Branden Dawson X Factor In MSU's Final Four Run
By Chris Morgan
Name: Branden Dawson
University: Michigan State University
Year: Senior
Height: 6'6''
Weight: 225
Hometown:Gary, IN
Position: F
The Michigan State University Spartans aren't generally anybody's idea of an underdog when it comes to men's college basketball. Under Tom Izzo, they have routinely been one of the best teams in the sport. However, this year they were a seven seed - although that was a pretty major underseeding - but they managed to make a run into the Final Four yet again, where they lost at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils. While Travis Trice got most of the attention as the leader and the main ball handler for the Spartans, Branden Dawson was an important contributor during the tournament, and during the season as a whole.
Last year as a junior, Dawson was actually the driving force in Michigan State's run to the Elite Eight. He had huge games against Harvard and Virginia, but then was held to five points by eventual champions the Connecticut Huskies. This year, Dawson led his own a bit better in Michigan State's final game, scoring 12 points and seven rebounds. Duke was just too good for this Spartans team to beat them. Just making it this far was was impressive.
Dawson didn't score as much during this tournament. However, he was the team's leading rebounder and main big man force. While Dawson is undersized for a power forward, his athleticism helped him overcome that. He played alongside a revolving door of non-descript centers, but Dawson was up to the task. He had two 11-rebound games and one nine-rebound game during the tournament, and two games with four blocks.
Dawson has actually played fairly regular since he was a freshman. He's never averaged less than 20 minutes a game during his career at Michigan State. This year, averaging over 30 minutes a game, he set a career high with 11.9 points per game, and he also led the team with 9.1 rebounds per game. He may have scored better, but his shooting really took a dive this year. His field goal percentage fell to 54%, and he made a mere 49.5% of his free throws, a major drop off from last season, when he made 65.6% of his free throws. Shooting is not Dawson's strong point.
However, he did contribute in other ways. He averaged 1.7 assists per game, decent enough for a big man, and he averaged 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Dawson averaged over a steal per game the past three seasons which, for a power forward, is impressive. Dawson was the X factor for this team, during the regular season, and the tournament. He didn't score like Trice, or have the skills of Denzel Valentine, but he delivered when he needed to.
Dawson's college career ended when Duke emerged victorious in the Final Four. He had a admirable college career, and he helped the Spartans play the unusual role of Cinderella in his final year.
Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .