John Dawson commits to Marquette

A day after Buzz Williams doubled back to New Mexico to visit with John Dawson one more time, the 6'3 guard from Clovis High School pulled the trigger and committed to playing his college ball for Marquette University.

Just as a bit of a background, Clovis is a town of 38,000 people, located 200 miles Southeast of Albuquerque.

Growing up in a small town with a religious family, Dawson seems like a perfect fit for Buzz Williams and the Golden Eagles, and his father, Pastor D.D. Dawson, couldn't be happier for his son. "We are so happy that he is headed to Marquette. It feels good, I feel relief, like the weight has been lifted off of our shoulders. I am happy that, with all of the pressure, my son made a grown-man decision."
Dawson follows a strong line of players from far away that committed to Marquette and Buzz Williams without ever having visited the campus. That list includes players like Jae Crowder, Jimmy Butler, Joe Fulce and Darius Johnson Odom, three of whom are in the NBA. But not having been to campus doesn't bother Pastor Dawson, "We have searched on Marquette a lot. My son has a passion for basketball, and we follow the NCAA and the NCAA tournament, and you can't do that without knowing a lot about Marquette, and my son loves a challenge."

Despite not being a household name to recruiting fanatics, there is no question that college coaches from around the country took notice of the 6'5 rising guard, and that made the decision a tough one for Dawson. "It was a hard decision for my son to make, he had 37 scholarship offers from Division 1 colleges around the country. We wanted to keep that quiet, and it didn't seem like a big deal to him, but as a dad I was very proud of that."

Milwaukee and Clovis are not exactly next door, they are 1,237 miles apart, and that will be an adjustment. "Any parent would love to have their children stay close to home, but if you love and raise your child in the way of the lord and trust what God says, it will all be for the best. I will admit, I cried when he made his decision, but my son was smart enough to go and pray about it on his own and God gave him some strong confirmation about his decision. I am grateful and glad that he followed God's path and word. We know there is advancement beyond the horizon."

So how is it that a player from New Mexico commits to a program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin site unseen? It all comes down to relationships, and with the Dawson family it started with Marquette Assistant Coach Brad Autry. "Brad Autry did a great job." said Pastor Dawson, "He didn't pull any punches, he told me how it was. He watched my son workout at an open gym and told me exactly what he thought. He said, 'Your son is exactly what Marquette's program needs. He needs a little polishing and a little improvement, but he has workable talent.' That told me that Brad was on point, and being honest in what he told me. From there he stayed in touch. Calling when he could, texting, e-mailing. Some coaches would disappear and come back, Brad was constant. We really got to know each other and we had a chance to really sit down and talk about our beginnings, where we came from and how we got to where we are. My wife and I, we know when God sends someone into our path, and we know there is a reason. With Coach Autry, it was a group feeling. We knew he was sent into our path."

With a strong foundation built by Brad Autry, next up was Buzz Williams, and the Dawson family saw the same things in Buzz as they did with Autry. "Much like Brad, Buzz Williams didn't pull any punches. He asked the hard questions. So many coaches act like they are doing you a favor by recruiting you, calling you, but not with Buzz. This is my son and he will be my son for life. I was very concerned about everything. I am a hard task man, so I am always the one asking the hard questions and he was the same way. And when I asked the hard questions, he gave me straight answers. The good, the bad and the ugly. He told me the truth about everything. Both he and Brad Autry told me that they felt if John worked hard enough, he could make an immediate impact as a freshman. I asked him to be hard on my son, to coach him, but to not break my son's spirit. He told me that he was a motivator, that he would motivate my son, and work with him to become the best that he can be, and that my wife and I would be with him in mind and in spirit. With Buzz Williams it came down to truth and honesty, and I could not be happier right now."