Feb. 11—SIOUX FALLS — Forging a path back to the basketball court took longer than Caden Hinker would've liked.
But this season, the Augustana redshirt junior and Mitchell native is reaping the rewards of patience and persistence.
After a strong finish to his true sophomore season in 2023-24, a pair of back surgeries cost Hinker the entire 2024-25 campaign. Apart from a brief stretch in the fall of 2024, he wasn't fully cleared for basketball activities for nearly a full calendar year.
Back and better than ever, Hinker's current campaign has been his best yet at the collegiate level, and he's relishing the opportunity to play the sport he loves.
"I'm just grateful to be able to go out there and do what I do, and it's just joy," Hinker said. "I'm just happy every time I can put the jersey on and go out there and play basketball, win or lose. It's just nice to be out there and take advantage of being healthy again."
Hinker didn't have any significant injury history prior to requiring multiple surgeries on his back. Further complicating matters, Hinker thought he was on his way back to the court after the first operation in time for the 2024-25 season before a setback required the second operation.
According to Hinker, working back from those circumstances wasn't just a matter of physical rehabilitation. It tested his mental fortitude all the way through his early games this season, as well.
Battling through that adversity, Hinker is at peace with how he's come out on the other side.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous after having so much time away that I couldn't play," Hinker said. "You don't know where you're going to fit in right away, and there are all these little unknowns. You almost get imposter syndrome. It's hard to even put into words.
"It's just a process, and you have to have the utmost confidence in yourself," he continued. "I had the right support system around me that had confidence in me, too, so it went great. I couldn't be happier with how things shook out as I returned to play."
Even after more than 20 months between games, it didn't take long for Hinker to find his new footing.
In Augustana's season opener, Hinker recorded a modest seven points and five rebounds, then posted three consecutive double-doubles against non-conference opponents.
It was the Vikings' fifth game of the season, the NSIC opener at Wayne State (Neb.) on Nov. 25, when Hinker felt everything fall back into place. The 6-foot-7 forward recorded his first collegiate 20-point game, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as Augustana picked up a win.
"I was playing OK, but I just knew there was another level," Hinker recalled. "Once we got to conference play, you're back at the same gyms you've been going to for a fourth year now. That helped get back into a rhythm, and I started to play like I knew I could. That was when it really clicked."
Hinker's stat line speaks for itself. He ranks top-10 in the NSIC in scoring (15.9 points per game) and rebounding (6.4 per game), a huge jump from the 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds he averaged as a sophomore. His offensive efficiency has been exceptional, too, shooting 50.2% from the field overall and 43.4% from 3-point range, both top-eight averages in the NSIC, to go with a 77.5% mark at the free-throw line.
"I'm just trying to take advantage of every game while I'm still able to play them and go through them without any regrets," Hinker said of a mindset that's helped him play with an increased sense of freedom.
So far this season, Hinker has appeared and started in 21 of the Vikings' 23 games. The two games he missed came in early January following a scare with an ankle injury, the severity of which caught him a bit off guard when combined with his recent injury history.
"I tell you what, as much as a sprained ankle might not seem like a crazy injury, that first one hurt a lot because I had never experienced that," Hinker said. "When I first went down, I was like, 'Oh crap, I hope this isn't something serious.'"
Fortunately, it was a minor setback for Hinker, whose return coincided with a recent surge by the Vikings.
Augustana has won all eight games since Hinker re-entered the starting lineup. At 16-7 overall and 14-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Vikings are second in the NSIC South division standings and second overall behind St. Cloud State.
That elevated team success has made for an even more enjoyable return to action for Hinker, who credited roster continuity — Augustana returned 12 players from last season's roster — as a catalyst for their push toward the postseason.
"Obviously, it was one of the bigger offseasons that I've ever had, but we had a good offseason as a whole team, as well," Hinker said. "I feel like, right now, we're reaping the benefits as a team."
Set up for one of the top seeds in the fast-approaching NSIC Tournament, Hinker is excited for his first experience as a starter at the event, which is hosted on a familiar nearby court at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
With any luck, the Vikings could even qualify for the NCAA Division II Tournament.
This spring, Hinker is set to complete his undergraduate studies with a degree in marketing. However, he plans to use his injury redshirt and compete for one more college season next year while entering a graduate program, likely for business administration or sports administration.
But there are still regular-season contests to play between now and then, and Hinker isn't going to take any game for granted.
"I'm trying to just focus on one game at a time and enjoy the moment I'm in right now, but I can't wait to keep playing," Hinker said. "We've got some big games coming up with (the University of Sioux Falls) and (Southwest Minnesota State), and then that leads right into the conference tournament. It's basically a month straight of the best basketball you can get at this level."