Saoirse Downs
Will Dawson is the name of several basketball players, including Branden Dawson, a former professional player who played for Michigan State in college and retired in 2025; Dawson Baker, who plays for BYU; and Jayden Dawson, who plays for Loyola University Chicago. This article will focus on the career of Branden Dawson.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Branden James Dawson |
| Date of Birth | February 1, 1993 |
| Parents | Leon Albritton and Cassandra Dawson |
| School | Lew Wallace High School |
| College | Michigan State Spartans |
| Professional Teams | Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology, Hsinchu JKO Lioneers, TaiwanBeer HeroBears, Spartans Distrito Capital, Club Rafael Barias |
| Awards/Honours | McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Second Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defensive Team |
| Retirement | January 27, 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
Branden Dawson's college basketball career
Branden James Dawson, born on February 1, 1993, in Gary, Indiana, is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans, committing to the team in August 2010.
Dawson attended Lew Wallace High School, where he played basketball under coach Renaldo Thomas. In his senior season, he helped his team win the sectional championship, scoring 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 steals. Despite his strong performance, his team lost in the regional finals against Western, 69-65, despite Dawson's game-highs in scoring and rebounding with 28 and 15 respectively. Dawson was selected for the 2011 McDonald's All-American Boys Game following his senior year.
During his freshman season at Michigan State, Dawson was academically ineligible and had to sit out most of the year. In his first game for the Spartans, an exhibition match against Ferris State, Dawson scored 15 points and 9 rebounds in an 85-57 win. He scored 10 points in his competitive debut, a 67-55 loss to North Carolina in the 2011 Carrier Classic. Unfortunately, Dawson's freshman season ended prematurely due to a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. Despite this setback, he still managed to average 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
In his sophomore season, Dawson started strong with a double-double in the season opener against Connecticut, scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. However, this season was also marred by an alleged physical altercation with Travis Carroll during a game against Purdue in January. Dawson's junior season saw him post impressive averages of 11.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.3 minutes per game. However, he broke his right hand in January 2014, causing him to miss 9 games. He returned to the court on March 1, 2014, and helped lead Michigan State to a 2014 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship.
In his senior season, Dawson averaged 11.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game over 35 games. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive Team. Dawson helped his team reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, where they ultimately lost to Duke. Throughout his four-year career at Michigan State, Dawson played in 130 games, leaving a lasting impact on the program.
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Dawson's time with Michigan State Spartans
Branden James Dawson, born on February 1, 1993, is a former American professional basketball player. Dawson played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.
Dawson verbally committed to Michigan State in August 2010, following interest from several other schools. In his first game for the Spartans, an exhibition match against Ferris State, Dawson scored 15 points and 9 rebounds. In his competitive debut, a loss to North Carolina in the 2011 Carrier Classic, he scored 10 points. Dawson's freshman season was disrupted by a torn left anterior cruciate ligament, but he still managed to average 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
In his sophomore season, Dawson had a double-double in the season opener, scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds against Connecticut. He improved his averages to 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. However, his season was also marred by an alleged physical altercation with Travis Carroll of Purdue. Before a game at Penn State, Dawson was involved in a fight with teammate and roommate Adreian Payne, resulting in both players being benched by coach Tom Izzo.
In his junior season, Dawson broke his right hand, causing him to miss 9 games. Despite this setback, he returned to lead Michigan State to a 2014 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship, earning the title of Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player. As a senior, Dawson averaged 11.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. He helped his team reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, where they ultimately lost to Duke.
During his four-year career at Michigan State, Dawson played in 130 games, starting in 121 of them. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and became Michigan State's all-time leader in blocked shots with 142. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dawson was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2015 NBA draft.
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![Branden Dawson (Basketball Card) 2015-16 Panini Excalibur - [Base] #174](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21inh4DfdoL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Dawson's professional career in Taiwan
Branden James Dawson, born on February 1, 1993, in Gary, Indiana, is an American former professional basketball player. Dawson's professional career in Taiwan began in November 2020 when he signed a contract with Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology of the Super Basketball League. However, his stint with Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology was short-lived as he was waived by the team on February 7, 2021.
On February 15, 2021, Dawson continued his career in Taiwan by signing with Hsinchu JKO Lioneers of the P. League+. He made his debut for the team on February 21, 2021, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a game against the Taipei Fubon Braves. Hsinchu JKO Lioneers announced on June 4, 2021, that Dawson would return to the team for the next season.
On November 2, 2022, Dawson signed with TaiwanBeer HeroBears of the T1 League. Unfortunately, his contract with the TaiwanBeer HeroBears was terminated on April 4, 2023. During his time in Taiwan, Dawson showcased his talent and contributed to his teams' success, leaving a mark on the country's basketball scene.
On April 22, 2023, Dawson signed with Spartans Distrito Capital of the Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, marking his departure from professional basketball in Taiwan. He eventually retired from professional basketball on January 27, 2025, ending a career filled with achievements and memorable moments.
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Dawson's retirement from basketball
On January 27, 2025, Spartan legend Branden Dawson announced his retirement from professional basketball. The 6'6" player, who played like he was seven feet tall, suited up for Michigan State University (MSU) from 2011 to 2015 and was named All-Big Ten in 2015.
Dawson, a native of Gary, Indiana, played high school basketball for Lew Wallace, under coach Renaldo Thomas. He then played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. In his senior season for Michigan State, he helped his team reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
After graduating from Michigan State, Dawson was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers just hours later. He spent two years with the Clippers before starting to play overseas.
Dawson played for eight different teams across four different countries, including Israel, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Taiwan. He last played for the TaiwanBeer HeroBears, finishing his career in April 2023.
Many former Spartans congratulated Dawson on his retirement, including Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr., Denzel Valentine, Gary Harris, Mateen Cleaves, and NBA teammate Chris Paul. Dawson will be remembered for his high-flying dunking ability and hard-nose defense, which led to many Spartan victories.
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Dawson Baker's career at BYU
Dawson Baker is a basketball player for the BYU Cougars. He is listed as being 6'4" tall and an RS-Junior. Baker has six siblings, two of whom, Dusty and Davis, also played basketball at Weber State and Southern Utah, respectively. Baker served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Micronesia, Guam, and as a result, he speaks Chuukese.
Baker played basketball at UC Irvine from 2020 to 2023. In his freshman year, he was named Big West Freshman of the Year. In the following two years, he was named All-Big West Honorable Mention and then All-Big West Second Team. During his three-year career at UC Irvine, he scored over 1,000 points, including 55 games with double figures and nine games with 20 or more. He also led the team in scoring in 2022-23, averaging 15.3 points per game.
Baker graduated from Capistrano Valley High School in 2018, where he was the CIF 2AA Player of the Year and the school's all-time leader in points and steals.
In December 2023, Baker scored a BYU-high 10 points in a win over Bellarmine.
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