Dustin Bankowski is a member of the Greenville University Panthers Men’s Basketball Team. Bankowski is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and he has 2 older brothers and a younger sister. Bankowski is all about family, and he is a person that most people love to be around. Bankowksi emphasized that his mother, Renni Bankowski, is the strongest woman he knows, and he dedicates all his success to her. Bankowski attended Mountain Ridge High School and was a 4-year varsity basketball player and a team captain for 3 years. Leadership is nothing new for him, and he helped the men’s basketball team to the championship last year.
Bankowski is a junior college basketball transfer from Glendale Community College, and while there, he helped the team make their first playoff appearance in 5 years. This helped his recruiting, and ultimately, he chose Greenville.
Bankowski comments, “The style of play at Greenville is what drawled me into coming to GU as well as the impressive facetime campus tour done by Kameron Vinsel.” While watching Greenville play this past season, it was usually the Bankowski and Vinsel show. It seemed like they had played together for years because they always passed each other the ball at the right places, whether it was a quick three-point shot for Vinsel or the fancy scoop left-hand layup that Bankowski loved. They were inseparable on the court, and both were great captains for the men’s basketball team. The men’s basketball team plays a different brand of basketball that requires a fast level of play, and Bankowski fits right in with this style. He always gives the team energy and encourages them to keep playing hard.
Vinsel is not the only player that blends well with Bankowski. Cameron Nabers said, “Dustin is a great player for the team. He plays like he is the biggest guy on the court, and he is a very good passer, one of the best passers I’ve ever played with.”
Because passing is such a huge part of Bankowski’s game, he models his ability off of Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell. “McConnell is my favorite point guard. I try to replicate my game after his because he’s not the biggest or the strongest, but he plays the hardest. He’s a dawg,” he elaborated. Bankowski will be ending his senior year as a leader of the assists for the team with a total of 179 assists and 73 blocks.
Bankowski will be graduating from Greenville University in May with a degree in sports management. He explained, “Sports management really jumped out to me, and it was very interesting. It gave me a chance to bring out more of my creative, charming side, and it helped me understand all of the details that go into the sports industry.” So, what’s next for Bankowski? He plans to move back home to Phoenix, Arizona, and start his career for the Phoenix Fire Department. When thinking about someone who is a team-first guy and cares about the team, Bankowski is going to be a perfect firefighter.
Media by Henry Johnson III.
