Kansas basketball player spotlight: Sophomore Devon Dotson

The Kansas basketball team is heading into the 2019-20 season with high expectations… again. But with such a loaded roster, available minutes will be hard to come by. In this article series, we will explain what fans should expect from each player this season. Today, we spotlight sophomore point guard Devon Dotson.

Last Season: Rising Star

In 2018-19, the Kansas basketball team experienced a season filled with unfortunate losses, injuries, and players performing well under their potential, which culminated in a very disappointing season.

The season may not have turned out the way Jayhawk fans wanted it too, however, by the season’s end, a few players progressed into national stars. One of those players is Devon Dotson.

Dotson was an absolute stud in his first season with the Jayhawks.

In 36 games — all of which he started in — Dotson averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 32 minutes per game. His season performance earned him a spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and the All-Big 12 Third Team.

Stats and accolades aside, what was most impressive about Dotson’s performance last season was his consistency during difficult situations.

First off, Kansas basketball lost one of the best and most beloved point guards in school history in Devonte Graham. He was a First Team All-American, the heart of the program, and overall just an extraordinary human being. With that being said, Dotson had huge shoes to fill.

He not only had to fill the void of losing an All-American, but he also had to live up to the stars next to his name. Add on the pressure that comes with playing for a program like Kansas, and the fact that Dotson was Bill Self’s first 5-star point guard commit since Josh Selby in 2010, many 18-year-old freshmen would fold in this situation. But not Dotson.

Every game, Dotson played with energy, poise, and passion on both ends of the floor. It didn’t matter who the opponent was, the result of the past game, or Dotson’s stat line, he always gave a consistent effort.

Defensively, he utilized his elite speed to jump in passing lanes and play lockdown defense against some of the best guards in college basketball.

Offensively, his speed and his insane ball-handling ability allowed him to get to the rim at will. He was inconsistent when finishing at the rim at times, but his ability to get to the basket opened opportunities for the Kansas big men to get offensive rebounds and score second-chance points.

The only true crutch in Dotson’s game — similarly to the rest of the guards on Kansas’ roster — came from behind the 3-point line. He finished the year with a 3-point shooting average of only 36.3%. He could get hot from deep in spurts, but when he was having a rough game, he became slightly one-dimensional on offense.

Role/Expectations in 2019: All-American

Dotson is expected to play at an All-American level in 2019-20. Making the jump from a third-team all-conference player to an All-American in a year is a difficult task, but unlike last season, Dotson is now surrounded by a group of players that fully compliment his skill set.

For example, last season, when Dotson drove into a congested lane, there wasn’t a shooter standing in the corner that could consistently knock down that open shot. As a result, Dotson would either have to shoot a contested layup or pass the ball to the below-average shooter.

This season, however, Dotson can pass the ball to more capable shooters such as Isaiah Moss, Christian Braun, and Jalen Wilson. And if the pass to the corner isn’t there, Dotson can always go up for a shot at the rim or dump the ball to his friendly monster down low in Udoka Azubuike for an easy bucket. Of course, it won’t always be that easy, but Dotson now has plenty of options to choose from at the very least.

While this new and improved roster possesses more offensive firepower, everything will still run through Dotson. He is the team’s best-returning guard and the team’s only true point guard. That means he will set the pace, act as the main distributor, and will likely be one of the top scorers.

Kansas winning or losing isn’t 100% predicated on Dotson’s performance, but in the bigger picture, Kansas can’t win a national title without a great season from Dotson.

It’s a pretty safe bet that Dotson will improve in most areas of his game. With the addition of talented outside shooters and the return of key members of the frontcourt, his assist numbers should skyrocket. But the one area that will be the deciding factor in his All-American campaign is 3-point shooting.

Bill Self coached guards are notorious for making major shooting improvements in a year’s time. If Dotson can shoot around the 40% mark from beyond the arc, he will have a very special season for Kansas basketball.

2019-20 Prediction: 15 ppg, 5 apg, 4 rpg, 2 spg, All-Big 12 First-Team, Third-Team All-America.