Where are they now? Former Kansas Jayhawks forward Dedric Lawson a hit overseas
Former University of Kansas men’s basketball forward Dedric Lawson has won the Korean Basketball League’s 2023-24 Imported Player MVP Award.
Playing for Wonju DB Promy, Lawson recently was named the top foreign player in South Korea after averaging 21.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for DB Promy during the just-completed regular season.
The 26-year-old Memphis native, who played for KU in the 2018-19 season (after a redshirt year at KU and two seasons at Memphis), ranks sixth in the KBL in scoring and is tied for sixth in rebounding. He also contributes 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He’s cashed 55.2% of his 2-point shots and is 133-of-378 from 3 for 35.2%. He’s made 188 of 249 free throws for 75.5%.
Promy, which also has former KU center Jeff Withey on the roster, claimed the regular season league title with a 41-13 record.
Prior to the start of the season, first-year Promy coach Kim Ju-sung predicted Lawson would lead the team to its first postseason appearance since 2018.
“I am not worried at all, since I have D (Lawson),” Ju-sung said back in November in an interview with Korea Daily.
Lawson, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward, led the Big 12 in both scoring (19.4 points per game) and rebounding (10.3 rebounds per game) during the 2018-19 college season. However he lost out to Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver in 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year voting.
Following Kansas’ loss in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Lawson entered the 2019 NBA Draft. He was not selected and played in the G League in 2019-20. He played for the Goyang Orion Orions in the KBL in 2020-21, then played with Besiktas in the Turkish Super League in 2021-22. He moved back to the KBL in 2022-23.
Lawson scored a career-high 47 points in a win over Suwon KT Sonicboom on March 14. He also had 40, 38 and 36 point scoring outbursts in games during the regular season.
“The team’s successful run is partly thanks to new signee Lawson, who has proved to be a huge boost to the team so far. The American power forward has been a key player in every game,” wrote Korea Daily.
Former KU center Withey, 34, is a teammate of Lawson in the KBL. He has averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He’s made 54.6% of his shots. Withey has made 13 of 30 3s for 43.3%. He’s cashed 45 of 64 free throws for 70.3%. He’s blocked 44 shots in 48 games.
Withey had a season-high 18 rebounds in a win over Goyang Orions on March 24. He scored a season-best 23 points in a win over Ulsan Mobis Phoebus on March 16.
Wonju DB Promy will meet the winner of the quarterfinal series between the Seoul SK Knights and the Busan KCC Egis in the KBL semifinals.
