At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight James Dotson of Ashbrook High School and Rod Howard Select.
Although Ashbrook isn’t a school with a ton of surrounding buzz, Dotson is certainly one of their more enticing pieces to advance to the next level. He’s long, skilled, and capable of playing multiple positions on either end of the floor. Dotson is excellent when featured at the elbows, where he’s able to work the middle, attack the basket, and set up others with quality passes. He is a capable scorer from all over the floor but typically looks to take what the opposition is giving him. Dotson is a terrific complementary player but has also shown the ability to step up or take over when necessary. His game is truly just beginning to blossom and could legitimately become even better within the collegiate game.
We’ve seen Dotson various times, both with his travel and high school team, including at our most recent June team camp, where we stated:“This Ashbrook squad is going to catch people by surprise, especially when they look to actively utilize Dotson. He’s a long, athletic forward with an intriguing skillset and soft touch on his perimeter jumper. Dotson operates effectively as a floor-spacer or within two to three dribbles. He shows solid timing and anticipation skills on defense, which allows him to switch across multiple positions with relative ease.”
The Ashbrook group didn’t find as much success as was intended and expected, but a lot of that has to do with players transferring away. Dotson was largely given the responsibility to keep this team afloat alongside Shemar Adams. Between Chris Britt and Greg Brockington both leaving the school at different times, Ashbrook was left without much of a floor general and forced to pick up the remaining pieces. However, Dotson did post nightly averages of 14.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1 SPG, and 1 BPG while shooting 53% from the floor and 46% from beyond the arc. The numbers alone should have all types of scholarship-holding coaches intrigued, as Dotson definitely has something to offer. If nothing else, his tools, efficiency, and two-way versatility will allow him to carve out a role and contribute with any collection of teammates.