Pines returning nine letterwinners to hardwood for 2025-’26 season

With nine letterwinners returning with a lot of varsity game experience, the Northland Pines boys basketball team looks to improve on last year’s 15-11 record, according to Head Coach Terry Klemett.

Last season, the Eagles lost to State runner-up Freedom in the Regional final, the fifth Regional championship game in the past six years for Northland Pines.
The Eagles were scheduled to open the season with a nonconference game against Three Lakes on Tuesday of this week at the Pines fieldhouse.

While the Eagles lost three talented players in Jon Miller, Cody Vojta and A.J. Muench from that 2024-’25 team, Pines will return seniors Mylo Albrecht and Aiden Minx, along with juniors Jack Albrecht, Ethan Miller, Nolan Huelskamp, Tyler Vojta, Oliver Weberg, Ryan Rydeski and Griffin Beyer.

Mylo Albrecht scored 17 points per game last season and was a unanimous Great Northern Conference (GNC) first team selection.

“Mylo has really improved from a fantastic season last year,” said Klemett. “He is stronger and more skilled and has done a great job leading on and off the court. He will be approaching the 1,000-point club sometime this year which tells you a lot of his skill level and work ethic.”

Mylo’s brother, Jack, scored 10 points per game last season as a sophomore, and this will be his third year running the show as the Eagles’ point guard.
“Jack has really developed in the off season,” said Klemett. “We expect big things from him this year on both sides of the ball.”

Miller came on really strong for the Eagles during the second half of last season. At 6-foot-7, he has size and strength as the Eagles’ starting post player.

“Ethan has a very good shot from deep and is an extremely active defender with his length and versatility. He is also a very good passer,” said Kemett. “We need him to be aggressive around the rim and continue to work hard.”

Huelskamp is in his third year of varsity basketball and is a workhorse, according to Klemett.

“Nolan has worked extremely hard in the offseason and has developed into a very good guard,” said the coach. “We’re looking for big things out of him on both sides of the ball.”

Vojta is a very long and gifted athlete and will be a versatile player for the Eagles, according to Klemett.

“He knows the game and how to play it and we will count on him to do many things for us this season,” said Klemett. “I have been very pleased with his growth from a season ago.”

Klemett said he will likely carry just 10 players on the varsity roster this season. He said everyone will see plenty of playing time during the season.

“Ryan Rodeski is a strong athlete. He has a great motor and plays hard all the time. He could be our best defender. Aiden Minx is a tool shed. He has a great knack for the ball and is a strong player. He brings many tangible things to our team. Griffin Beyer plays a lot bigger than his stature. You can put him in many different roles on the court and he understands the game very well. And Oliver Weberg is doing a great job of learning our system. He is a very strong player and will be counted on to guard opposing teams’ post players. He also can step outside the paint and knock down shots.”

Filling out the roster will be sophomore Morgan Keranen.

“Morgan can really shoot the ball. He has a gift for making shots and has done a nice job of attacking the rim. As he continues to get comfortable with our systems, you’re going to see Morgan really give our team a lift.”

Looking at the team as a whole, Klemett said the Eagles will be a very fast team.

“We have great leadership and athletes who defend very well,” said Klemett. “It’s also the third year playing varsity for a majority of these guys, so that experience will be key. Staying healthy is always a concern. The season is long, and making sure our guys are getting the breaks they need to recover and being ready each day will be important.”

Looking at the GNC, Klemett said Mosinee, Medford and Rhinelander always have good teams.

“I think we can compete with these teams and have a chance like anyone of these teams to win the conference,” said Klemett. “Like every season, we are playing a tough schedule. With Merrill joining the GNC now, you have to play them twice. We go to Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau West which are tough D-1 schools. So having that competition throughout the season prepares us for the tournament as we look to compete for our sixth Regional title game in seven years.”

Following the Three Lakes game, Pines will travel to Wausau West for a Thanksgiving weekend tournament Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28-29. The GNC season will open Dec. 5 against Merrill.

Klemett said a key to battling through a tough schedule is having good coaches who work very hard for the team. His assistants include Marissa Klemett, Ben Albrecht and Lenny Orlowski.

“Marissa is a very good in-game coach. She understands adjustments within our system and knows how to teach it. Ben will be in charge of a lot of day-to-day operations. He brings a lot of knowledge and is a fiery competitor. Lenny has been around the game for years. He is a very good teacher and skill developer. We are very fortunate to have great coaches here.”