Dinkins leading Thunderwolves resurgence

Bacarius Dinkins has always had plenty of talent.

But it’s taken the Florida native a couple of seasons in Thunder Bay to fully unleash in on the court. The Lakehead Thunderwolves forward has been a monster of late, leading the Wolves to three straight wins to open the second half of the OUA regular season, including a pair of wins over the No. 4 McMaster Marauders last weekend at home.

Dinkins posted back-to-back 27-point efforts to start the second half, then, despite a little extra attention from the Marauders, still managed to pound home 19 points last Saturday to lead the Wolves to a second straight come-from-behind win.

On Monday he was named the OUA’s male athletes of the week. A day later, to no one’s surprised, he was named his team’s athlete of the month for January.

Dinkins, a soft-spoken import from the deep American south – Jonesville, Fla. to be exact – is starting to grow into his role as the Thunderwolves go-to guy.

Challenged to step up by coach Manny Furtado, Dinkins answered the call and then some.

“I know that I’ve got to step up and play hard so we can be ready for the playoffs to come,” said Dinkins, averaging 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds a night for the Thunderwolves this season.

“In order for that I’ve got to take care of the early work, do my job and do what I can do to help my team out, win games and get into the playoffs.”

What’s sparked the leap to the next level?

Dinkins isn’t sure.

“I’m just making plays now,” he said. “When I get the ball I’m looking to score and trying to make plays. I know I can make plays and I’m doing it more than I was in the first half.”

Furtado, who said before the season he’d put his starting five up against any team in the country, is not surprised.

And it’s not just Dinkins, he added.

“Bacarius is one of the best OUA big men. But you look at Henry Tan. He’s fully healthy and doing his thing. Nick Burke was a big recruit transfer for us that everybody knew about,” Furtado said.

“We definitely had some CIS experience.”

Tan, once destined for the NCAA before a knee injury derailed those plans, is tied with Dinkins, averaging 16.7 points a night.

Burke, in his second year of eligibility has chipped in 8.1 points a night in his first season in Thunder Bay, while veteran back-court mate Alex Robichaud is third on the team at 9.5 points a game.

And the team has been playing without Mor Menashe, a player Furtado called one of the teams’ best. He’s been sidelined since pre-season with a wrist injury and won’t play this season.

Furtado said he’s seeing chemistry this season that wasn’t there in 2014-15 – and the results are starting to show.

The Wolves (6-5) head to York and Queen’s for road games this weekend.