Tom Dobson off to the US as aspiring basketball star accepts a scholarship to Dordt University

Emerging basketball star Tom Dobson is trading in the Buccaneers blue and yellow for Dordt University’s black and gold, as the 19-year-old heads off to accept a scholarship offer in the US. Dobson, a well-known player locally, is off to the US in January to begin his college career in Iowa for Dordt University, after they were eager to bring the Geraldton talent on board. “They got in contact with me earlier this year, in about June, July, they’ve been recruiting me for the last couple of months,” Dobson said. “They’ve been really good, their assistant coach played in the NBL1 West back in 2014, so he knows what it’s like playing here.” While he received around seven offers, the team environment of Dordt is what lead to Dobson picking them. “They like to run, shoot a lot of threes, which is what I like to do, so I think it’s going to suit my style of play pretty well,” he said. “Most of (the offers) were from junior colleges, which are two year schools . . . I didn’t really want to go into an environment where everyone’s competing trying to get on to the next best thing. “Whereas Dordt’s got a pretty good team environment, pretty sure their crowds are just as big as the Buccs games.” Dobson has had a successful year in basketball and was part of the WA team that won the under-20s national championship earlier this year. Locally he played for the Pumas in the Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association, who won the division one title last season, and presently plays for the Geraldton Buccaneers in the NBL1 West. An opportunity to start with Dordt earlier in the year came up, but the timing didn’t feel right. “Especially just after the Buccs’ season, I would have missed like the whole finals and everything,” Dobson said. “So I decided to postpone it, luckily they offered for me to go mid-semester, which is January, usually I’d have to go in August to start the year.” The decision to stay paid off for the 19-year-old, as the Buccs went on a memorable finals run that culminated in them winning the NBL1 West grand final against the Joondalup Wolves. After losing in the big game last year, going back around with the Buccs ended up being the right call. “It was awesome, there’s not really many words you can use to describe that feeling of winning the championship, I thought it was really, really awesome,” Dobson said. A call to pack up and move overseas was not an easy one for the young star, but he isn’t the first Geraldton local to be scouted in America. There have been coaches and team mates that have helped guide Dobson, but a few stand out. “Just about everyone’s helped me out, Alex Ducas has gone over, he’s helped me out,” he said. “(Also) Dan and Liam (Hunt).” Geraldton’s Alex Ducas is in his fifth year of playing for the US College St Mary’s, while Liam Hunt played for Hope International University, another NAIA school. While every player dreams of making it big, Dobson said he isn’t looking ahead and is just taking it one step at a time. “I’m just excited to get the next six months going, then I’ll be back on break then go for another nine months after that,” he said. “Just see where it goes from that, but hopefully continue on and play somewhere professionally.” The Geraldton product said his journey to get there wasn’t one he took alone. “My parents, all my coaches, obviously Buccs coaches and teammates, local coaches . . . through local comps, State champs, they’ve helped me in some way,” Dobson said.