Dawson to MU!

[BubbaWilliams]

Anyone hear anything about his D? A good defender with solid court vision is a good addition.

[muguru]

Travis Diener wasn't highly recruited either. That worked out ok i'd say.

[We R Final Four]

....and now 6'3".

[Groin_pull]

Meh.

[Lennys Tap]

http://future150.com/hs/basketball-profiles/john-dawson-pg-2013

"Dawson has elite court vision and the ability to make all his teammates better.  He can score on a 3 levels.  He loves getting out in transition where he is pretty much unstoppable when attacking the rim.  He has excellent ball handling skills and can knock down the open 3-point shot with consistency.  His length and athleticism and being 6'4" is what sets him apart from other point guards in the class."

Sounds like exactly the type of player Buzz likes.  And look on a map to find Clovis and you see why he might be under the radar.

(Wonder if he is the son of an Air Force parent....)

Four Star, number 84 nationally, 21st rated point guard, similar to Bronson Koenig in style and ranking - hope they know something ESPN, Scout and Rivals don't.

[Lennys Tap]

Travis Diener wasn't highly recruited either. That worked out ok i'd say.

Diener was a Top 50 recruit in his class.

[mr.MUskie]

John Dawson, 6′-3″, 2013, PG, BYC Elite/Clovis (NM) – With his team knocking off a talented Colorado Miners team in the first round of tournament play, Dawson did it all. He is a consummate point guard, with a good handle. He knocked down free throws and created points both off the dribble and on a jump shot. It is easy to see why he drew interest from onlookers like Wyoming and Idaho State, and one figures that numerous other regional mid-majors will get in the mix for his services.

http://hoopniks.com/best-buy-mile-high-classic-saturday-recap

http://nmpreps.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?ReturnTo=&sid=&script=content.asp&cid=1365743&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid=

Regional mid-majors?  That's a glowing recommendation.

[GGGG]

Keep in mind where he is from.  Clovis, NM is in the middle of nowhere.  On the one hand, he may not have had experience against top level competition.  OTOH, he very well could be a diamond in the rough.  None of us are really in a position to know. 

[Lennys Tap]

Regional mid-majors?  That's a glowing recommendation.

Didn't that McDermott guy turn out to be a much better college player at Creighton than Harrison Barnes at UNC?

[The Equalizer]

Not up on all recruiting but how many scouts are going to New Mexico to evaluate talent? Or do all the rankings come from summer ball? Can't imagine he has the same opportunity for summer ball as someone from southern cal or east coast.

If Jabari Parker lived in Clovis, NM scouts and coaches would do everything short of buying a second home in New Mexico to evaluate and recruit him.

Recall that Alaska is a hell of a lot more remote than New Mexico, yet Mario Chalmers and Carlos Boozer got plenty of attention from the big boys.

We can hope that Buzz is correct in guessing that there is a lot of upside potential in Dawson--but its simply not reasonable to think that the only reason why Kansas, UNC, Duke, etc. missed on him was becuase they couldn't find their way to New Mexico.  

[BCHoopster]

How did Jimmy Butler turn out, it is all about the individual, he wants to play in high ranking conference, I am sure he will be your typical freshman, has size,

[brewcity77]

If Jabari Parker lived in Clovis, NM scouts and coaches would do everything short of buying a second home in New Mexico to evaluate and recruit him.

Maybe, maybe not. Wade was one of the best players in college his entire career and developed into one of the best players in the world. He got missed by the big boys in Chicago. Some guys get missed, no matter their talent or location. Is Dawson one of those? No clue. But I do think Buzz has a better shot at spotting those types than anyone on this board.

[JakeBarnes]

“I need to keep working on my game daily as I feel I am a good leader on the floor and need to work on playing without the ball. I workout twice a day, six days a week and on Sunday I go to church”, said Dawson.

http://www.areacodesbasketball.com/2012/05/21/john-dawson-aka-new-mexicos-finest/

Sounds like a Buzz player to me.  Hard work, underrecruited, big work ethic and a strong leadership trait. Perfect guy to give a chip on the shoulder and see what happens when his glass is knocked over.

[MerrittsMustache]

If Jabari Parker lived in Clovis, NM scouts and coaches would do everything short of buying a second home in New Mexico to evaluate and recruit him.

Recall that Alaska is a hell of a lot more remote than New Mexico, yet Mario Chalmers and Carlos Boozer got plenty of attention from the big boys.

We can hope that Buzz is correct in guessing that there is a lot of upside potential in Dawson--but its simply not reasonable to think that the only reason why Kansas, UNC, Duke, etc. missed on him was becuase they couldn't find their way to New Mexico.  

Does every recruit that MU brings in need to be recruited by Kansas, UNC and Duke? Teams need role players too. Considering Buzz brought in no-name recruits like Butler, DJO, Crowder and Gardner, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Dr. Blackheart]

What's his GPA?

[Hards Alumni]

Does every recruit that MU brings in need to be recruited by Kansas, UNC and Duke? Teams need role players too. Considering Buzz brought in no-name recruits like Butler, DJO, Crowder and Gardner, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

+1 Its about what happens when they are here.  Not who they think they are.

[Jay Bee]

I saw Dawson some this summer.. I think he was at both the Best Buy Mile High Classic in April (Lakewood/Denver, CO) and the Best Buy Summer Classic in the Twin Cities in July.

He had it going in April... was quite impressive and a guy that looked like he could attract some HM interest, although at that time there wasn't much at that interest level.  

Very good passing and was pulling up off the dribble and draining shots.. feeling it.

[The Love House]

Happy to have him but also have to wonder a bit. This was another spontaneous commit that comes really out of the blue. I couldn't find anywhere where our name was even associated with him on any of the major boards (Rivals, Scout, ESPN). I'm worried that it might be another situation where Buzz offered him because of the rumor that he was a "rising star" and the kid leapt at the offer because it was better than anything he had on the table and wanted to grab the scholly before anyone else did. Frankly, we haven't had the best of luck with that scenario in the past (see Roseboro, Newbill, Reggie Smith, TJ Taylor). Yeah, he's a 3-star on one site but significantly less than that on other sites and comes from one of the weakest basketball states in the country. With Duane & Derrick Wilson already in the fold, this guy projects as a back-up point at best. That's a tough gig for an 18 year old coming all the way from sunny New Mexico to subzero Milwaukee with no friends or family nearby for support. I have to raise the obvious question here - would it have been better to hold the scholly open in hopes of a PF or C that we could develop into a starter,  or use it on someone who will likely be a bench guy his entire career? Having said that, I hope my fears prove unfounded things work out well for everyone!

[LAMUfan]

you ever been to New Mexico?  I think he will be plenty happy being in Milwaukee

[4everwarriors]

Is he kin to Brandon Dawson, a former target? That cat's not too bad.

[MerrittsMustache]

Happy to have him but also have to wonder a bit. This was another spontaneous commit that comes really out of the blue. I couldn't find anywhere where our name was even associated with him on any of the major boards (Rivals, Scout, ESPN). I'm worried that it might be another situation where Buzz offered him because of the rumor that he was a "rising star" and the kid leapt at the offer because it was better than anything he had on the table and wanted to grab the scholly before anyone else did. Frankly, we haven't had the best of luck with that scenario in the past (see Roseboro, Newbill, Reggie Smith, TJ Taylor). Yeah, he's a 3-star on one site but significantly less than that on other sites and comes from one of the weakest basketball states in the country. With Duane & Derrick Wilson already in the fold, this guy projects as a back-up point at best. That's a tough gig for an 18 year old coming all the way from sunny New Mexico to subzero Milwaukee with no friends or family nearby for support. I have to raise the obvious question here - would it have been better to hold the scholly open in hopes of a PF or C that we could develop into a starter,  or use it on someone who will likely be a bench guy his entire career? Having said that, I hope my fears prove unfounded things work out well for everyone!

Buzz isn't going to offer a player a scholarship based on a rumor nor is he going to make an offer to a player who he doesn't think can be a positive contributor to the program.

[nyg]

Happy to have him but also have to wonder a bit. This was another spontaneous commit that comes really out of the blue. I couldn't find anywhere where our name was even associated with him on any of the major boards (Rivals, Scout, ESPN). I'm worried that it might be another situation where Buzz offered him because of the rumor that he was a "rising star" and the kid leapt at the offer because it was better than anything he had on the table and wanted to grab the scholly before anyone else did. Frankly, we haven't had the best of luck with that scenario in the past (see Roseboro, Newbill, Reggie Smith, TJ Taylor). Yeah, he's a 3-star on one site but significantly less than that on other sites and comes from one of the weakest basketball states in the country. With Duane & Derrick Wilson already in the fold, this guy projects as a back-up point at best. That's a tough gig for an 18 year old coming all the way from sunny New Mexico to subzero Milwaukee with no friends or family nearby for support. I have to raise the obvious question here - would it have been better to hold the scholly open in hopes of a PF or C that we could develop into a starter,  or use it on someone who will likely be a bench guy his entire career? Having said that, I hope my fears prove unfounded things work out well for everyone!

Let the kid lace up the shoes and show what he has before delegating him to the bench.  See what he has against the others coming in next year.  You can never tell.  

[Groin_pull]

you ever been to New Mexico?  I think he will be plenty happy being in Milwaukee

Yeah, I have. I would definitely take Sante Fe over Milwaukee in a heartbeat.

[Pakuni]

Buzz isn't going to offer a player a scholarship based on a rumor nor is he going to make an offer to a player who he doesn't think can be a positive contributor to the program.

But he has offered players sight unseen, and based on very little examination (see: Roseboro, Bret).
None of us know anything about Dawson, nor do we know what Buzz knows/doesn't know about him. We'll just have to see how it plays out.

[Jay Bee]

MU was most definitely at tourneys where Dawson was this summer. 

Is he kin to Brandon Dawson, a former target? That cat's not too bad.

You liar!  There wasn't a former target named Brandon Dawson.  BrandEn... or, as some call him, "B.J.".