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Houston will gamble on Oregon transfer Damyean Dotson
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson needs to massively upgrade his program's talent level to compete in the American Athletic Conference. Houston native Damyean Dotson sought a school willing to offer a chance to resurrect his stalled career.
As a result, it appears the second-year coach and Oregon transfer will form a partnership that can only be described as high-risk, high-reward.
Houston announced Wednesday that it has signed Dotson just over a year after he and two teammates were at the center of a sexual assault investigation. No charges were filed in the case because authorities were skeptical they could prove the sex was nonconsensual, but Oregon still dismissed Dotson, fellow starter Dominic Artis and Providence transfer Brandon Austin last spring.
"He has learned from previous experiences in his life and has shown himself worthy of a second chance," Sampson said in a statement released Wednesday by the school. "I am certain that he will make the most of this opportunity."
The situation underscores the risk-reward choices a school like Houston must make as it seeks to raise its stature in college basketball.
On the one hand, Houston went 13-19 in Sampson's debut season and lacked sufficient talent to compete with the likes of league powers UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati and SMU. On the other hand, taking some kids with checkered histories may be the only way Sampson can upgrade his roster in short order because top 100 prospects with choir boy images probably aren't knocking down the Cougars' door at this point.
Still, the boom-or-bust factor with Dotson is especially high because of the 6-foot-5 guard's talent and the severity of the allegations against him.
Dotson started 70 games in two seasons at Oregon and averaged 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds for a pair of Ducks teams that won at least a game in the NCAA tournament. He is capable of being an impact player for Houston, but another off-court misstep could bring a torrent of negative publicity for him and the school and raise questions regarding whether Sampson and his staff vetted Dotson's past sufficiently.
Sampson told the Houston Chronicle he has researched Dotson's past extensively and feels comfortable adding him to Houston's roster. For the past year, Dotson has taken classes at a community college and worked in John Lucas' Athletes After-Care Program. He will continue to meet with Lucas on a weekly basis even while he is enrolled at Houston, Sampson said.
Since Dotson is eligible immediately after sitting out this past season, he should help Houston ascend in the American Athletic Conference next year.
Leading scorer Jherrod Stiggers will forgo his final year of eligibility and turn pro, but starters Danrad Knowles, Devonta Pollard and LJ Rose are expected back and a handful of new recruits will also arrive. Houston will also add transfer Ronnie Johnson, who averaged 10.8 points and 3.7 assists in his final year at Purdue.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
