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2016-17 Preview: Philly's Jon Lawton working hard for D-II No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas

10/26/2016, 1:00pm EDT
By Austin Lederman

Friends' Central grad Jon Lawton (above) is an integral part of a St. Thomas Aquinas squad that is ranked in the top 15 preseason. (Photo: Dorice Arden/STAC Athletics)

Austin Lederman (@AustinLederman)
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At the end of a practice last week, St. Thomas Aquinas College head coach Tobin Anderson huddled his players at midcourt. After a recap of the intense workout, words of encouragement and an acknowledgement that the media was there to speak with them, the players dispersed to the water cooler after a fast-paced hour-long training session.

All the players, that is, except for one -- sophomore guard Jon Lawton, who went to a basket to get some extra 3-point shots up with an assistant coach. Though Lawton’s intent was to take an additional 50 triples, he was interrupted during his routine to gather with the team and listen to the team’s special guest, ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla.

By that point, he had connected on 31 of his 40 attempts.

“I definitely take pride in my jump shot,” Lawton said. “I shot really well last year so I want to keep it going.”

Lawton did a bit more than just shoot “really well” last year. He made 48-of-98 3-pointers in his freshman season with the Spartans, good for 49 percent. If Lawton took two more 3-pointers -- even if he missed both --  he would have ranked top 10 nationally among 3-point shooters, and would have been the only freshman amongst that list.

As he prepares for his sophomore season, Lawton continues to put in the extra work. The post-practice 3-point shooting session wasn’t just a show for the media. It’s part of a routine, one that Lawton started as just a freshman. It helps him own his craft and allows him to be ready in game situations.

“He’s a great shooter,” Anderson said. “He’s got tremendous confidence in how he plays.”

It allowed Lawton (9.3 ppg, 2.1 apg) to split point guard duties with James Mitchell (6.7 ppg, 3.0 apg) as just a freshman. With such a successful debut season, expectations have risen for the sophomore.

Anderson is under the impression many college basketball coaches are -- that players make their biggest jump between years one and two. The two-time ECC Coach of the Year credits Lawton’s work over the offseason and his work ethic in general to why he expects a leap in production.

The 6-foot-2, 175 pound point guard spent the summer in the gym working. He played in a few Pro-Am leagues, competed against the likes of Villanova’s Jalen Brunson and used the offseason to develop physically and mentally.

“He came in with a stronger approach this year,” preseason All-American Justin Reyes said. “Last year he was a freshman so he really had to prove himself and he did right off the bat. And this year he knows that he’s gonna play and do this and do that, but he still hits the gym every day and he still gets his shots up and he still has his goals that he doesn’t lose sight of.”

Those goals include a selection to one of the All-Conference teams. Lawton made it very clear though, that the team comes first and a National Championship is the ultimate goal.

“I want to win,” Lawton said. “I love winning.”

The Friends’ Central grad was a high school freshman when his team won the PAISAA championship in 2011, capping a three-peat that the program had started the two years before Lawton enrolled. The next few years didn’t go as well for Lawton and Friends Central, but the experience gained in the Friends’ School League has allowed Lawton a quick start to his collegiate career.

“You come from Philadelphia, you come from down there where you play against [good competition] on a day in day out basis,” Anderson said. “Very good program, well-coached in high school. He’s used to playing good competition. We played St. John’s last year and he came off the bench and it was like there was no hesitation. He’s not afraid of anything. He’s used to that. That’s because of where you come from.”

Lawton was the ECC Rookie of the Year and a key component to a 27-5 STAC squad, which opened eyes with a 90-58 win over St. John’s in preseason action and later won 21 straight games between New Year’s Eve and March 12. The Spartans made it to the second round of the NCAA’s Division II Tournament, where Lawton had 15 points in a loss to St. Anselm (N.H.).

Though he only started three of the team’s 32 games, he played 20.1 minutes, averaged the fourth-most points and tied for the team-lead in 3-pointers made.

STAC is ranked the No. 2 Division II preseason team in one poll and the No. 13 team in another. That’s because it returns nearly its entire roster. Last year’s on-again, off-again starting center, Sam Berlin, who averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game is the only player not on the returning roster.

The Spartans bring back Reyes (17.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg), senior guard Chaz Watler (15.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and junior guard Shaquille McFarlan (10.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg) along with Mitchell, Lawton and the entire bench.

The returning team is expected to handle the outside expectations well. Anderson admits the team is embracing the noise, mostly because they have a better understanding of how to do so. The players learned first-hand what it’s like to gain national attention after trouncing St. John’s last year. They didn’t handle it all that well, but going through it should make this year easier in terms of playing with more eyes on the program.

With so much returning talent, it’s unclear whether Lawton will start, but his role with the team is undeniable.

“At the end of the day when there’s five minutes to go and it’s a tie game, you want to be one of the guys who’s in the game at that point,” Anderson said. “Who knows who’s gonna start, but Jon Lawton will be a finisher for us.”

After Fraschilla finished addressing the team and the players spoke to the media, Lawton still had to launch a few more 3-pointers. Just like he finishes games, he had to finish his routine.


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