Katie Dinnebier starring in her hometown
How Drake's star went from too small to compete on the block to conference player of the year
Welcome to the third installment of our series spotlighting each of the five finalists for the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. Each day this week, we will publish a spotlight on one finalist for this year’s award, introducing you to each of these spectacular players.
Monday - McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
Tuesday - Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Wednesday - Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Thursday - Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Friday - Rachael Rose, Wofford
She’s in the top five in the country in assists. She’s averaging 18 points per game. She’s putting up efficiency numbers matched only by Paige Bueckers.
But the buckets and dimes aren’t what Drake’s Katie Dinnebier lives for the most.
“I just love defense,” she says.
Dinnebier’s impact on that end shows up in the numbers as well – her mark of 2.4 steals per game places her in the top 1% of the nation. It’s a tenacity the 5-foot-8 junior point guard developed early in her career to compete with bigger players.
“People would always count me out because of my height,” Dinnebier says. “I think that's where I really developed my love for playing defense and being kind of a little scrappy defender.”
There’s no shortage of players at the mid-major level who have been counted out or gone unrecruited by power conference teams, and far too often mid-major teams are written off by national media or casual fans. Watching players like Dinnebier quickly proves why that can be a mistake. Dinnebier averaged 23 points per game in five matchups with power conference opponents this season, including a 30-piece at Minnesota and a 24-point performance in the NCAA Tournament against a Colorado defense that shut down Kansas State two days later.
“Sometimes we get overlooked – maybe because of our size, maybe because of our size of school – but whatever the case may be, I think we’re all very good, fundamentally solid basketball players that can compete at a high level,” Dinnebier says. “We have really gritty, really determined players that want to make a run in March.”
Dinnebier and her Bulldogs have grown accustomed to making runs in March, making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance this season thanks to back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Tournament titles. Among other things, Drake’s recent success can be attributed to its motion style, an offensive system first implemented by former head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
It was under Baranczyk that Drake initially recruited and eventually offered Dinnebier during her junior year of high school. When longtime assistant coach Allison Pohlman took over head coaching duties following Baranczyk’s departure just months before Dinnebier arrived on campus, she wisely chose to continue running the same offense. Dinnebier has been a perfect fit.
“We play in such a read-and-react way and everyone has the green light,” Dinnebier says. “We play off of each other really well.”
The green light isn’t just for triples – in Drake’s system anyone can post up. Even 5-foot-8 guards. It was a postup, after all, that got the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament.
Drake ranks sixth in Division I with 162 postup makes according to Synergy, and Dinnebier is in the top 10 in postup efficiency among players with at least 25 attempts. It’s a list that includes star forwards such as UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, Utah’s Alissa Pili, and Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon.
“What's super special in our system is that everyone can do everything,” Dinnebier says. “You have our guards in practice practicing postups, post players shooting trail threes … I think that's fun basketball.”
Posting up is a skill that Dinnebier has added during her time at Drake. “Honestly, in high school, no, I don't remember there was a time that I was posting up,” she says. “That's one of those things that's so special about growth is that you start to see … it doesn't matter how tall you are. If you can get your feet in the right angle, then you're gonna be open.”
That ability to grow her game has been evident ever since Dinnebier first picked up a basketball as a young self-described “girly girl” gymnast.
“Going and playing with the neighbor kids [in] fourth and fifth grade, I wasn't very good. I’d get killed every time,” Dinnebier recalls. “Finally, like eighth grade, something clicked, and then I was the big man on the block.”
Dinnebier’s development has continued in each of her seasons of college ball. Not only has she doubled her scoring and assist numbers since her freshman year, she has done so with dramatically increased efficiency. She’s raised her shooting percentages more than 10 full percentage points both inside and outside the arc, and she’s upped her assist rate from 24% to 42% while still cutting her 23% turnover rate down to 18%. Even Dinnebier’s steal rate tells the story of her improvement: from 2.7% her freshman year to 3.7% this season.
As Dinnebier has raised her level of play, she has vaulted herself into elite territory. After leading her hometown team to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship with a 19-1 record in league play, the West Des Moines native was named the MVC Player of the Year earlier this month.
For all of Dinnebier’s accomplishments, there’s one more accolade she has the chance to take home this season: The 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year.
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