Dawson Baker Returns from Injury Against Montana State

The BYU guard played his first minutes in nearly a year when he checked into the game against the Bobcats.

Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Dawson Baker (25) catches the ball against the VCU Rams during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Besides the win over Montana State, the highlight of the game was definitely Dawson Baker’s return to the court. Since transferring from UC Irvine to BYU, Baker’s career in Provo has not been what he hoped. Heading into this season, he had played in only 46 of a possible 105 games (44%) for BYU. Yet he decided it wasn’t time to give up and wanted one more shot. That shot began against Montana State as he checked in at the 7:10 mark of the first half.

His struggles started in his first season with the program, when he played just four games before undergoing season-ending foot surgery. In his second, he played in every game, including the Sweet 16 classic against Wisconsin. Last season, however, Baker suffered yet another season-ending injury just six games into the year. This time, it was a horrific knee injury: he tore his ACL and lateral meniscus and also suffered mild PLC involvement, grade 2 MCL and LCL sprains, bone bruising, muscle/tendon strains and small impact fractures.

This type of injury can end a player’s career, especially given what he had already gone through with the foot injury. Still, Baker has been relentless in trying to stay on the court and play the game he loves.

In a game where he played only eight minutes due to a minutes restriction, Baker made a pair of free throws, scoring his first points for BYU since November 27, 2025. While the points were few, the milestone was great. It was inspiring to see him return to the floor after dealing with so much adversity.

Kevin Young wants to be extra careful in bringing Baker back this time around because he knows the kind of player Baker is and the impact he can have on the team. Baker was averaging 7.5 points and shooting 47% from three off the bench last year before his knee injury. In his lone healthy season in Provo, he also averaged 7.5 points and shot 38% beyond the arc.

There is already a lot of talent on this BYU roster, but a healthy Baker can be a scorer, a reliable ball handler, a three-point threat and, most importantly, a leader. He has scored 20+ points eight times in his career.

After all he’s been through, there are no guarantees of how well Baker will come back from this injury, but if the Cougars can get even some contributions from him this season, they will take them. He is another weapon off the bench that the team can use.

Baker is the ultimate competitor and impacts BYU on and off the court. It’s great to see him back. Now it’s about easing into his return and making the most of his final season of college basketball.