Denied a shot at NCAA title in 2020, Devon Dotson rooting for Final Four-bound Kansas
Devon Dotson remains convinced his 2019-20 Kansas Jayhawks would have clipped the nets on April 6, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta had the pandemic not forced cancellation of the NCAA Tournament.
“One hundred percent … wholeheartedly … with no question,” Dotson, now a second-year point guard with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League, told The Star on Tuesday in a phone interview.
The 6-foot-1 Chicago native (he attended high school in Charlotte, North Carolina) was the leading scorer on a 28-3 team (17-1 in winning the Big 12) that would have been the overall No. 1 seed, says he is ecstatic that the 2021-22 Jayhawks are headed to the Final Four in New Orleans.
Would he like his former 2020 teammates (current Jayhawks Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, Dajuan Harris, Michael Jankovich, Mitch Lightfoot, David McCormack, Chris Teahan and Jalen Wilson) to defeat Villanova on Saturday and either Duke or North Carolina on Monday for Dotson, Udoka Azubuike, Silvio De Sousa, Elijah Elliott, Tristan Enaruna, Marcus Garrett and Isaiah Moss, who were denied a shot at being fitted for rings in 2019-20?
“I mean I think that would be good. I think that would be special, just knowing what could have been,” said Dotson, who is planning on attending the title game Monday night if KU is in it.
“Like I said, I don’t think there was a team that was going to beat us that year. I know there wasn’t a team that was going to beat us that year. It was tough we couldn’t even play it out. Two years later our team has a chance. It’s great to see.”
Dotson — he had responsibilities with the Bulls and was unable to attend KU’s Midwest Regional wins over Providence and Miami last weekend in Chicago — is not bitter over the cancellation of the 2020 postseason.
“It hurts, but COVID took away a lot of things that year, not just basketball,” Dotson said. “There’s a bigger picture. It was a global pandemic. There were bigger things to take care of. That’s the way I look at it. There were bigger things going on.”
In college basketball, there’s nothing bigger than the Final Four. Dotson has followed this KU team. He likes its chances in New Orleans … a lot. Especially impressive, he says, is KU’s 1-2 punch at point guard in starter Harris and super sub Remy Martin, who emerged as MVP of the Midwest Regional.
“Remy … he has that team going right now. I think he’s the X-factor right now. He is a difference maker for sure,” Dotson said, noting that super senior Martin has “dynamic capabilities. To go far in the tournament you need a player like that, a player who can create off the bounce and has a lot of energy. I feel he’s been doing that. He’s been getting the crowd involved. His speed, getting to the rim, just handling the pace of the game changes the whole dynamic.”
Of redshirt sophomore Harris, Dotson said: “He brings just a steadiness to them, a calmness. Me being a point guard, I see the type of player he is. He doesn’t try to take too much risk. He’s kind of a safety blanket. He’ll make the right play and on the defensive end he’ll get his hands in the passing lanes and everything.”
Dotson — he averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game his second and final season at KU (he averages 21.3 points, 7.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds for the Windy City Bulls) — said because of KU’s lead guards, “they are in good hands for sure. They bring different looks. Juan doesn’t score. Juan sets the table for guys. Remy is kind of the opposite of that. I think that kind of balances it out.”
KU (32-6) will face a Villanova team (30-7) with a point guard the 22-year-old Dotson went against twice during his two seasons at KU.
Collin Gillespie, who averages 15.6 points and 3.3 assists per game, scored 12 points to Dotson’s 15 in the Wildcats’ 56-55 win over KU on Dec. 21, 2019 in Philadelphia. Dotson scored 11 points (Lagerald Vick 29), and Gillespie countered with 15 points (1 of 7 from three) in KU’s 74-71 win over Villaova on Dec. 15, 2018 in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Gillespie is a solid point guard running the team. He is a leader emotionally,” Dotson said of the 6-foot-3 native of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. “The whole team ... I think he brings them together, so wherever he goes they go. If he has a good game I think their team will do well. I think it’ll be key to slow him down,” Dotson said.
Tipoff is 5:09 p.m. at Caesars Superdome, and the game will air on TBS.
Asked if he had any advice for the Jayhawks assigned to guard Gillespie, who has cashed 108 of 264 (.409) threes in 2021-22, Dotson said: “If he gets comfortable it’s bad news. You’ve got to make him very uncomfortable, be physical with him. I think that’s the best (strategy).”
Dotson remembers Villanova being a tough team to beat.
“I remember they are hard-playing, well coached, solid. They don’t make mistakes. They make you pay for your mistakes,” Dotson said. “It’s just a solid team that plays together. You will have to work for every shot, work for everything you do out there.”
Both Villanova and KU have won nine straight games entering the Final Four semifinal.
“I mean they have it rolling right now,” Dotson said of the Jayhawks. “They have defended. It seems like they are playing their best basketball right now. That’s a recipe for success.”
Dotson said there’s much more to his wanting the Jayhawks to win than to honor the 2019-20 team that was denied an opportunity to compete for the crown.
“I love KU. It’s my school,” Dotson said. “I know all the work everybody puts in. Just seeing success would be great.”
Any advice to his friends on the KU team?
“Good luck, and you all know what to do. That’s handle business. And good luck,” he repeated.
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Denied a shot at NCAA title in 2020, Devon Dotson rooting for Final Four-bound Kansas."
