By Jeff Griffith
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January 8 was circled on Tre Dinkins’ calendar for months.
Dinkins had the target in his sights when he saw his Duquesne Dukes — a program into which he transferred prior to this season — had its annual battle with Atlantic 10 foe Saint Joseph’s on the schedule.
“It was a little personal,” he said.
Tre Dinkins (above) and Duquesne beat Saint Joseph's last week. (Photo courtesy Duquesne Athletics)
Dinkins aimed, fired, and didn’t miss.
With a career-high 26 points in an overtime win over the Hawks, Dinkins, a Cardinal O’Hara and Harcum College product now at his second and most prominent Division I program, made a statement years in the making.
“Coming out of high school, they weren’t really on me from a recruiting standpoint,” he said. “So, I definitely had a chip on the shoulder.”
Dinkins came out of Cardinal O’Hara in 2020 and went the junior college route. According to Dinkins, he’d received Division I interest, but his grades weren’t in the best shape coming out of high school, and as such, he’d need to work his way up the ranks.
In his second of two seasons at Harcum College — the 2021-22 campaign — the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. Dinkins played an integral role in leading the Bears to a 32-3 record that season, was selected to the NJCAA All-American Third Team, and was one of six Harcum players to earn Division I transfer offers.
“I went JUCO, but at the end of the day, I wanted to be a D-I basketball player, and I was hungry enough to go get it,” he said. “Being in the gym every single day, talking to coaches, working hard, trying to get as much film as I could.”
For Dinkins, that offer was at Canisius, where he spent another two years.
During that time, he played against zero Philadelphia-based opponents, but amassed impressive stats near-dentical to those of his 2021-22 campaign at Harcum. His second season in upstate New York saw him average 15.4 points, 3.6 boards and 2.7 assists.
After two Division I seasons and four total collegiate seasons, Dinkins earned his way up the Division I ladder to a conference firmly in the upper end of the “mid-major” category.
Once he’d arrived at Duquesne, though, the Dukes’ Jan. 8 conference game against St. Joe’s popped right off of the schedule. In five years, it was his first opportunity to face off with a Philadelphia Division I program — a category of school by which he’d felt overlooked during his original recruitment.
Dinkins (above) graduated from Cardinal O'Hara in 2020. (Photo courtesy Duquesne Athletics)
Against the Hawks, Dinkins posted a final line of 26 points, two assists and two rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. Dinkins put up a quick four points in the opening minutes, scored 10 in the first half, and exploded for another 16 after the break, including all four of his three-pointers for the game.
“I wanted to set the tone at first, try to punch them in the mouth,” he said. “It was a good experience for sure. I wanted to be aggressive from the start, but most importantly get the win. I just wanted to go out there and be a dog.”
It’s noteworthy not only that Dinkins ripped off 26 points given the gravity of his opponent, but also that his breakout performance immediately followed an 0-for-7 game against Davidson — one of the worst statistical outings of Dinkins’ career.
“I put it behind me,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a game like (the Davidson game) before that game. It was just a matter of me moving on to the next game, and shoot every shot like I’ve made the last 10.”
While his showing against St. Joe’s is undoubtedly the highlight to date, it’s been a solid season for Dinkins since arriving at Duquesne.
Dinkins has averaged 11.4 points, 2.2 boards and 2.6 assists in 17 games. He came out of the gate with 16 points in a season-opening loss top Lipscomb, so there wasn’t a massive learning curve, but Dinkins has especially rounded into form since the start of December.
Dinkins has scored in double figures in seven of nine, during a stretch that’s also seen the Dukes win seven of nine after starting the year 1-7.
According to Dinkins, the key to his success this season has been the same key that’s led him up the college basketball totem pole — simply, experience.
“I’ve been able to slow the game down more and more,” he said. “Once you do it over and over again, practice, get the reps down, play a lot of games, its builds for you. That’s made me more and more comfortable.”
Dinkins has one year of college eligibility remaining, but hasn’t yet made a decision on what he’ll do with it.
But of course, he’ll have a few more full-circle opportunities to prove himself before the season’s over; the Dukes will pay visits to both St. Joe’s and La Salle down the stretch. One can only surmise that those games, if they aren’t circled, are at least highlighted, too.
Regardless, Dinkins is living out dreams as a starter and contributor at a school. Even though that wasn’t offered to him by a local program out of high school, the destination was more than worth the journey.
“I was a late bloomer,” he said. “My route was obviously different than most people. I tell myself, if I could go back and do it again, I would definitely do it, because it’s what makes me me.”
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