2023 Albany Boys Basketball

offensive juggernaut offensive juggernaut

Huskies adjusting to high-powered offensive philsophy

BY TOM FENTON | STAFF WRITER

Any number of adjectives are fitting when describing the Albany boys basketball team’s offense.

Explosive. Dynamic. Exciting.

Perhaps the best description is just plain “fun.”

The Huskies waste little time when it comes to the business of scoring, and it is a huge reason for their 29-1 season that will reach its pinnacle at this week’s Minnesota State High School League Class AA Tournament in Minneapolis. The semifinals are Friday, March 24, with the championship set for Saturday, March 25, at Target Center.

The transition from a more traditional offense into what fans are seeing this season started three years for head coach Cory Schlagel, acting on a hunch the shot clock would soon be used at the varsity level statewide – which it will starting next season.

“Looking at the personnel of the kids we knew we had coming up, I wanted to start playing a bit more up-tempo,” Schlagel said. “So, we started formulating our secondary transition offense where we weren’t really having to stop to set things up and only running set plays. We do have a lot of set plays, but I wanted things to be a bit more free-flowing.”

It did not take long for Albany to embrace the change of philosophy. The Huskies average 74 points per game and put their talent on display in front of a big crowd in a 74-57 victory

over Milaca in the Section 6AA championship March 17 at St. Cloud State University’s Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud

Albany has surpassed the 100-point mark twice and also had a 95- and 90-point game. They eclipsed the 80-point mark five times.

“We like to play with pace, but at the same time we play with discipline because we do a pretty good job of taking care of the basketball most of the time,” Schlagel said. “We like to play at that pace for 36 minutes and wear people down, and when you combine that with our man-to-man defense, we can wear them down even more.”

While it may not look complicated, there are several moving parts involved in what could be called a non-traditional approach. After a defensive rebound, any of four players have the leeway to bring the ball up the floor rather than finding the point guard.

Upon crossing the half-court line, either Schlagel or one of the players will signal the direction the play will take.

“We kept adding things to it last year and added more this year,” Schlagel said. “We have a bunch of calls we make when we come down the floor. The fact we don’t have a traditional point guard makes us a little more dynamic and allows us to use the skillsets our players have. It puts our guys in different spots on the floor. There are a lot of teams that when you watch them play, they’re in the same spots all the time.”

Huskies page 3

PHOTO BY MIKE KOSIK

Zeke Austin lays a ball up past two Cathedral defenders during the Section 6AA quarterfinals March 11 at St. John’s

and the

defeated

Huskies from page 2

Though the 3-point shot is a big part of the scheme, the Huskies are not a team who relies on them. Instead, they are multi-dimensional.

If a team, like Sauk Centre did in the Section 6AA semifinals, focuses its defense on taking away the Huskies’ talented outside shooters like Sauk Centre did in the Section 6AA semifinals, Albany finds a way to get the ball inside to Ethan Borgerding, who had his way with the Streeters.

Milaca did what it could to limit Borgerding, leaving Tysen Gerads, Sam Hondl and Zeke Austin the opportunity to find driving lanes. Gerads finished with 27 points, Hondl 15 and Austin 10. Borgerding scored 10 points despite receiving most of the Wolves’ defensive attention.

“With the number of people we have who can shoot it, attack the basketball and with our post presence, we have all kinds of different options,” Schlagel said. “People will pick their poison sometimes in how they’re trying to guard us.”

There are games when the offense sputters, however, which Schlagel said is why the team puts just as much attention on an aggressive man-to-man defense. Never was this more evident than a 46-45 victory Feb. 3 at Mora, who was seeded second in Section 6AA but lost 69-68 to Milaca in the semifinals.

“It’s a big advantage for us the way we play offensively, but there are times when we can’t score too,” Schlagel said. “We know on any given night that darn spherical thing might not go through the rim. That’s why we stress the defensive side of the court so much, too. We had open look after open look in that Mora game and couldn’t make anything. The way we played defense allowed us to win that game.”

Schlagel said he is

looking forward to his team getting the chance to run the floor at Williams Arena and Target Center against the state’s best teams. When the offense clicks, it is pleasing to the eyes.

“It’s a lot of fun to watch,” Schlagel said. “I would say most of our games, there is typically a stretch where we go on a run and you can tell the other team is a little overwhelmed. It feels really good when you do that because it puts a lot of pressure on the other team.”

PHOTO BY MIKE KOSIK Tysen Gerads

albany huskies huskies Court Components

Achieving a state tournament trip for the first time in nearly a decade, the 2022-23 Albany Huskies boys basketball team have relied on each of its members during an exciting winter season. With input from the entire coaching staff, head coach Cory Schagel broke down each player’s impact on the team.

ZEKE AUSTIN

Zeke is a tremendous defender for us and energizes our team on a nightly basis. You would never know he is a sophomore point guard as he keeps a calm floor demeanor at all times to keep us moving forward in game situations.

CARTER VOSS

We like to get Carter shot attempts from the arc, as he has a pure stroke and can get us going on runs in a hurry. He has also been a really good defender for us, especially in help situations, reading when other teams are setting up their good scorers for attempts.

TATE RICHTER

Fan favorite. Everyone loves when Tate gets in the game and can fire some threes. Great kid to have in our program, as he is extremely personable and keeps me on my toes, making sure I am organized properly.

Understands his role and has helped our players get better throughout the season by practicing hard on a daily basis.

TANNER REIS ANDREW OLSON

Another good perimeter defender who plays physical for us on opponents’ guards. Offensively, he takes what other teams give him and has hit many big threes for us throughout the season.

Long and lanky guard who loves to shoot the three and was one of the top scorers on the JV team. Tremendous sense of humor and likes to mix it up with Coach Boone with sarcasm.

High-motor guy who provides energy and defensive pressure on ball-handlers. Does a good job getting us into our offensive actions and setting up our scorers.

BEN MEYER JACK RIELAND

Great athlete who would start on a lot of teams we play. Jack was one of the leading scorers at the JV level and is waiting in the wings for a bigger role at the varsity level next year.

Steady sophomore guard who has a high IQ defensively. Loves to set up his teammates for shot opportunities.

TYSEN GERADS

Tysen is our leading scorer and can do so from all three levels. He is an explosive athlete who entertains our fans with his play above the rim but also has a smooth left-handed jumper when he gets things going on most nights. Tysen’s sister, Kylan, is a junior on the girls basketball team that just finished runner-up in Class AA.

#22

SAM HONDL

Sam does a little bit of everything with his ability to handle the ball, shoot the perimeter shot and is much improved as a sophomore with his ability to score in the paint area. Versatility in his game allows him to score at different levels on the floor and fits in wonderfully with our other personnel to display his skillset.

CALEB ABRAHAM

Really improved his footwork in the post this year and will be in the mix to fill the center position next season. Coach Boone says he is the best passing big in the program.

#25

TRENT IMHOLTE

Great kid who gives us minutes as an undersized 4 man when we need him. Knows the game really well and communicates really well defensively. Does a lot of little things for us when called upon.

DEVON SCHAEFER

Extremely hard worker in the post for us and always hustling all over the place. He also has a sense of humor beyond belief.

HUNTER HAMANN ETHAN BORGERDING

Put up some highlight dunks at the JV level this year as he brings a lot of athleticism to the floor. He also likes to smell good and has a deep collection of colognes. I believe Versace is his go to; Coach Johnson approves.

#32

MASON BIERBAUM

Does a lot of dirty work on both ends of the floor: screening, rebounding and makes hustle plays.

#33

Ethan loves to play in physical battles in the paint. He is a strong kid who uses good footwork to seal defenders in the block areas to give us a paint presence to play through and rely on, controlling the defensive glass.

#44

JAYDON

SCHAEFER

The second of the Schaefer boys on the team, but he is the older and wiser one in his own mind. Tremendous personality with his communication skills and ability to get along with anyone he sees. Knocked down some threes as a big man this year.

PHOTO BY MIKE KOSIK Albany ’s Andrew Olson Albany’s Andrew Olson attempts a free throw Feb 17 at Albany attempts a free throw Feb. 17 at Area High School in Albany Olson is one of many talented Area School in Albany. Olson is one of many talented guards on a deep Huskies roster on a Huskies roster.

Avoiding a winter wreck

Like every team in the state of Minnesota, the Huskies dealt with an external element when its season schedule commenced Dec. 6: the harsh winter.

Right out of the gate, Albany’s first game against Eden ValleyWatkins Dec. 6 was postponed to January, as two other important section games against Osakis and Melrose.

Coach Schlagel believed this Huskie roster was a competitive one, but without many games to see that, it was difficult for the coaching staff and the players to become truly familiar with its systems, concepts and team identity.

The Huskies made up for this lost time through adding intensity to practices and learning how to help improve each other’s skillsets.

“They push each other,” Schlagel said. “They’re really good competitors and get after one another.

That entire month of December set the stage for how hard we play

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

from a historic HUSKIE SEASON HUSKIE SEASON

Albany overcomes adversity throughout challenging campaign

BY EVAN MICHEALSON | STAFF WRITER BY EVAN M IC HE AL SO N STAF A F

A 29-1 season and a trip to the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Boys Basketball State Tournament takes incredible team success and a plethora of action-packed, unforgettable highlights.

The road to state was not paved in gold, however, as the Albany Huskies boys basketball team were often tested both mentally and physically, ultimately emerging as Section 6AA champions.

The Star Post talked to head coach Cory Schlagel and broke down 10 of the team’s defining moments from the 2022-23 winter campaign.

Pushing past Pequot Lakes

Long before the Huskies and Pequot Lakes Patriots prepared to face off in the Class AA quarterfinals, the mightily-talented programs squared off for a Monday night matchup Jan. 9 at Albany Area High School in Albany.

Albany defended its home court, overcoming a five-point halftime deficit to grab a convincing 74-52 victory. Tysen Gerads was electrifying, compiling 24 points on 11 of 17 shooting, while Austin was nearperfect as a shooter, going 7-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-6 from deep.

Outscoring a state-qualifying team by 27 points in the final 18 minutes, the Huskies added another win to an already-strong start and cemented what will be a familiar showdown moving forward.

“They’re going to be coming into our conference next year,” Schlagel said. “I could see us developing a bit of a rivalry. There’s some competitive fire there.”

Strong schedule continues to test Huskies

Right after Pequot Lakes came another Class AA state team in the Eden Valley-Watkins Eagles, who the Huskies defeated 75-56 in yet another brilliant home victory Jan. 12.

In what became a growing theme, the Huskies grew more and more comfortable as the game progressed, turning a one-point halftime advantage into a 19-point triumph.

Albany piled up 21 assists as a team to hum offensively, with Gerads’ 25 points and nine rebounds standing out.

To find success, Albany needed to slow down 6’8” center Noah Stommes, who ended the game with 16 points. “We haven’t seen a kid that can score in the paint as well as that kid could since then,” Schlagel said. “We got into foul trouble that game and it was a close game at halftime, but we pulled away once we found a way to deal with the circumstances of the game. (It was a) really big win for us.”

Spartans’ pressure gives Albany fits

Different coverages and gameplans are a good way for Schlagel and the Huskies to understand a variety of styles of play.

The Rocori Spartans brought a challenging nuance to their desired angle of attack: pressure. Through playing aggressively from past the 3-point line defensively, Rocori forced Albany to focus on every dribble and action in the teams’ area bout Jan. 23.

Albany stayed resolved against its Class AAA opponent, committing only 12 turnovers to Rocori’s 20 in a 62-54 win. Gerads and Sam Hondl combined for 50 points in the effort.

“That was one of the best perimeter defense we faced in terms of the amount of pressure they put on us,” Schlagel said. “They pushed us to the limits as far as ballhandling and being able to handle the pressure on the perimeter. That game helped us a lot as far as the physicality we had to exert to win that game.”

Execution from one day to the next

By the time a matchup of Section 6AA’s highest-ranked programs came rolling around Feb. 3, the Huskies were battle-tested and confident, but that did not make the road ahead any easier.

In back-to-back days, Albany faced off against two teams in the top 15 of Class AA’s QRF rankings: the Mora Mustangs and Perham Yellowjackets. First, a stalwart defensive performance guided the Huskies to a narrowtight 46-45 victory over the Mustangs Feb. 3. Then, the Huskies needed to get on a bus and travel to Alexandria for the Breakdown Winter Lakes Classic, where they faced Perham.

Despite a lack of ideal preparation time, the Huskies used a 52% shooting day to defeat the Yellowjackets Feb. 4 in a key neutral-site win.

“We played really well against a traditional power in Perham,” Schlagel said. “That sealed their confidence in terms of being able to beat one of the better teams in the state. We just kept going from there.”

Huskies hold on versus Streeters

During a four-week stretch of the season, Albany played a staggering 12 games in 26 days, rarely receiving much of a mental break or practices to match up with the busy schedule.

One of the toughest tests amidst this hectic journey was a road game against the Sauk Centre Streeters, who later surged to the section semifinals. In a loud, energetic atmosphere, the Huskies held a narrow lead over the pesky Streeters for most of the game, doing just enough to squeeze out a 72-63 triumph.

All of Austin’s 26 points were vital, as Sauk Centre presented a plethora of challenges.

“They threw some new coverages at us we hadn’t really seen and we didn’t gameplan for,” Schlagel said. “We made some adjustments at halftime and kept moving forward. To beat them in Sauk Centre with one of the best players around in Jay Neubert, that was a highlight too.”

Finding a way through a late-season fiasco

Suddenly, after playing so many games in a short span of time, the Huskies swung to the complete opposite end of the spectrum in the closing stages of the regular season. Why? Well, weather, of course.

After receiving a day off for Presidents’ Day Feb. 20, Albany practiced Feb. 21 before missing valuable hours in the gym Feb. 22-23 as a result of snow days. This led to the Huskies facing the Little Falls Flyers Feb. 24 with rust as a potential factor.

Even with this, the Huskies eviscerated its Granite Ridge Conference rival, winning 73-51. Ten Albany players scored at least one point as the team registered an efficient 1.05 points per possession.

“All of that momentum we had was gone and suddenly, we were out of shape,” Schlagel said. “Then, we went to Little Falls and played really well. This crew shows up all the time. They’re consistent in their approach and are willing to deal with whatever is front of them.”

Fire hand Huskies first and only loss

As much as Schlagel and the team glean takeaways from its vast collection of wins, no game taught the Huskies more than its loss, a 76-68 defeat to the No. 1-ranked Holy Family Catholic Fire at the Granite City Classic at St. John’s University in Collegeville Dec. 29.

Holy Family Catholic, possessing a pair of 6-foot, 11-inch forwards in Collin Mulholland and Boden Kapke who will be playing Division basketball collegiately, overwhelmed Albany in the first half, building to a 19-point halftime lead. For the first time during the 2022-23 season, the Huskies were without an answer, scrambling to stay close.

“For 18 minutes, we weren’t ourselves,” Schlagel said. “It wasn’t anybody’s fault. We just couldn’t prepare in practice for what they were going to bring at us.”

To Albany’s credit, it battled. Led by Zeke Austin’s team-leading 19 points and Ethan Borgerding’s 13-point, nine-board outing, the Huskies clawed back into the contest, pulling to within six points before ultimately falling short. The loss was not within benefit.

“They’ve been the favorite to win Class AA since day one,” Schlagel said. “The fact we could put a run on them provided us some confidence.”

Performing when it matters most

Even with the No. 1 seed in hand and a conference title in tow, the Huskies were far from the guaranteed representative of a well-coached, balanced Section 6AA. So, what happened next served as an excellent exemplification of how strong this season’s Huskies are proving to be.

Albany put up 100 points for the second time in the campaign in its 102-23 romp over Maple Lake in the first round March 8, stood strong against the Cathedral Crusaders in an 82-50 quarterfinals win March 11 and held the aforementioned Streeters in check in a semifinals thriller, winning by a score of 63-49 March 15.

Borgerding was the hero of the latter contest, putting up 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Huskies earned back-to-back wins at St. John’s University to advance to the section championship.

“All of those teams were gunning for us considering what our season was and what our seed was,” Schlagel said. “Every time those things have risen up and it could be a potential roadblock, this crew has forged ahead.”

2023 state Class AA tate AA

2022-2023

S T A T S S T A T S &

POINTS POINTS

REBOUNDS

ASSISTS BLOCKS

STEALS

FIELD GOAL % FIELD GOAL %

3-POINTERS

Tysen Gerads, 616 2. Zeke Austin, 340

Tanner Reis, 130

Tysen Gerads, 76

Sam Hondl, 62

Tanner Reis, 51

Ethan Borgerding, 41 1. Ethan Borgerding, 16

Sam Hondl, 15 3. Tysen Gerads, 7 4. Zeke Austin and Mason Bierbaum, 4 5. Ben Meyer and Andrew Olson, 3

1. Ethan Borgerding, .675 2. Jack Rieland, .577 3. Tysen Gerads, .569

1. Ethan Borgerding, 173 2. Tysen Gerads, 167 3. Sam Hondl, 148 4. Zeke Austin, 122

Tanner Reis, 64 1. Tysen Gerads, 58 2. Zeke Austin, 35 3. Ethan Borgerding, 34 4. Sam Hondl, 25

Tanner Reis, 23

1. Zeke Austin, 57

2. Carter Voss, 36

3. Tysen Gerads, 33 4. Tanner Reis, 32 5. Sam Hondl, 23 Minimum of 10 shots 4. Sam Hondl, .494 5. Trent Imholte, .478

Q & A

with our Albany seniors with our seniors

Mason Bierbaum

#33 33

Parents: Brian and Kelly Bierbaum | Height & Position: 6’3” center

Do you have any pregame superstitions?If so, explain. Not necessarily a pregame superstition, but I’m attempting to grow a postseason mustache and so far, it has been working in getting us the W. What’s the significance of the number you wear? No significance behind my number, but my coach calls me Larry Bird when he gives me my jersey before games.

When the last seconds ticked off in the section final and you realized you were going to state, who did you want to celebrate with first and why? I wanted to find my boy Sunny Voss, because back in eighth grade, we won state and my mom captured a video of us shaking hands as time expired, so we recreated that moment when we won the section.

What do you think makes this basketball team special? The chemistry both on and off the court and the work ethic in both the gym and in the weight room.

What do you look forward to most with going to state? Playing in The Barn.

What was the highlight of the year, not including the section final? When Tate Ritcher hit a jumper that gave us 100 points versus Pierz.

What was the dunk of the year? Why? Tysen Gerads’ dunk versus Milaca in the section finals was so crazy to watch, because it seemed as if he was floating in the air as he slammed it down to give us more points to our lead and an extra momentum booster.

Who is your favorite pro or college player? Why? I always loved the way Kobe played because of the “Mamba Mentality” he exhibited and how he used his actions to better and lead his team.

Ethan Borgerding

Ethan

#44 44

Parents: Corey and Holly Borgerding | Height & Position: 6’5” center

Do you have any pregame superstitions?If so, explain. Taking pre-workouts.

What’s the significance of the number you wear? Nothing really special.

When the last seconds ticked off in the section final and you realized you were going to state, who did you want to celebrate with first and why? My team, because we were so close last year and we finally made it this year.

What do you think makes this basketball team special? The connection with each other. We can joke around with everyone and have a good time on and off the court.

What do you look forward to most with going to state? Hanging out in the hotel with all the boys and being able to play at Williams Arena.

What was the highlight of the year, not including the section final? Getting a double-double against Sauk Centre to make it to the finals.

What was the dunk of the year? Why? Getting my first dunk against Maple Lake. Who is your favorite pro or college player? Why? Paige Meyer, because she was a close friend with my sister and she was always nice on and off the court.

Tysen Gerads Tysen Gerads

#22 22

Parents: Bob and Shanna Gerads

Height & Position: 6’3” shooting guard

Do you have any pregame superstitions?If so, explain. I wear the same kind of socks and eat a PB&J sandwich made by my mom.

What’s the significance of the number you wear? I chose the number 22 in fourth grade and have worn it every year since. Initially, I wanted the number 23, but couldn’t get it, so I picked 22 and stuck with it.

When the last seconds ticked off in the section final and you realized you were going to state, who did you want to celebrate with first and why? Coach Schlagel, because he worked extremely hard to prepare us all throughout the season and has pushed me to be a better player all year, so I was excited to celebrate this accomplishment with him.

What do you think makes this basketball team special? We are extremely talented at all positions, but more importantly, we all get along well and we trust each other on the court. What do you look forward to most with going to state? Playing against some of the best teams in the state.

What was the highlight of the year, not including the section final? Beating Perham and going to Pizza Ranch after the game.

What was the dunk of the year? Why? Hunter Hamann’s first dunk on JV, because it is extremely rare for a JV player to dunk.

Who is your favorite pro or college player? Why? Jayson Tatum, because he gets buckets.