GARWIN – Two starters are back and two sophomores with varsity experience are expected to help bolster the GMG boys’ basketball team as it takes on the 2025-26 campaign.

The Wolverines return their top scorer from a year ago in senior guard Rider Kupka, who averaged 15.4 points per game last winter, while junior Ethan Klemesrud brings back 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Varsity minutes for then-freshmen Easton Sash and Jacoby Woodbury will go a long way toward helping the Wolverines find their way through the Iowa Star Conference’s South Division.

“We’re looking for a better conference and overall record, and that starts with the expectation of aggressive defensive play and winning the rebound game,” said fourth-year head coach Tammy Woodbury. “We need to decrease our turnovers and increase our 3-point shooting percentage.”

Sash (3.5 ppg) and Woodbury (1.3) will gain increased roles as returning letterwinners, while a cast of underclassmen are viewed as hopeful varsity contributors for the Wolverines. Juniors Caleb Ferch, Jordan Rhodes, Braylon Darter and Braiden Beach along with sophomore Bodie Hutchinson, the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-1, will be the candidates.

“We need to play as a team, get bench points and have increased post play to achieve success this season,” said coach Woodbury. “We’ve got a competitive group with a strong basketball IQ.”