Northern mens basketball sign star guard out of Washington

Another exciting high school player is coming to the Montana State University-Northern men’s basketball team.

Northern head coach Shawn Huse has announced the signing of Dae'Kwon Watson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Auburn High School. Watson was a three-time All-Tournament selection at the 3A State Tournament. This season, the Trojans captured the 3A title. He was the North Puget Sound League (NPSL) Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-2022, and earned First Team All-League Honors as a senior and Second Team Honors as sophomore and junior.

This past season, Watson averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. He shot 59.2 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from the three-point line, and 84 percent from the free throw line.

"Dae'Kwon is a great teammate who plays winning basketball,” said Coach Huse. "His upside is off the charts at the four-year level, given his ability to make plays at both ends of the floor. He fit in great with our guys on his visit. He can shoot, finish, pass and really defend. Dae'Kwon should be able to make an impact for us for years to come. I cannot say enough good things about him, his family, his coaches, and the type of person he is. His growth has been facilitated in a great way. He is a very good student and high-character guy who enhances who we are."

"Dae'Kwon is an absolute stud. He checks all of the boxes you want in a winner,” said Watson's high school Coach Ryan Hansen. "He will do whatever is asked of him to help his team win games. Beyond basketball, he is an exceptional young man."

Dae'Kwon's academic plans include studying Integrated Health Sciences, Business, and Psychology at MSU-Northern.

The Lights are coming off another good season, winning 19 games and earning a home playoff game vs Rocky Mountain College. After advancing, their season came to an end in a close loss at Carroll College. They return a great deal of experience from the 2021-22 team, after graduating their two exceptional seniors.