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Kansas basketball: Can Devon Dotson be the National Player of the Year?

By Dylan Morrell

AMES, IA - JANUARY 5: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a shot as Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones, and Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones block in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - JANUARY 5: Devon Dotson #11 of the Kansas Jayhawks takes a shot as Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones, and Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones block in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on January 5, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 77-60 over the Kansas Jayhawks. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Sports Illustrated released their Top 10 Preseason Candidates for 2019-20 National Player of the Year earlier this week. The list included Kansas basketball’s Devon Dotson at the number two spot.

There are few college basketball players, if any, that are faster than Devon Dotson. His speed and ability to create will be a key to success for Kansas basketball in the 2019-20 season, and Sports Illustrated seems to think so as well.

The publication ranked Devon Dotson second on their National Player of the Year (NPOY) watchlist behind Michigan State senior Cassius Winston. Another notable name on the list is Duke’s Tre Jones, who comes in at number six.

Jones and Dotson are on a crash course, as the two college basketball powers that are Duke and Kansas basketball will face each other in Madison Square Garden on November fifth. The matchup is extremely early in the season; however, it’ll give fans a look at two NPOY hopefuls going head to head.

Still, Cassius Winston is the front-runner for the award, and it seems like its the senior’s award to lose at this point. Fans and experts shouldn’t count out Devon Dotson though, considering the sophomore point guard could very well lead a loaded Kansas basketball squad to the Final Four.

Having bigs like Udoka Azubuike and Silvio De Sousa should make Dotson’s life at point guard comfortable. In addition to having great teammates around him, Dotson is also going to be playing close to 40 minutes a game, or even the full 40 depending on the circumstances. He should be a stat sheet stuffer this season, and it’ll be interesting to look at his numbers at the end of the season.

Back in 2017, former Jayhawk Frank Mason won the NPOY award by unanimous decision and went on to play in the NBA. At this point, Devon Dotson has all the tools necessary to be the next great point guard at Kansas. His draft stock is already solid, as he’s currently projected to be a first-rounder in the 2020 NBA draft, along with fellow guard Ochai Agbaji.

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Kansas basketball has a great shot at making a deep run in March this season, and Devon Dotson can be the guy to lead them. Whether he wins NPOY or not, he will certainly be remembered as an exceptional Jayhawk.

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