (2024-25 season: 2-24 overall, 0-9 conference, 7th)

Carter Line returns after being a 1st-Team All-Conference selection last season. Nick Schultz is a junior who was a Honorable Mention selection last season. Line was the teams leading scorer at 10.9 points per game. He also averaged 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Nik Anderson was the second leading scorer for the team at 8.3 points per game. Kingston Jean was their third leading scorer as a freshman averaging 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.4% from the floor. 

Mesabi East Giants (2024-25 season: 7-20 overall, 3-6 conference, 6th)

Graduate two All-Conference selections, Cole Anderson (1st-Team) and Hayden Sampson (HM). They do have a junior class who saw a good amount of action as sophomores. DaJuan Edstrom will be back as a junior after being named Honorable Mention last season. Edstrom averaged 10.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.5% from the floor. Juan Saucedo and Aydan Anderson are juniors to keep eyes on.

Two Harbors Agates (2024-25 season: 11-16 overall, 5-3 conference, 3rd)

Graduated two All-Conference selections; Jace Ruberg (1st-Team) and Tate Nelson (HM). Senior Jace Gomez is back after being a 1st-Team All-Conference selection as a junior. Carter Nelson was Honorable Mention as a junior. Gomez was their leading scorer at 17.5 points per game, along with 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Sophomore Ziggy Hietala was second on the team in three pointers made last season. Tommy DeChantel and Noah Mecklin are two other seniors who provide some experience to the Agates.

Projections:

1. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin

2. Ely-Northeast Range

3. Deer River

4. Two Harbors

5. Chisholm

6. Mesabi East

7. International Falls

Conference Overview:

Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin join together and bring back some nice players for the first year. Stephen McGee V should be the best player in the conference and should help them win a title. Ely-Northeast Range returns multiple players from last year who were important pieces. Deer River graduated a high percentage of their scoring, it should be tough to replace all of that. They always seem to have talent coming through, they could finish higher. Two Harbors seems like a team that could finish anywhere between 2-5. Chisholm and Mesabi East could be interchangeable, both have some players back but might not be enough to compete at the top. Mesabi East is mostly juniors, which should help them next season. International Falls returns their best players, but it doesn't seem like enough (on paper) to move them up in the conference.

Conference MVP: Stephen McGee V (Senior) - Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin

Other Players to Watch:

Lawrence Bowstring (Senior) - Deer River

Jack Davies (Senior) - Ely

DaJuan Edstrom (Junior) - Mesabi East

Jace Gomez (Senior) - Two Harbors

Simeon Wells (Senior) - Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin

Games to Watch:

Cass Lake-Bena @ Deer River (12/15/25)

Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin @ Cherry (12/16/25)

Littlefork-Big Falls @ Ely-Northeast Range (1/23/26)

Deer River @ East Central (2/10/26)

Aitkin @ Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (2/13/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Lake Superior

Team Previews:

Cloquet Lumberjacks (2024-25 season: 18-9 overall, 10-5 conference, 4th)

They did graduate a large senior class, including their top six scorers from last season. Juniors Evan Rothamel (5.2 PPG) and Max Jazdewski (1.4 PPG) are both going to have to take huge steps to keep Cloquet in the upper half of the conference. There always seems to be good athletes coming through Cloquet. They beat some of the teams in the Lake Superior Conference this summer in summer leagues. That doesn't mean much, but it looked like they were going to be good enough to stay in the middle of the conference. New head coach, Joe Seymour.

Duluth Denfeld Hunters (2024-25 season: 20-11 overall, 10-3 conference, 2nd)

The Hunters are coming off a MSHSL State Tournament appearance last season, but they also lost a very important piece in MarNaries Ferguson. Ferguson is currently a freshman on the basketball team at Center Lakes Community College. The good news is they bring back some players who saw a lot of minutes on that team. Lee Brooks (8.7 PPG) was one of the main guards last season and will be asked to do more as a senior. They have size with senior Antonio Brown (6'7") and junior Carter Brown (6'5"). Carter was the second leading scorer on the team last season at 13.4 points per game, Antonio was fifth at 7.9 points per game. An interesting freshman to watch will be Joseph DuPree, who was listed on the varsity roster as an 8th grader.

Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers (2024-25 season: 12-16 overall, 0-8 conference, 9th)

It looks on paper like its going to be a tough season for the Hilltoppers, mostly based on the fact that they lost their best player in Brooks Johnson. Johnson is a freshman on the basketball team at Minnesota-Duluth currently. Ricardo Marcel will be a senior this season, he was their second leading scorer last season at 10.8 points per game. They do return 5 of their top 7 scorers. The other four being Brody Carlson (7.2 PPG), Aaden Westerbur (6.3 PPG), Zach Johnson (2.6 PPG), and Hank Kettlehut (2.6 PPG).

Grand Rapids Thunderhawks (2024-25 season: 14-14 overall, 9-4 conference, 3rd)

Joey Sutherland and Brenden Sylvester should provide a solid foundation for Grand Rapids this season. A bigger senior class typically is a good thing for Lake Superior teams. Gavin Wegwerth should be a sophomore that is worth keeping an eye on for the Thunderhawks. Size might be a bit of an issue this season.

Hermantown Hawks (2024-25 season: 5-23 overall, 1-10 conference, 8th)

The Hawks only graduated two seniors from last season, and bring back a ton of players who were sophomores that saw lots of playing time. Sawyer Senst really made a name for himself after being named 2nd-Team All-Conference as a sophomore. Senst averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, and finished the season with 13 double-doubles. Junior Ben Sundland had a good sophomore season for the Hawks. Sophomore Corbin Petcoff is an interesting prospect with good size (6'5") and the ability to play inside and out.

Hibbing Bluejackets (2024-25 season: 19-10 overall, 7-5 conference, 7-5)

Hibbing is one of the more interesting teams to me in Northern Minnesota, they had a good season last year and are only more experienced heading into this season. Juniors Ray Brau and Jack Bottoms are back as the two leading scorers from last season. Evan Bolden was their third leading scorer, who is back for his senior season. Senior Adam Reckmeyer and junior Grant Toewe bring some good experience as well. Size won't be a concern this year; Ray Brau (6'6"), Adam Reckmeyer (6'5"), Evan Bolden (6'4"), Braiden Elven (6'3"), and Grant Toewe (6'3").

Proctor Rails (2024-25 season: 11-16 overall, 2-6 conference, 7th)

Dallas Loftis and Wyatt Nelson are both back as seniors after having good seasons for the Rails last year. Both were among the leading scorers, with Loftis having multiple 30-point games. John Cordero is another senior returning that brings some good experience. They do lose two players in Tyler Berglund and Kooper King.

Rock Ridge Wolverines (2024-25 season: 8-19 overall, 3-9 conference, 6th)

They lost a lot of seniors from the year's roster, including Joey Aho, Eli Devich, Leo Johnson, and Will Kemp. Beau Akerson, Cooper Aune, Wyatt Canter, Owen Hallin, Riley Lambert, Jaxson Lamppa, and Keagan Wright are seniors this year that should all contribute. Aune, Canter, and Lamppa were among the most productive of the group last year.

Superior Spartans (2024-25 season: 14-11 overall, 9-1 conference, 1st)

The Spartans bring back all but one player from last season.Their best two players in Calvin Anderson and Drew Eisel are back for their senior seasons. Anderson is a Minnesota-Duluth commit, averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season. Eisel is one of the better utility players in the Northwoods, he's someone who is able to do a little bit of everything. Reid Charles, Beckam Lull, Jayce Rue and Colson Schumacher are some others who are going to provide good experience.

Projections:

1. Superior

2. Hibbing

3. Grand Rapids

4. Duluth Denfeld

5. Cloquet

6. Hermantown

7. Proctor

8. Rock Ridge

9. Duluth Marshall

Conference Overview:

The race for the conference title will be interesting between Superior and Hibbing. The two teams will only meet once during the regular season, so that will be a big game that could be a deciding factor. Grand Rapids and Duluth Denfeld will be an interesting battle to be in the top four of the conference. Both teams return some really important pieces. Cloquet graduated a lot of seniors, but should be athletic enough to remain in the middle. Hermantown should be ready to make a little jump in the conference. Rock Ridge and Proctor are somewhat toss up positions for me, they could switch, but finishing higher seems unlikely. Duluth Marshall should be expected to struggle unless a bigger name is coming in.

Conference MVP: Calvin Anderson (Senior) - Superior

Other Players to Watch:

Jack Bottoms (Junior) - Hibbing

Ray Brau (Junior) - Hibbing

Lee Brooks (Senior) - Duluth Denfeld

Carter Brown (Junior) - Duluth Denfeld

Drew Eisel (Senior) - Superior

Sawyer Senst (Junior) - Hermantown

Joey Sutherland (Senior) - Grand Rapids

Games to Watch:

Grand Rapids @ Pequot Lakes (12/11/25)

Duluth Denfeld vs. Chisago Lakes @ Minnesota-Duluth (12/30/25)

Hibbing @ Superior (1/8/26)

Bemidji @ Hibbing (1/13/26)

Duluth Denfeld @ Duluth East (1/15/26)

25-26 Conference Previews - Northern Lakes (WI)

Team Previews:

Crandon Cardinals (2024-25 season: 13-12 overall, 9-1 conference, t-1st)

Graduated three All-Conference picks from last season, including Conference POY Jaxon Keepers. Deegan Kircher is back for his junior season after being named 2nd-Team All-Conference. Kircher averaged 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. They do have some good pieces who saw time on varsity last season that are now juniors in Logan Jaeger (5.8 PPG) and Konner Gerow (4.5 PPG). Gerow gives some added depth at 6'5".

Elcho Hornets (2024-25 season: 0-18 overall, 0-10 conference, 6th)

I hope the Hornets can put something together this season. They lost their leading scorer from last season, their only double digit scorer. According to their roster from last season, they will return three players from the team (if everyone comes back). I could be missing a few players, but depth in general could be a concern for them.

Florence Bobcats (2024-25 season: 6-16 overall, 3-7 conference, t-4th)

One of the most interesting teams in the conference this season. Truth Setner is back after being named 1st-Team All-Conference as a junior and leading the team in scoring. Carson Chrisman was named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a freshman after being second on the team in scoring. Along with that they bring back three juniors in Caleb Baker, Mason Koski, and Bradly Steber, who all saw meaningful minutes a season ago.

Goodman-Pembine Patriots (2024-25 season: 7-19 overall, 3-7 conference, t-4th)

One returning All-Conference selection in Wailer Severson (2nd-Team). He was second on the team with 9.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Kalvin Jonas (7.4 PPG) and Vinnie Ipsa (6.0 PPG) both are juniors who shot the ball very well from three a season ago. Jonas shot 38.8% (26-67) and Ipsa shot 35.5% (22-62) from three.

Phelps Knights (2024-25 season: N/A overall, N/A conference, N/A)

Haven't fielded a varsity basketball team recently.

Three Lakes Bluejays (2024-25 season: 11-15 overall, 6-4 conference, 3rd)

Easton Lurvey is coming off a really good freshman season, and if the Bluejays win the conference this season I could see him being Conference POY. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season, including 36.0% (67-186) from three point range. Owen Liebscher was named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a sophomore. Bring back some other experienced players in Levi Lurvey, Grayson Polcaster, and Zach Weavers.

Wabeno/Laona Rebels (2024-25 season: 15-12 overall, 9-1 conference, t-1st)

The two seniors that they graduated averaged a combined 3.3 points per game. Northern Lakes Defensive POY, Cooper Albrecht is back for his junior season. Two 1st-Team All-Conference selections return in Albrecht (15.4 PPG) and Canton Chrisman (18.9 PPG). Along with 2nd-Team All-Conference pick Walker Winkelman (12.8 PPG). The biggest concern I have for this team is their three point shooting depth.

Projections:

1. Wabeno/Laona

2. Three Lakes

3. Florence

4. Crandon

5. Goodman-Pembine

6. Elcho

7. Phelps

Conference Overview:

As of right now I think Wabeno/Laona is the odds on favorite to win the conference. They return the most, and their best players were young a season ago. Three Lakes is probably going to be their biggest competition, since I don't think they are too far behind when you talk about talent coming back. Florence is a team that if they play really well could win conference, but it doesn't seem likely to pass both of the previously named teams. I think Crandon graduated too much to be a team to beat, but middle of the road seems like the place for them. Goodman-Pembine graduated some size and experience, I just think this is going to be a bit of a reloading season. Elcho just has some work to do, never like to see teams struggle with roster sizes.

Conference MVP: Canton Chrisman (Junior) - Wabeno/Laona

Other Players to Watch:

Cooper Albrecht (Junior) - Wabeno-Laona

Carson Chrisman (Sophomore) - Florence

Deegan Kircher (Junior) - Crandon

Easton Lurvey (Sophomore) - Three Lakes

Truth Setner (Senior) - Florence

Wailer Severson (Senior) - Goodman-Pembine

Games to Watch:

Sheboygan Lutheran @ Florence (12/20/25)

Prentice @ Florence (1/20/26)

Wabeno/Laona @ Assumption (2/7/26)

Rhinelander @ Wabeno/Laona (2/17/26)

Three Lakes @ Mellen (2/23/26)