Wyatt Hawks and Luke Winkel Earn First Team All-NSIC for No. 21 Huskies, Hawks tabbed as Defensive Player of the Year, Henderson Named Coach of the Year
2/26/2026 10:35:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Hawks and Winkel first First-Team duo since 2018
Burnsville, MN. – No. 21 St. Cloud State Men's Basketball duo of junior Wyatt Hawks and sophomore Luke Winkel both earned First-Team All-Conference Honors from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as announced by the league office Thursday. This is the first First-Team All-NSIC duo since Jon Averkamp and Gage Davis in 2018. Hawks would also be named Defensive Player of the Year, the first since Sean Smith in 2019. Head Coach Quincy Henderson was also recognized as NSIC Coach of the Year, the first Coach of the Year honor for SCSU since Kevin Schlagel in 2003.
After starting every game this year, Wyatt Hawks was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning First-Team All-Conference. Hawks anchored the paint for the top defense in the conference which led the NSIC in points per game (65.8), opponent field goal percentage (39.9), and defensive rebounds (27.8). The White Bear Lake native led the NSIC in blocks (65) and blocks per game (2.3) while finishing second in rebounds per game (8.6). With seven games of 4+ blocks, Hawks was a consistent force on the defensive end in protecting the rim not just through shot blocking, but with countless occurrences of forcing opponents into tough shots on contests and generating pass outs with his presence. With Hawks commanding the paint, St. Cloud State was able to stay tighter on three-point shooters which allowed them to lead the conference in opponent three-point percentage (27.6). Entering the year 19th all-time in blocks, Hawks has climbed all the way up to 3rd with 118. He also excelled in the pick and roll as a pristine drop coverage big but consistently showcased his ability to switch out onto the perimeter. Hawks is the first Husky to be named NSIC Defensive Player of the Year since Sean Smith in 2019. On the offensive end, Hawks averaged 11.6 points while shooting 48.3% from the field, a career-high 29.4% from three, and a career-high 80.2% from the free throw line. He consistently commanded a double-team in the post which translated open shots for teammates and a career-high 1.7 assists. Hawks would lead the NSIC in offensive rebounding with 2.9 per game as he consistently cleaned up and putback misses. He tallied eight double-doubles on his way to earning All-Conference for the first time in his career.
After earning First Team All-NSIC in his freshman campaign, sophomore Luke Winkel once again earned the recognition after taking a leap forward. Taking on a bigger role, Winkel's numbers rose across the board as he increased his scoring (18.1), assists (4.1), rebounding (3.8), field goal percentage (41.1), and three-pointers made (48). A true three-level scorer, Winkel was able to generate buckets in a multitude of ways. His speed and handle allowed him to consistently break the paint and finish with an array of moves at the rim, or pull-up and knock down a mid range shot. When teams gave him space to guard his drives, Winkel made them pay by stepping back or pulling up for three. Finishing eighth in the NSIC in points per game, the Akeny, Iowa native totaled seven games with 25+ points. He is averaging the most points by a Husky since Anthony Roberts in 2022 and is currently 12th all-time in scoring at St. Cloud State with a 15.5 per game average. With eyes glued to Winkel as a scorer, his passing once again flourished as he finished sixth in the NSIC in assists. Because of his ability to breakdown the defense and force a help defender, Winkel excelled in reading the defense and finding the open man on the perimeter or off a cut in the lane. On the defensive end, Winkel again averaged 1.4 steals per game which was tied for ninth in the conference. His knack for the ball allowed him to create poke aways in a one-on-one situation and intercept passes by jumping passing lanes. Winkel is the first player since Anthony Roberts (2021 & 2022) to earn First Team All-NSIC in consecutive seasons.
Guiding the Huskies to their first regular season Conference Championship since 2003, Head Coach Quincy Henderson was named NSIC Coach of the Year. Henderson coached the Huskies to their highest win total since 2017-18 with a 23-5 mark. St. Cloud State was a premium defensive unit that led the NSIC in points per game (65.8), opponent field goal percentage (39.9), opponent three-point percentage (27.6), rebounds per game (40.2), defensive rebounds per game (27.8), rebounding margin (+4.1), and scoring margin (+10.7). Night in and night out, St. Cloud State competed relentlessly with toughness, grit, and hustle. The Huskies produced a perfect 13-0 mark at home which is the first time since 1987-88 where SCSU has gone undefeated at home in the regular season. St. Cloud State is currently on a 16-game winning streak, the longest since 1985-86. Henderson and the Huskies have increased their win total in each of the past four seasons while producing back-to-back 20+ win seasons. Henderson is the fourth coach in program history to earn a Coach of the Year nod joining Kevin Schlagel (2002-03), Butch Raymond (1985-86 & 1986-87), and Noel Olson (1969-70 & 1975-76).
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday, February 28 as they play Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon at 4:30 p.m.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Basketball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
