One of the most prolific shooters in Wake Forest history... suffered a
dislocated shoulder in last year’s ACC Tournament and underwent
successful off-season surgery... enters his senior season with the
fourth-most three-point field goals (155) and attempts (413) in school
history... his career three-point field goal percentage is a solid
.375... also enters final year with 921 career points, which means he
should become the 40th player in WFU history to accumulate 1,000 points
early this season... will also leave Wake among the all-time leaders in
games played... has done everything asked of him during his three-year
career... started 12 games as a freshman, then settled into the role as
one of the ACC’s best sixth-men in 1999-00... last year he took over the
starting job at big guard mid-way through the ACC season... a deadly
perimeter shooter who can rack up points in a hurry... can simply not be
left open... can be a factor on the offensive glass as well... has good
upper body strength and has the ability to post-up smaller defenders...
should be an effective weapon in Wake’s up-tempo offense... coming off a
solid junior season in which he averaged 12.5 points per game... played
the entire 1998-99 season with a stress fracture in his lower left leg
which limited both his playing time and mobility… underwent off-season
surgery to help heal that injury and returned last season at full
speed... can play either wing position... has scored in double figures
45 times... has made three or more three-point field goals in a game 20
times in his career.
2000-01
Played in 29 games, including eight as a starter... missed Wake’s final
game of the season -- a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Butler --
after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the ACC Tournament... ranked
fourth on the team and 19th in the ACC in scoring (12.5 points per
game)... scored in double figures 18 times... connected on 55
three-point field goals, which ranked second on the team behind Robert
O’Kelley (59) and ranked 10th in the ACC... shot a solid 37.9 percent
from three-point range (55-of-145)... averaged 2.2 rebounds and 2.0
assists per game... had a good assist-to-turnover ratio with 57 assists
and 24 turnovers... was named MVP of the BCA Classic after scoring 38
points and canning six three-point field goals in two games... scored 20
points and went 3-of-5 from three-point range in the championship game
against Air Force... came off the bench for 21 points on 9-of-12
shooting and added five assists in a home win over Campbell... was
instrumental in Wake’s 84-53 win over No. 3-ranked Kansas with 20 points
and three three-point field goals... made 4-of-5 three-point field goals
en route to 16 points against Radford... poured in 23 points and sank
four three-pointers in a big road win at Temple... took over the
starting job Jan. 24 at Duke... sank four three-pointers and dished out
five assists in a road loss at 11th-ranked Virginia... erupted for a
career-high 29 points, going 14-of-26 from the field in a home loss to
No. 1-ranked North Carolina... his 29 points against the Tar Heels were
the most by any Deacon player in 2000-01... went 4-of-7 from three-point
range on the way to 19 points in a 92-60 road win at Clemson.
1999-00
Played in 34 of WFU’s 36 games and started twice... was the team’s
second-leading scorer in NIT games (12.4 ppg.)... missed two games -- at
Davidson and at Florida State -- because of an ankle injury... scored in
double figures 15 times, including eight times in the last 10 games...
hit all five field goal attempts and scored 10 points against New Mexico
in a home NIT win... poured in 14 points in a win over Cal in the
Greensboro Coliseum... sank four three-pointers en route to 13 points
against Notre Dame in the NIT championship game... tied a then
career-high with 19 points at Vanderbilt in the opening round of the
NIT... went 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point
range, against the Commodores... scored 17 points against North Carolina
in the ACC Tournament... sank three three-pointers on the way to 11
points against Georgia Tech... went 4-of-4 from the field en route to 10
points at Duke... scored 13 points and went 8-of-10 from the line
against Clemson... earned his first start of the season at Maryland and
scored 10 points... also started against Duke... scored 17 points on
7-of-8 shooting in win over Navy... dished out seven assists with no
turnovers in 23 minutes against Maryland-Eastern Shore... dished out 51
assists on the year.
1998-99
Enjoyed a standout rookie season despite playing the entire season with
a stress fracture in his lower left leg... despite that, he finished
with the third-highest scoring average on the team (8.1 ppg.)… started
each of the last 11 games of the season at small forward… ranked among
the ACC leaders in three-point shooting for much of the year... went
20-of-39 (51.3 percent) on three-point attempts in the first 11 games of
the year before a mid-season slump… still finished with a respectable
38.6 percent three-point accuracy to rank sixth in the ACC... hit at
least one three-pointer in 25 games… named the ACC's Rookie of the Week
following his performances vs. Clemson and Duke… scored a then
career-high 19 points against the Tigers while hitting 4-of-5
three-point attempts… added 10 points at Duke… reached double-figure
scoring on 11 occasions, including three of the final four games... had
the best assist-to-turnover ratio (40-29) on the team... a very reliable
free throw shooter, hitting 81.8 percent of his charity tosses ... went
4-of-4 from the line in the final 8.1 seconds to preserve Wake Forest's
64-61 win at Clemson... was a perfect 8-of-8 from the line in non-ACC
games... first displayed his explosive offensive skills in the
season-opening win over Illinois when he scored eight points in 1:04
late in the second half... turned a 56-61 deficit into a 64-61 lead with
1:13 remaining in regulation with two three-pointers and a pair of free
throws… scored more points against ACC opponents (9.0 ppg.) than overall
(8.1).
High School
One of the premier high school players in North Carolina as a junior and
senior… led the entire state in scoring as both a junior and senior…
averaged 29.4 ppg. as a senior at Kinston High under coach Craig Hill…
also contributed 8.4 rebounds per game along with 5.3 assists and 2.1
steals per contest, but scoring was his forte… completed his career as
his school's all-time leading scorer with 2,182 points… also owns the
single-game scoring record of 46 points… a first-team all-state (AP)
selection in 1998… an honorable mention All-America pick by USA Today…
junior year averages were nearly identical to his senior season (29.1
ppg., 5.4 rpg.)… averaged 24.1 ppg. during his sophomore year… twice
named conference player of the year... was active in FCA, SADD and the
Spanish Club… earned a spot on the Honor Roll and was selected to his
conference's all-academic team.
Personal
Dawson is a product of a basketball-rich family… uncle Tony Dawson
played collegiately at Florida State, while another uncle, Jerry
Stackhouse, is a former All-America performer at North Carolina and now
an NBA standout… not surprisingly, his favorite professional player is
"Uncle Jerry"… starred in North Carolina East-West Game in the summer of
1998, scoring 34 points and being named MVP of that event… set a record
for that contest by making 13-of-16 free throws… teamed there with
fellow-Deac Ervin Murray… also played AAU ball with Murray, current
teammate Antwan Scott, former North Carolina center Brendan Haywood and
current Tar Heels Kris Lang and Julius Peppers… made his commitment to
Wake Forest during the early signing period in November 1997… said that
the family atmosphere and close distance to home were what influenced
him the most in that choice... hobbies include video games and watching
DVD movies... says his parents are the people who have influenced his
career the most... post-school ambition is to play professional
basketball and start his own business... says his best non-athletic
talent is drawing... was born two months premature and weighed just
three pounds at birth... will turn 22 the day after Wake Forest hosts
North Carolina on Feb. 6 (2/7/80).
Favorite book: A Hope In The Unseen
The person in history (deceased or alive) whom you would most like to
meet: Martin Luther King, Jr.
The first thing you would do if you were President of the United States:
give myself a raise
The person you would most like to trade places with for a day: any NBA
player
Teammate who makes you laugh the hardest: Antwan Scott
The most famous person you've met: Michael Jordan
The best player you've ever played with or against: Jerry Stackhouse
Team you would add to the schedule: South Carolina
My best friend from another college team: Derek Becton (NC A&T)
The first thing you thought when you first met Coach Prosser: He’s going
to kill us
Your biggest fear: heights
My pre-game superstition: eating gummy bears
One thing you wish you were better at: staying healthy
The one possession you would keep if you lost all but one: picture of my
parents
The most famous person to attend your high school: Jerry Stackhouse
The person you would choose to be stranded on a deserted island with:
Jennifer Lopez
