The connection between the freshmen guards ended a 10-point, five-minute stretch from Dawson. The one-time five-star recruit scored a game-high 14 points — fitting as Dawson once was close to committing to Purdue.

Although Trice and Dawson have shown flashes of brilliance this season, the dunk might serve as an exclamation point on the journey the pair traveled to get to MSU.

The two have been teammates since ninth grade — first on the AAU team SYF Players from Dawson’s hometown of Gary, Ind., and now as Spartans. But if not for highly sought after Dawson, Trice might not be at MSU, as head coach Tom Izzo discovered Trice while recruiting the 6-foot-6 high school standout.

From day one, Trice knew the potential Dawson held, and that he’d help his own game.

“I remember the first time I had seen him play or met him,” Trice said. “I was like, ‘Wow, he’s gonna be great, and he doesn’t even know it yet.’ Just because of how athletic and he just has that motor in him where he doesn’t stop. He made me look good.”

Dawson’s three thunderous dunks Saturday likely are a preview of the future, but he knows this season is far from over, and he’s in the shadows of sophomore guard Keith Appling and senior forward Draymond Green.

“I definitely know my role right now,” Dawson said. “I’m not trying to come in and be the star player, get all the minutes. We have an outstanding leader in Green, (and) I’m just waiting patiently for my turn.”

Journey to MSU
A child of mischief, Dawson’s mother, Cassandra, introduced him to the sport at 7 years old. Without basketball, she believes he would have strayed further into trouble, beyond minor suspensions and detention.

“If I didn’t put him in basketball, I don’t think Branden would be on this earth today,” his mother said with a chuckle, insinuating she would have done him in herself.

Aside from keeping him out of trouble, basketball also stressed the importance of education to Dawson. His freshman year of high school, Dawson found himself ineligible because of grades.

“(I) came out of middle school and thought everything was a joke; clowning around in class, didn’t turn in my homework,” he said. “When grades came out, I had one F and our principal, Ms. Upshaw, was so strict — I couldn’t play. That really hurt, so I came back next semester and made the honor roll.”

It didn’t stop at one semester, he made the honor roll four straight semesters and understood the game could be taken away from him, said Dr. James Dye, the SYF Players program director.

“Really for the first time (he) began to understand that he could lose (basketball) really easily,” Dye said. “When he came back and got the ball in his hands, he told me, ‘Doc, no one’s ever going to take this ball away from me again.’”

Schools started recruiting Dawson early, including Purdue head coach Matt Painter in eighth grade, but few scouting websites ranked Dawson. The snubs began to wear on Dawson, Dye said.

But following an explosive summer, an excited Dawson soon grew tired of the attention he garnered.

“All of a sudden midjunior year, you could actually see the wear on his face,” Dye said. “He’s not the kind of kid that blows any adult off; he’s gonna stand and listen to whatever you have to say and be very polite to you. Pretty soon, you’ve heard the story, you’ve heard all the promises and all you want to do, and at some point you just think, ‘I want to be a high school player — a kid again.’”

When Izzo stepped forward in the hunt for Dawson, the rest is pretty much history, as Dawson told people close to him that MSU was his favorite school.

Cassandra Dawson was happy with the choice, as MSU was the only school to talk about academics in his visits.

“I feel that Michigan State was a better choice for him because I like the academic program,” she said. “You can play or not play, but your education is a must. You can go further in education than you can in basketball.”

Spartan struggles
Although Dawson is OK patiently waiting to star in green and white, Izzo might have issues with that.

The coach continually brings up the need for Dawson to go at a faster pace. Despite the effort issue, Izzo consistently states Dawson is the most coachable high school McDonald’s All-American and doesn’t bring an attitude or talk back. And while most freshman would be intimidated starting from day one, especially when day one was on the USS Carl Vinson, Dawson was ready from the get-go.

“Branden is a man-child,” Izzo said following the 60-59 loss at Michigan last Tuesday. “He wasn’t starry-eyed in that game. He just didn’t go as hard as he needs to go, but he wasn’t nervous about anything. He could take on half the arena; it wasn’t a problem for him. It’s just a matter of how hard he goes on a regular basis.”

With a game at Breslin Center against Minnesota looming on Wednesday, it’s yet to be seen if the five-minute stretch of play against Purdue is permanent, but Green said the performance is a start.

“He played with a lot more energy,” Green said. “That’s big with him with the way that he plays, to come in with a lot of energy. When you get it going like that, you get more and more confidence in everything.”

Although the slow start to the collegiate career might surprise some, Dye said he expected it but still expects big things from Dawson.

“He’s going through a time right now where he’s learning a new level of the game. He’s kind of taken a couple of steps back to look at it,” Dye said. “If he continues to work and stay focused and shoots the ball as well as he shoots the ball, Branden Dawson is going to be a pro.”

—For more on Dawson’s story, check out the State News basketball blog, Hoop! There it is