His nickname sums up his game: Dawson Baker, Shot Maker.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Dawson Baker added capable, consistent scoring off the bench for a very deep BYU Cougars team.
BYU fans were happy to finally see what the veteran bucket-getter could do in a Cougars uniform. After three seasons at UC Irvine, he transferred to BYU for the 2023-24 season but was limited to just four games due to injury. This was his first fully-healthy season in Provo, and fans mostly liked what they saw.
Dawson Baker’s Season Statistics
On the season Baker averaged 16.7 minutes per game but still managed to contribute 7.5 points per contest while shooting a solid 45.3% from the field and 38.0% from the 3-point line. He was also a steady free throw shooter, making 78.3% of his free throw attempts.
As far as other stats are concerned, they aren’t all that applicable to Baker. The 6-foot-4 redshirt Junior averaged 2.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 turnovers per game, but he was mostly asked to get buckets and stretch the defense.
His scoring was shockingly consistent throughout 20 Big 12 conference games. He averaged 6.6 points per game in conference play, yet somehow only scored double figures twice with 11 against Cincinnati and 15 against Utah. He could almost always be counted on to score somewhere between five and eight points on any given night, rarely going off but also rarely having an off night.
Baker’s postseason play was also remarkably consistent. Between two Big 12 Conference Tournament and three NCAA Tournament games he averaged 6.6 points per game. He came up big in BYU’s two NCAA Tournament wins scoring 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 6-for-6 from the free throw line against VCU and Wisconsin.
Baker’s Season on the Whole
While Baker could be counted on to get buckets, he also could be counted on to sometimes get out of control with the ball in his hands. It wasn’t uncommon for him at times to just lower his head and recklessly drive to the hoop, forcing action that wasn’t there, often resulting in a turnover or a forced, off-balance shot. While I don’t have any firm statistics to back this up, my gut tells me he tripped, stumbled, or got knocked to the floor more often than any other ball handler on BYU’s roster this past year.
In the end, Dawson Baker knew his role this past season and he performed it quite well. His job was to get buckets and stretch the defense. He did both of those with remarkable consistency and efficiency.
Final Grade: B+