— By Taylor Kennedy
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Akron Zips will be in Morgantown on Friday for a charity exhibition against West Virginia. While the Mountaineers’ lone exhibition provides a chance to play another team ahead of the November 9 season opener against Oakland, it also marks a homecoming game for Mikal Dawson.
Dawson, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, is a former standout at Huntington High School and Huntington Prep.
Dawson hasn’t played in a game in West Virginia since his lone year of post-graduate basketball at Huntington Prep.
“It is going to feel great being back home,” Dawson said. “It is going to be fun seeing everybody I know, including my family that’s coming up to watch.”
Dawson played four seasons for the Highlanders. He helped lead Huntington to the Class AAA championship during his junior season. Dawson was captain of the Class AAA all-state team in 2018 after being a first-team selection on the squad in 2017.
He then spent a season at Huntington Prep, where he was reclassified for the class of 2019. Dawson averaged 20 points and seven rebounds at Huntington Prep.
The opportunity to play in his home state fills Dawson with Joy.
“It going to mean a lot,” Dawson said. “Morgantown is three or four hours away from Huntington, but I have played in Morgantown before. It is going to feel like home.”
Dawson played in 23 games last season, averaging 4.3 points on 42 percent shooting. He scored in double figures twice, including a season-high 13 points at Western Michigan.
During the offseason, Dawson spent focused on improving his jump shot.
“Getting more reps in the gym,” Dawson said. “My teammates do a great job of finding me open and getting me open shots. Most of the time they get mad at me for not taking the open shot. That helps me as well.”
Dawson joined the Akron program in December 2019. He immediately stepped on the court as a freshman, when he played in 17 games for the Zips.
“My growth has been more of me being vocal with my teammates,” Dawson said. “At Prep, I was considered a leader, but I was not a vocal leader. I was more of a physical leader. Now, I am more vocal and I can help the guys out. I think me being here has helped me a lot.”