Dixie State men’s hoops sign Mason Sawyer

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State College men’s basketball has signed former West Jordan High School standout and Snow College point guard Mason Sawyer to a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday.

Sawyer is presently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but will attend Dixie State in the fall of 2013.

“He is a tough kid and we feel he can come in and be a big part of our team,” DSC head coach Jon Judkins said. “We love him and are excited to have him.”

Sawyer was a premier player for the Jaguars of West Jordan, especially during the team’s 2009 run to a Utah State Championship. As a senior, he was a member of the all-tournament team and All-State from the UHSAA.

The Deseret News named Sawyer to the All Star Team. He holds the West Jordan school record for career assists.

Sawyer originally signed to play basketball at Boise State, but attended Snow College for his freshman year after a coaching change in the Mustang program.

In Ephraim, Sawyer averaged 11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He was top-10 in the region in free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage, assists and steals. For his efforts, Sawyer was named to the SWAC Region 18 All-Region Second Team.

He has been described as being a quality point guard that possesses quickness, playmaking ability and the intangibles to run a team.

In addition, Sawyer excels in the classroom. He earned All-Academic honors in high school and posted a grade point average of 3.9 at West Jordan and 3.5 at Snow College.

Through e-mail correspondence, Sawyer expressed his feelings about joining Dixie State.

“I decided on Dixie because it felt right,” Sawyer said. “They have a winning program, I like the coaches, and they have good facilities and a great basketball atmosphere.”

Sawyer also noted the school was a good academic fit.

Judkins added, “He is a tough kid with Division-I ability.”

The guard could see a prevalent role in 2013-14, since current guard Brandon Simister is expected to go on mission after this season ends.

John Potter is the "Voice of the Red Storm" and an athletic media relation assistant at Dixie State College. Contact him at Potter@dixie.edu.