Marquette’s 2013 recruiting class has the potential to be its best in years. Three consensus top-100 high school players, as well as another four-star and a three-star recruit, make up the verbal commitments joining the Golden Eagles next fall. 

Scout.com ranks the group seventh  in the nation, and other national media outlets Rivals.com (7th), ESPN.com (9th), FoxSports.com (9th) and CBSSports.com (10th) all place Marquette’s 2013 class in the top 10. Over the next three weeks, Trey Killian will profile each recruit and predict his impact on the 2013-14 team and beyond.

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Three-star point guard John Dawson was an under-the-radar addition for Marquette last September, as the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder was virtually unknown outside of his hometown of Clovis, N.M. Dawson was a preseason all-state selection coming into his senior season at Clovis High, however, and several media outlets rank him as New Mexico’s top prospect.

Dawson received offers from New Mexico State, Idaho State and Wyoming but turned all three schools down to sign a national letter of intent with the Golden Eagles.

He was a member of the Clovis varsity squad for his entire career, helping the Wildcats to the state semifinals in 2010-11 and 2011-12, as well as the state championship in his senior season.

A description on Future150.com labels Dawson as a player with the capability to make his entire team better due to elite court vision.

“He can score on all three levels,” the description reads. “He loves getting out in transition, where he is pretty much unstoppable when attacking the rim. He has excellent ball handling skills and can knock down the open three-point shot with consistency. His length and athleticism and being (6-foot-3) is what sets him apart from other point guards in the class.”

Coach Buzz Williams said Dawson has the potential to follow in the footsteps of other previously little-known signees who went on to do big things in a Marquette uniform.

“Throughout our tenure here, we have been fortunate in finding guys off the beaten path who, as their careers progressed, became integral parts of our program,” Williams told GoMarquette.com. “I believe John is the next in that group. Our relationship with him is the newest in the class, but because of who John is as a person, it all evolved very quickly.”

Williams said Dawson made an immediate impact on him during his first recruiting visit, as Dawson’s family and Clovis’s coaching environment, headed by coach Matt King, impressed him.

“It became obvious that he was a perfect fit for us not only in what we needed, but more importantly, in what we are about,” Williams said. “Coach (Brad) Autry paved the way for us in his work with John and those around him, which allowed us to sign him in a short time frame.  He may not be as well-known as others in our class, but as time progresses, he will carve out a distinct role within our program.”

Dawson displays a good work ethic and grounded personal values, as he expressed to AreaCodesBasketball.com last summer.

“I need to keep working on my game daily, as I feel I am a good leader on the floor and need to work on playing without the ball,” Dawson said. “I work out twice a day, six days a week, and on Sunday I go to church.”