How Kansas Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson has improved ... in a somewhat unexpected way
For Kansas point guard Devon Dotson, the path to improvement seemed simple.
The most natural way for him to take a big step this season appeared to be focusing on his biggest weaknesses: outside shooting and creating for teammates.
A strange thing has happened, then, in the 2019-20 campaign. Dotson’s three-point shooting, in a small sample, is worse than a year ago. And though his assist numbers are better, he still has struggled with lob passes and also in the recognition to see when teammates are open.
Those facts, in a vacuum, might have concerned Kansas coach Bill Self about the potential production for his sophomore point guard.
The reality, though, has been much different. Dotson has transformed himself into a more efficient player while at the same time shouldering a greater offensive load for KU.
In short, he’s been spectacular in a somewhat unexpected way: by further sharpening his strengths rather than fully correcting his weaknesses.
A quick look to the numbers indicates how it’s happened.
For one, Dotson has done his best James Harden impression while dominating the game at the free-throw line. He’s upped his fouls drawn per 40 minutes from 4.1 to 6.3, and he’s also improved his national ranking in free-throw frequency from 162nd nationally (already good) to 65th (even better).
There’s a noticeable improvement when attempting those shots as well. Dotson’s free throw percentage has risen from 78 percent to 86 percent, which means his trips to the line have quickly become one of the best ways KU can end a possession.
Dotson also has been able to utilize his speed better in the half-court. He’s still an excellent finisher in transition — just as he was a year ago — but some clever sets from Self along with Dotson’s fearlessness on the drive have resulted in him increasing his half-court shooting percentage at the rim from 51 percent to 59 percent.
That’s boosted his two-point percentage, which in turn has helped him to earn some early-season accolades.
Dotson sits at sixth in Ken Pomeroy’s national player of the year rankings, and Self also was surprised earlier this week when looking at some Big 12 numbers.
“He’s leading the league in scoring, which is a shocker to me that he would be doing that,” Self said of Dotson. “And to be honest with you, I see him continuing to score at the same clip.”
Dotson, thus far, is averaging 19.8 points per game, which is easily ahead of Oklahoma guard Austin Reaves’ second-place mark of 17.6.
On-court production isn’t the only area where Dotson has impressed Self. The coach has also seen Dotson become more vocal and a better leader, and freshman teammates Tristan Enaruna and Christian Braun both spoke separately Thursday about how the point guard has often pulled them to the side in practice to explain their roles on certain plays.
“I think he’s outside his comfort zone,” Self said of Dotson talking more. “I think he’s confident where he is, so he’s not worried about if he screws up or if I get on him. That stuff doesn’t even register to him anymore like it may have last year.”
Though teammate Udoka Azubuike continues to get lots of positive media attention — and deservedly so — that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Dotson is having a terrific year in his own right.
His progression hasn’t come as expected. Dotson hasn’t been a great three-point shooter, nor has he opened up teammates for shots like he potentially could.
Instead, he’s made his best traits better while providing KU with its most reliable scoring option.
Self will certainly take that type of production ... no matter the route Dotson takes to get there.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
