Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker was named on March 12 as one of the finalists for the 2025-26 Lou Henson Award, which is given each year to the top player in mid-major Division I men’s college basketball, according to CollegeInsider.com.
The recognition places Denker among 30 players nationwide who are being considered for this honor. The Lou Henson Award is named after coach Lou Henson, who won 775 games over a 41-year career and remains the winningest coach in Illinois program history.
Denker, a senior guard, has played a key role in Northern Colorado’s season. He broke the school’s single-season assists record and helped lead the Bears to set a team record for assists in a season. His leadership and performance have made him one of the top guards in the Big Sky Conference during the current campaign.
The winner of the Lou Henson Award will be announced in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The selection is made by a committee of ten members that includes current and former head coaches as well as senior staff from CollegeInsider.com.
Other finalists for this year’s award include Austin Benigni (Navy), Zach Cleveland (Liberty), Dominique Daniels Jr. (California Baptist), Cruz Davis (Hofstra), Josiah Davis (CSUN), Brett Decker (Liberty), Gavin Doty (Siena), Logan Duncomb (Winthrop), Kyle Evans (UC Irvine), Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State), Bryce Harris (Howard), Jackson Holcombe (Utah Valley), Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas), Jaquan Johnson (Bradley), Tavari Johnson (Akron), Aidan Kehoe (Navy), Kevair Kennedy (Merrimack), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Terri Miller (Portland State), Nolan Minessale (St. Thomas MN), Paulius Murauskas (Saint Mary’s), Darin Smith Jr. (Central Connecticut State), Peter Suder (Miami OH), Cedric Taylor III (Howard), Keon Thompson (Stephen F. Austin), Nick Townsend (Yale), Patrick Wesler (UNCW) Nasir Whitlock (Lehigh) and Alex Wilkins (Furman).
Fans can follow updates about Northern Colorado Bears men’s basketball at uncbears.com or on social media platforms including X (@UNC_BearsMBB) and Instagram (@UNC_BearsMBB).
