After a stellar freshman campaign, Memphis forward Dedric Lawson is proving it was indeed no fluke.
Since the opening tip of the 2016-17 season Lawson has been nothing short of dominant. He ranks third nationally with 11 double-doubles through 14 games. Lawson leads The American in scoring (20.6 ppg), ranks second in rebounding (11.1) and third in blocked shots (2.7). The sophomore has been selected to the Naismith Trophy and Karl Malone Award Watch Lists, and named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week twice. Lawson has continued – and even improved on – where he left off at Memphis.
Lawson finished his rookie season with a team-best 15.8 points and led The American with 9.3 rebounds per game. The Memphis native became the first player in conference history to receive the Rookie of the Week honor six times en route to being unanimously selected as the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. Lawson even tested the waters in the NBA combine, but ultimately decided to return for his sophomore season and play under legendary coach Tubby Smith.
Memphis (10-4, 0-1) has a tough early conference matchup against UConn (5-8, 0-2) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. A win could go a long way for either team as both squads are looking to put the first tally in their conference win column.