(The following story appears in the Patriot League Tournament game program.)

HAMILTON -- Basketball is such a part of Lauryn Kobiela's life that she hopes to hold onto that special relationship for just a few more years.

The Colgate senior guard sees the end of her collegiate playing days fast approaching. Yet her sights are set on the professional ranks for post-graduation – especially if that includes a foreign locale.

"My whole college career I've thought about playing overseas," Kobiela said. "The feeling went away for a little bit but it really hit me again last summer when I realized this was my last year playing. I didn't want it to be my last year.

"I've been playing some of my best basketball this season and I want to keep that up. It also would be a great experience to travel, and I want to see the world."

One of the big draws to Colgate's liberal arts curriculum is the opportunity to study abroad. But collegiate basketball players rarely have that chance since their playing seasons span both the fall and spring semesters.

"I've had a lot of classmates and friends from back home who have been to Italy and Spain, and I see their pictures and hear their stories," Kobiela said. "I knew what I was giving up when I decided to play basketball; I knew I couldn't do that.

"But playing professionally after I graduate would be a way to experience what some of my friends have experienced."

Great In-House Resource
Kobiela has a close confidante with years of overseas competition lessons and knowledge already in her corner: Raiders assistant coach Melissa D'Amico. After playing collegiately at Notre Dame, D'Amico spent six seasons in the professional ranks, making stops in Spain, China, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic.

"Coach D played overseas and she's been answering a bunch of my questions regarding where she played, how she got agents and who she still has contact with," Kobiela said. "She's and Coach Hays (head coach Nicci Hays Fort) been giving me a lot of advice, and the coaches are excited to help me figure out what I'm doing once the season is over.

"I honestly don't care; any place would be amazing. Some of the places like China would be crazy different as far as the culture, but I don't care."

Kobiela was born in New York City and grew up in the suburbs of Westchester County. Her father, Don, was a voice-over announcer who owned his own company. One of his more famous gigs was as the first announcer for a certain music television video network.

"My dad's name is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of his work with MTV," Kobiela said. "That's pretty cool."

The Kobielas moved to Charlotte when Lauryn was 8, and basketball moved straight to the forefront. She was soon playing in fifth-grade leagues as a second-grader, and later went on to success at her high school and in the local AAU ranks.

Not long after that, it was time to select a college – both for on- and off-the-court advantages.

"There were a bunch of schools that showed interest in me when I was a senior," Kobiela said. "I wanted a school with high academic standards because I knew I wasn't going to play basketball for the rest of my life. That was important. Colgate started talking to me aggressively, and I'm originally from New York so I wasn't scared to come up here.

"My parents let me pursue the school I wanted, and Colgate was it."

Playing Her Best Ball
Kobiela has played in more than 110 games for the Raiders, and started greater than two-thirds of those. Her all-around game has her with more than 500 career points, 300 assists and 200 rebounds. She's also approaching a top-five placement in the Colgate records book for all-time assists.

Kobiela's senior season is her best by far. The team captain doubled her scoring average, continued her usual assist rate and increased her 3-point shooting accuracy by 10 percentage points over her marks entering this year. At the season's midway point, she was leading the team in all three of those categories.

"I knew we were losing Jhazmine Lynch, who was a big scorer for us," Kobiela said of the former 1,000-point Colgate guard. "And I've had a role on the team, but it was more with my assists than my scoring – I would help others get points. But Jhazmine was leaving and I knew I needed to step up a little bit.

"So I really worked on my shot last summer. I played pickup ball all summer against guys, and it's really hard to drive the ball against guys. I just worked on my 3-point shot, and that and my all-around game has gotten better."

The next phase of Kobiela's life is fast approaching. Of course, the professional basketball angle is enticing and Kobiela hopes that works in her favor. But she also is planning her post-competition path as well.

In addition to interning with Colgate's marketing and promotions team during her offseason, Kobiela spent time working last summer with a Charlotte company that caters to visiting NASCAR fans. She helped move race junkies around to different areas of the city where the cars are built and serviced, while also mixing in the assorted museums and scenic sites.

"They threw me right into what they were doing for the big race weekend in Charlotte," Kobiela said. "It was a four-day event, and we took people all around the city. I had no idea what was going on at first, but it was good because I learned on my feet."

Kobiela's hoping to plant those same two feet on foreign soil for a few more years of basketball. She's waited her turn, and now that time has come.

"It would be a great experience," Kobiela said.