Signing took a weight off Dixon’s shoulders
Missouri recruit is named top player in state.
Special from the Columbia Daily Tribune
He began his senior season with the heightened expectations that follow a heralded recruit when he signs with his state’s flagship school.
But Lee’s Summit West’s Mike Dixon insists he didn’t feel any extra pressure to meet them. If anything, inking his letter of intent to play at Missouri in November freed his mind and allowed him to do all the things necessary to excel on the court.
“I kind of got rid of the little monkey on my back, which just was just picking a college,” Dixon said. “I could just worry about going into the season, trying to get wins, trying to get as far as possible to a state championship.”
Dixon and the Titans didn’t reach that goal, suffering a 79-69 sectional loss to eventual Class 5 runner-up Grandview. But the 6-foot-1 point guard did lead the team to a 24-4 record, including a 21-game winning streak, titles in the William Jewel and Liberty tournaments and conference and district championships.
In the process, he also rewrote the school’s record book, averaging a school-best 24.2 points along with 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.1 steals. That brought his career totals to 1,849 points, 375 rebounds, 532 assists and 245 steals — all numbers that rank first or second in school history.
All that made him a deserving choice to be named Mr. Show-Me Basketball, an award he’ll receive today at the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Academic All-State Banquet at MU’s Reynolds Alumni Center.
“Mike had a tremendous season. He’s had a tremendous career at Lee’s Summit West,” Coach Michael Schieber said. “He more than lived up to any expectations that were out there for him.”
Schieber knew Dixon was destined to have a stellar high school career the first time he watched him play while scouting an eighth-grade game. It was impossible to miss Dixon’s natural talent.
He has polished his skills over the past four seasons. The one that needed the most work heading into his senior season was leadership.
“For a kid to be a leader, they have to have two things,” Schieber said. “I think the first part about it is, I don’t think there can be any player on the floor that can look at you when you’re asking them to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself.
“If you’re yelling at a kid about rebounding and you’re not willing to rebound, they’re not going to respect that. If you’re talking to a kid about sharing the basketball and you’re not willing to share the basketball, they’re not going to do that, because they’re going to look at you like a hypocrite.”
Dixon always set a good example with his effort and unselfishness on the court, and at Schieber’s urging, he was more vocal as a senior.
He was in complete command in some of Lee’s Summit West’s biggest games. He scored 35 points to lead the Titans over Kickapoo in the William Jewel final. He had another 35 points, eight assists and five rebounds to rout Liberty in the championship game of the Liberty Tournament. And he had another 35-point outing as the Titans rolled over Lee’s Summit in the district final.
Dixon only wished he could have come up with a couple more big games and propelled his team to the final four at Mizzou Arena. But he’ll have plenty of opportunities to shine in that building over the next four seasons.
“Not a lot of people get to say that’s going to be their home, so I’m real grateful for that,” Dixon said. “That’s kind of made it easier.”
His coach, teammates and everyone else who supported him at Lee’s Summit West are eager to track his progress.
“Mike’s got his best basketball in front of him,” Schieber said. “He’s going to be fine. … I think he’s going into a great situation.”