Q-and-A: Caden Hinker expresses pride in Augie basketball, Kernel hoops title (2024)

MITCHELL — Former Mitchell High School basketball star Caden Hinker was back on the court this week sharing his love of the game with the community’s youth.

Now a collegiate player at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, Hinker is coming off of his second season with the Vikings, during which he had a breakout second half of the season.

The sophom*ore forward scored in double figures in 11 of his final 18 games after just one double-digit effort in the first 12 games and snagged seven or more rebounds in 10 of the final 15 contests after not reaching that threshold in the first 15 games. His second-half breakout also included his first two collegiate double-doubles. Overall, Hinker appeared in all 30 games with eight starts, averaging 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18 minutes per game for the Vikings, who finished with a 19-11 record after starting 7-7.

Hinker, who hosted his third-annual skills camp for elementary and middle school students earlier this week despite being three weeks removed from back surgery, spoke to the Mitchell Republic about a variety of topics, with those answers below, edited for clarity:

Q: It looked like you really settled in as the 2023-24 season went along. Overall, how did you think your sophom*ore season went? What helped you take a step up in play midway through the year?

CH: “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to at the start of the year, but as the year went on, I found my role and caught my wind a little bit and started to play better. It felt good to find that rhythm. My sophom*ore year ended great and I hope to pick up on it and improve next year. … Going into Christmas break, we as a team didn’t really like where we were at. From the beginning of the season, I always thought that I could do a little more, and so over that break I told myself I needed to do more and be more of a presence. Talking to the coaches and my the guys, they felt that I could play a role like that, too. So going into the second half of the season, I had more confidence in myself and my teammates trust me to be that guy that chipped in when needed.”

Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic

Q: What are you focus on this summer as you look to take another step forward with the program?

CH: “I had back surgery about three weeks ago to take care of a couple of herniated discs, a torn disc and some nerve problems, so I need to rehab all that first. Once I get all that figured out, I want to hit the weights and the basketball court hard to get back to where I was and more. This is going to be one of the bigger offseasons I’ve had in high school or college. It’s going to be an important one for me.”

Q: Augustana men’s basketball went through a coaching change this offseason. How do you feel about the transition from Tom Billeter to Cody Schilling?

CH: “I love it. Coach Schilling has been an assistant since I’ve been there and longer, so I’ve gotten to know him really well. Seeing him step into the head job, you had to see Coach Billeter leave, but it’s also a breath of fresh air, for sure. Coach Schilling has done a great job so far this offseason. … Through my AAU programs, I’d be at Warwick Workouts back when (Schilling) was there, so I’ve worked with him going back to middle school almost. He’s always been good to me and has always been a guy who really cares about winning and has a competitive side. From the conversations I’ve had with him, I’m excited for what’s to come, really excited. … We’ve got some new guys coming in, so I’m ready to get everyone together and I’m excited to see what our team is like as a whole. I’m probably most excited about what this season has in store for us. We have a few open spots and a lot of fresh faces, so it should be fun to see.”

Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic

Q: This March, you were front and center in the Mitchell cheering section at the state basketball tournament. What was it like for you as a former MHS player and brother of a current player to watch the Kernels’ run to a state championship?

CH: “I have so many relationships that tie back to here, so that’s not something I wanted to miss. As far as my brother Gavin (Hinker) goes, I was so happy and so proud of him. He’s out there catching dunks in state tournament games and then he’s looking over at me. I got chills. It’s not something where you can just leave here and be done with it. Whether it’s me and guys in my class or guys other than us, you can tell there are so many ties to the program and everyone was so happy to see the championship happen. It was crazy. … I’m used to being suited up in the black and gold, so it was kind of weird at first, to be honest. When (MHS) played over in Sioux Falls, I got over to a couple of those games, so the initial shock wasn’t quite there. Being at the state tournament, it’s a little different when you’re in the bleachers, but it was still pretty awesome all the same. … If you’d have told eighth-grade me — who was playing JV and a few varsity minutes while we’re winning one game — that this is where we’d be now, that’d be a lot to take in. For a long time, it was about getting back to the state tournament, then we got there and it became about going and getting one. To see a group of guys be able to do it, it was just incredible. I know what it takes just to get there, but to win one is a whole different ordeal, so I’m super proud of all of them, super proud of my brother, and I’m glad I got to be even a little bit a part of it.”

Q: You just finished the third year of your skills camp. What do you enjoy most about putting on the camp and giving back to the program you care for so much?

CH: “First, I need to thank Coach (Kreutzfeldt) because he does a fantastic job and helps me with a lot of the setup and everything. As far as the camp goes, it’s fun to see new faces and faces I’ve seen come here before because they’re always getting better. Even over the course of two days, you can see improvements in their skills. That’s big for me, when you know that they can see themselves getting better and it starts to click for them. I really enjoy doing this for the kids, and I’m glad I could get my brother involved with it this year, too.”

Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic's coverage region area. His focus areas include: Mitchell High School football and boys basketball; area high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track and field; and South Dakota State football. He is also at the forefront of the Mitchell Republic's podcasting efforts. Dierks is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor's degree in journalism in May 2020. He joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021. He can be reached at ldierks@mitchellrepublic.com and found on Twitter at @LDierksy.