by David Wingett (Winnebago Tribe) joined the Jackrabbit squad in late May as a sophomore transfer from Memphis. Wingett played in four November contests for the Tigers before suffering a season-ending injury. He spent a year of post-graduate ball at Bull City Prep Academy, averaging 25.8 points. 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. The Winnebago, Nebraska product scored over 2,200 points in his high school career, leaving Nebraska as one of the top prep-scorers, all-time.
SDSU: You graduated from Winnebago High School in 2017. Give us a quick rundown of that experience and some highlights.
Wingett: We won the school’s first-ever conference title during my freshman year, and then as a sophomore our team claimed the 2015 state championship. That’s a moment I’ll never forget. Not only because it was such a big deal for our community, but also because I got to play with my brother in his senior year and send him out on top.
We lost a lot of leadership after that season, so the next two years I had the opportunity to really grow as a leader. I’m thankful for that chance, because I grew a lot personally in those final two years in addition to gaining skills on the court.
SDSU: You mentioned playing with your brother in high school, and you grew up with five brothers and one sister. What is that like?
Wingett: It’s exactly how it sounds. Growing up with that group, everything was a competition. On the basketball court though, we raised it to another level. Our family always took the game very seriously, and we’d always be outside trying to dunk on each other, win in one-on-one or whatever game we came up with. It seemed like every time we played, we’d end up pushing and shoving and getting physical before our dad stepped in.
SDSU: And that family atmosphere set you up for success in basketball?
Wingett: It did, for sure. We were always active, always pushing each other to get better and grow. It taught me how important working hard was, but it also showed me that even though we may fight on the court, we’d love each other and have each other’s back off of it. That’s the same with my teammates. Those guys are family, and no matter what, we stand alongside each other through everything.
SDSU: Circling back to your career path, why the year of prep school?
Wingett: I liked the idea of playing against high-level competition for one more season before heading to college. I’m glad I took that route, because it helped me mature on and off the court and put me in a position to be successful.
SDSU: So you went to Memphis for a season, but early in the year had a bit of a setback.
Wingett: Yeah, unfortunately. We were practicing before a road trip, and I suffered a leg injury that kept me off the court the rest of the year. It was tough, but since I couldn’t practice on the court, I took the time to really get into the weight room and work on my body and get physically ready to compete at this level.
SDSU: You entered the transfer portal this spring, and pretty quickly settled on South Dakota State. Why is that?
Wingett: Coach Henderson. South Dakota State was recruiting me when I was in high school, and when I decided to transfer, I came back to the idea that I didn’t trust anyone the way I trusted Coach Henderson. He’s always positive and was genuine in taking time to build a relationship with my family and I. He’s an outstanding leader and I’m so thankful to have the chance to learn from him.
SDSU: You’ve been on campus about a week now. What are you seeing from the team?
Wingett: This team is already really close, and we work well together. This is an extremely selfless group committed to each other, and I think that will be huge if we’re going to be successful.
SDSU: You’ve got a background as a big-time scorer, so would you rather have a momentum changing dunk, or a late-game 3-pointer to seal the win?
Wingett (laughing): I’ll always lean towards the dunk. There’s nothing like elevating and having the crowd and the bench go wild. It’s a great feeling.
SDSU: Last question. When you get to put on the Jackrabbit jersey and play at Frost Arena, what are the home fans going to see?
Wingett: I really believe that preparation is the key to success, and that if we put in the effort in practice and behind the scenes, good things will happen on the court. I’m a selfless, team-first player who puts everything I have into supporting my teammates and helping our team win. That doesn’t just mean on the court, but also in the classroom, and just in life.
Wingett is part of a recruiting class that includes NJCAA Player of the Year Doug Wilson, NJCAA All-American Tray Buchanan and all-state high school performers, Baylor Scheierman (Nebraska), Owen Coburn (Iowa) and Noah Freidel (South Dakota).
