Former Ankeny Centennial basketball star Luke Winkel has been named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference first team for the second year in a row, becoming the first St. Cloud State player since Anthony Roberts in 2021-22 to earn first-team honors in consecutive seasons.
A sophomore point guard, Winkel has taken on a bigger role this season for the Huskies. His numbers rose across the board while helping St. Cloud State to its first regular season conference championship since 2003.
Winkel has increased his scoring average to 18.1 points per game while making 48 3-point goals. He also averages 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds.
A true three-level scorer, Winkel has been able to generate buckets in a multitude of ways. His speed and handle allow 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 give him space to guard his drives, Winkel has made them pay by stepping back or pulling up from behind the arc.
Finishing eighth in the NSIC in points per game, Winkel totaled seven games with 25+ points. He is averaging the most points by a St. Cloud State player since Roberts in 2022 and is currently 12th all-time in program history 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 break down 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 was joined on the first team by teammate Wyatt Hawks, who was also named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year. The Huskies had two first-team honorees for the first time since 2018.
St. Cloud State coach Quincy Henderson was selected NSIC Coach of the Year after guiding the Huskies to their highest win total since 2017-18 with a 23-5 mark. SCSU was a premium defensive unit that led the NSIC in points allowed per game (65.8), opponent field goal percentage (39.9), opponent 3-point percentage (27.6), rebounds per game (40.2), defensive rebounds per game (27.8), rebounding margin (+4.1) and scoring margin (+10.7).
The Huskies produced a perfect 13-0 mark at home. It’s the first time since 1987-88 that SCSU has gone undefeated at home during the regular season.
St. Cloud State is currently on a 16-game winning streak, the longest since 1985-86. The top-seeded Huskies will play Sioux Falls in the quarterfinals of the NSIC Tournament on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.