Dryden trio staying together at Tompkins Cortland

Playing college sports alongside a former high school teammate is a rarity. Playing with two former high school teammates is even more improbable. But for Dryden alumni Lauren Gulini, Sindi Pinckney and Ari DeFranco, that improbability is a reality as they all committed to play basketball at Tompkins Cortland Community College next season.

The three players all made their commitments at different points in April and had different motivations that led them to the same school. For Pinckney, it was her familiarity with Tompkins Cortland that she had gained through an early STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program at TST BOCES.

“I did a program called P-TECH at BOCES that gets kids early college credits so that when they transition, it’s a lot easier,” Pinckney said. “So, I’ve already been at TC3 for three years in the building and using their facilities and stuff. I just knew that I wanted to continue playing sports in whatever way I could and I went to a couple of the basketball games and I thought, ‘Yeah, this is definitely a team that I could fit on.’”

Gulini’s decision came down to potential playing time and the fact that she’d have Pinckney and DeFranco by her side.

“I chose TC3 because I knew I could play basketball there and Sindi and Ari were both going there,” Gulini said. “They definitely influenced my choice to go there. I definitely wanted to play sports in college, but at a D3 level, I don’t think I would get that much playing time. So, TC3, I thought, would fit me best.”

DeFranco moved to Dryden from Cortland before her senior year of high school and now will be staying in Dryden at the next level. Both academically and athletically, DeFranco believes Tompkins Cortland is a great place to spend two years.

Pinckney, Gulini and DeFranco were all multi-sport athletes too. In addition to basketball, Pinckney played football and outdoor track and field, Gulini played soccer, and DeFranco played tennis and softball at Cortland before moving to Dryden. Gulini talked about being able to hone in on just basketball now.

“I think it definitely will give us time to focus on one sport,” Gulini said. “I know for me, I played soccer in the fall and I was just exhausted. It’s just a totally different sport. In soccer, you’re doing a lot of long distance kind of running. Then going into basketball, you’d think you’d be in shape from that, but it’s a totally different type of running. So, it was hard to get my body back in that type of setting.”

DeFranco got a taste of being a one-sport athlete this past season and already knows the benefit of having only basketball on the mind.

“I played tennis at Cortland, and Dryden didn’t offer tennis,” DeFranco said. “It was kind of easy for me to continue to work out in the gym and build enough muscle so that I am ready for basketball season. Unlike Lauren and Sindi, I’m not having that conditioning of running up and down a long field, but it’s still easier for me to go into basketball while still being in shape.”

The transition to playing college basketball will be eased by having familiar faces around. Pinckney looks forward to having Gulini and DeFranco on the team with her.

“I feel really comforted having the support system,” Pinckney said. “Moving on to any chapter in your life can be scary when you don’t know anybody. But having them there will be nice. We’ll get to work on our dynamic again where we left off in high school ball. I’m really excited about having two faces that I know and that I can connect with and rely on. We’re obviously not just gonna rely on each other the whole time. We’re all really excited to meet the new girls. I think it’s just good that we have this dynamic that flows so well.”

All three players were IAC All-Stars last season and will be bringing noteworthy defense to the Panthers. In fact, all three were praised by Tompkins Cortland coach Dave Stevenson for their defensive effort in the press releases that announced their decisions to play for the college. DeFranco talked about her and Pinckney’s defensive mindset.

“I’m definitely not as aggressive as Sindi,” DeFranco said. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone that plays as aggressively as Sindi. But I definitely would say that I’m a very strong person and I am very good at stealing. My eyes are very quick to see what’s going on on the court. It’s very easy for me to play good defense.”

Gulini was Dryden’s leading scorer last season and looked back at her last game in a Dryden uniform and how that served as motivation to keep going at the next level.

“When we lost our last Whitney Point game, I was really upset,” Gulini said. “I thought, ‘This is not the last time I want to play with these two.’ Knowing that they went to TC3 was a big influence on me and I just didn’t want to be done with them. There’s just so much more we can learn in college than what we could do in high school.”

The former Lions players recently completed a week-long training camp at Tompkins Cortland and are a few months away from suiting up for their first college game. The schedule has yet to be released, but the season opener will likely take place in early November, the first opportunity for the three teammates to continue growing together on the court.

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