Dawson soaking it all in

Updated: March 30, 2011 3:04PM

NBA scouts arrived with notebooks and pens in hand Tuesday for practice for the McDonald's All-American game Wednesday at the United Center.

It's just another surreal element of the most famous high school all-star game in the country.

The players get a crash course in getting coached up, evaluated, interviewed and pampered that they just can't experience in the regular high school season.

Branden Dawson, the Post-Tribune Player of the Year, said Tuesday he is trying to soak up the experience and keep up with the very best players around. Dawson is the first player from Gary to make the team since Glenn Robinson did it in 1991.

"That was a dream come true, having a McDonald's All-American jersey on and playing in front of the scouts," he said.

It's been a whirlwind week for Dawson.

On Thursday, he was honored at Lew Wallace in an assembly where the school played a highlight video of clips from his career with the Hornets.

On Friday, he was named the P-T Player of the Year for the second straight time.

On Sunday, he started practice with the West Team for the McDonald's All-American game, which will be played at 9 p.m. today at the United Center.

On Monday, he participated in the slam dunk contest, which was shown on ESPN2.

Dawson admitted he is still not completely accustomed to all the attention he has received.

"I'm appreciative of it," he said. "At the same time, I'm a humble kid and it doesn't matter in a way because whatever happens, I'm still going to work hard. But it can be stressful."

Not perhaps as stressful as trying to guard Austin Rivers. Rivers, a 6-3 guard who'll play for Duke next year, was spectacular in the dunk contest even though he didn't win.

When asked who the best player on his team was, Dawson said it was Rivers.

Dawson has tried to guard him in a series of intense, long scrimmages that players and coaches are using for preparation.

"We've been going at it ever since I got here," Dawson said of Rivers.

Dawson also singled out Marquis Teague, a Kentucky recruit from Indiana, as another A-list player.

"I'm real grateful for getting to play with these guys," he said. "They have challenged me and they are going to make me better."

Gene Pingatore, the legendary coach of St. Joseph High School in Chicago (where Isiah Thomas graduated from high school), is coaching Dawson's team.

All the players will get (12 on each team) roughly the same minutes. Showing off skills is desired perhaps even more than winning in this game.

Pingatore had some nice things to say about Dawson's game.

"I love Dawson," he said.

Pingatore cautioned that these all-star games should be the beginning of potential greatness for most of these kids and that this experience is different for each of them.

"This should be the start, not the end for all these kids," he said.

Pingatore was oblivious to the knock that Dawson has been labeled a mediocre at best 3-point shooter.

"He shot it pretty well when I saw him," he said. "Derek Rose was never a good 3-point shooter in high school or college. He wasn't even good until last year. They can teach you that stuff."

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