Meet LeRohn Dodson

There are a lot of people worthy of the Mr. Basketball title residing at various locations throughout this country and the world and, although LeRohn Dodson would be the first to deny it, he is the Mr. B of the San Joaquin area of California.

The founder of Team Superstar, now affiliated with Under Armour (UA), Dodson is a native of the area and has long been involved in both basketball and in helping out youth.

He played hoops at Tulare Western High -- in fact, here's an excerpt containing a mention of Dodson from a Tom Hamilton/Los Angeles Times article dated March 6, 1990:

"...Tulare Western finished third in the East Yosemite League but came on strong in the Central Section playoffs. LeRohn Dodson averages 14 points..."

Named to the all state team as a high school senior, he was a four year starter on the varsity and earned spots to the all-league squad three times. Overall, Dodson owns eight Tulare Western High records.

Then it was off to Orange County and Cal State Fullerton for a year followed by two seasons at the College of the Sequoias. He was a captain and averaged double figures there. Dodson returned to the D-I level when he transferred to Eastern Washington to play for John Wade.

But after graduation came an ACL tear when he was attempting to land a spot overseas. That was later followed by a second tear. His play-for-pay dreams receded.

For someone who confesses "I had no intention of ever coaching" that became his next affiliation with roundball and it was his little brother who played a role in Dodson making that transition.

He formed a third grade club team to benefit a younger sibling. As his brother achieved birthdays, it became a fourth, fifth and so on grade squad. 

Approaching the high school years with his bunch, Dodson merged with EBO, an organization operated by Darren "Mats" Matsubara. Dodson's younger brother Grady would continue to coach the younger team while Dodson and Matsubara led the elder one. The best talents would be with EBO and the younger squad would act like a feeder program.

"It was quite a time," Dodson recalled. "EBO has been blessed to have some really good players come through the program. We had had such talents as Lopez twins, Carlos Boozer, DeShawn Stevenson, Quincy Pondexter, Matt Barnes, Jay Williams, Chris Jeffries, Jerryd Bayless, Mike Dunleavy, Luke Babbitt and many more. To my knowledge, I believe we have put more kids in the NBA and have had more McDonalds All Americans than any program on the west coast -- over 20 in both categories!"

After a long and successful run, Matsubara eventually left the club team basketball arena and Dodson formed Team Superstar. Sponsorship later moved from Adidas to Under Armour making "TS" and the Soldiers the only Nor Cal-sponsored teams.

Dodson added, "The Under Armour basketball division is new and we're helping to build a brand. It's been done in football -- players like Tom Brady and Cam Newton are UA-affiliated -- but Under Armour wants to be a major player in basketball."

There are currently 18 or so Under Armour-sponsored college teams. Originally there was University of Maryland (the state where UA is based) and now Auburn, Utah, Texas Tech, Boston College, South Carolina, Temple and others have joined. Look for UA to pick up a few west coast schools in the near future. They also sponsor 30 plus high school programs nationally and 24 AAU teams.

"Being with Under Armour is a huge opportunity for me and our program," Dodson explained. "They think outside the box and push limits in terms of creativity. Their edginess and new age technology is something that is going to eventually put them over the top. The goal is to capture the next generation, the younger kids. They are also in the baby steps of building this thing so to help build it from the ground up is what excites me the most. I'm just happy to be the guy to help build the brand in Nor Cal. UA is making some power moves."

Brandon Jennings, Kemba Walker and Derrick Williams are a few of the athletes currently affiliated with UA Basketball.

Under Armour also hosts events and tournaments like the Under Armour Championship Series which is like Nike's EYBL series. Stops in the UA Championship Series include Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Dallas and Milwaukee. They also sponsor the Elite 24 game and the NBPA players camp in Virginia.

Dodson now says, "I enjoy coaching just as much as I enjoyed playing. My Dad,  Grandpa and brother Grady (Assistant Director of TS) are all ministers so helping people is very important to us. That's all I've ever known."

He added, "Getting a degree and a good job to take care of your family, that's what it's all about for these kids. Helping kids set themselves up for the long haul, that's the ultimate goal."

Dodson also greatly appreciates the feedback from his proteges. 

"Hearing a kid say 'if it wasn't for you I might be dead or in jail' makes you want to keep doing this. It's more rewarding to talk to kids who have achieved much in life outside of basketball than it is to talk to former players who are now pros. I've been at it for 15 years and I'll step down when it's not fun anymore. Right now it's still fun and very rewarding."

His top squad is loaded. "We have at least six high major kids and all 10 of our guys will get scholarships. But I'm real picky on who we pick to be a part of our program. The thing that sets us apart is we have a certain family feel to our program. I want to be good  and want talented players, but it's not worth it in dealing with parents who are overly involved. It has to be a good fit and the parents have to buy in to what we're about. And that's high character and quality. We will provide a great opportunity and big stage for the kids in our program."

* Malik Pope, 6-foot-8, Capital Christian (Sacramento), 2014

Per Dodson, "In March, nobody outside of Sacramento knew who Malik was and now he has 28 offers and is now ranked #12 by Rivals, #19 by Scout and #27 by ESPN. He just needed to be put on that big stage so he could perform."

* Austin Armstead, 6-foot-3, Bullard High (Fresno), 2015

* Fatai Eke, 6-foot-8, East Bakersfield, 2014

One description of this young man: ""While Eke isn’t there offensively yet, he’s a tough and strong defensive presence with a nose for blocking shots. Eke is physically mature and has a motor."

* Murshid Randle. 6-foot-3, Central High (Fresno), 2014

He scored 19 points, including six in the last quarter, to help lead the 2014-ers to victory in the recent Nor Cal Clash.



* Taelin Webb, 5-foot-11, La Mirada High, 2014

Per Dodson, "An extremely athletic and explosive point guard and the son of legendary basketball coach Vonn Webb. He is on the radar and being touted by many high major programs including UCLA, Arizona, USC among others." 

* DJ Wilson, 6-foot-7, Capital Christian High, 2014   
Dodson said, "He was hurt this past July but look for him to be one of the most sought after recruits on the west coast. DJ is currently being recruited by several Pac-12 and Big East schools.  

* Brady Anderson, 6-foot-9, Jesuit High, 2014 

"Brady is still growing into his long body but he is one to keep an eye on next spring/summer," according to Dodson. "He has great hands and soft touch. Brady battles, shows toughness and doesn't back down from anybody. Look for his stock to rise next spring."  

Next go-around, Team Superstar will feature teams in the 17, 16 and 15 age categories.  

"We are just getting started."  Dodson said.