Donta Watson will tell you that four years ago, he didn’t even know that Emporia, Kan., existed.
Now, he can’t imagine his life without it.
“To me, it’s been a blessing,” Watson said. “I couldn’t have asked to be put into a better situation, a better place, or around better people for my senior year of college.”
It’s high praise for Emporia coming from Watson. Here’s a kid, after earning third-team All-American honors at North Platte (Neb.) Community College in 2003-04, who had the dreams that so many have of playing Division-I basketball.
But those weren’t just dreams. Watson made them reality after his sophomore season, signing on to play with San Jose State out of junior college.
He started in front of 12,000 people at UTEP and also played in an ESPN nationally televised game at Georgetown.
“Everything I grew up reading in college basketball magazines,” Watson said, “I kind of got to experience.”
It still wasn’t all he thought it would be. San Jose State suffered through a 6-23 season. Players wouldn’t pass the ball. Team chemistry didn’t really exist.
And perhaps worst for Watson, his teammates weren’t passionate about the game of basketball like he was.
After averaging 23.6 minutes and starting 16 games his junior season — posting 5.8 points per contest — Watson said things started to slowly come apart.
“Like my Mom says, everything that glitters is not gold,” Watson said.
San Jose State hired new coach George Nessman, an assistant from California, who seemed set on bringing his own players in.
Watson started his senior season with San Jose State but started to see the writing on the wall. He wouldn’t play much if he stuck around.
“I just felt like I could go there senior year and struggle for playing time, and eventually get it when things go wrong,” Watson said, “or I could enjoy my whole senior year, starting from Day One with practice and open gyms.”
Watson chose the latter, getting his official release from San Jose State.
Because he had only a semester left of Division-I eligibility — and because, as he says, “regardless of how good you can shoot or play, nobody’s going to give a 5-foot-10 guard a scholarship for half a year” — he began to explore other options.
He immediately remembered Emporia State, who had recruited him coming out of junior college. It was his favorite of the Division-II schools, though he stopped short of going there because it wasn’t part of his Division-I dream.
He called up ESU coach David Moe, who said the Hornets would have a spot for him the next season.
The problem was, they wouldn’t have any scholarship money for him until the next year.
Watson agreed to take the walk-on position with ESU for a semester, and Moe promised to help him get a job.
The guard enrolled at ESU in the spring of 2006. It was then he also started working at Coburn’s Family Restaurant in Emporia.
“Definitely growing up when you’re talking about flipping burgers you say, ‘I’m not flipping any burgers at McDonald’s.’ At Coburn’s, it was different,” Watson said. “It’s a quality restaurant, and they do a good job with the food.”
Watson didn’t let his ego get to him. Though he had gone from Division-I athlete to restaurant worker, he was determined to earn respect in his new position.
“Every time I was at Coburn’s, all I thought about was putting my best foot forward when going to work,” Watson said. “I just knew that all this hard work I was doing was going to pay off.”
It did, and in so many ways.
The Coburns became his second family, and Emporia became his second home. He endeared himself to members of the area and began to understand exactly who he would be playing for.
“Being able to work in the community and meet the great people of Emporia like I did before I played here really made this year special,” Watson said. “Every time I’m out there playing on the court, I’m not just playing for just Emporia State as a University, I’m out there to represent the community as well.”
He’s done a good job of it so far.
Not only did Watson make an immediate impact on the court — leading the MIAA with 19.2 points per game and earning first-team All-Conference honors this year — he perhaps made a greater impression off of it.
“The most surprising thing for me wasn’t how good of a player he was, it was how good of a person he was,” Moe said. “He’s what you would want your children to be like.”
During his one year, Watson has enjoyed the close-knit community and the town that’s as passionate about basketball as he is. He’s also endeared himself to many ESU fans who have appreciated him as more than just an athlete.
“First and foremost, they love us as people first. Then, they respect the fact that we can play basketball a little bit,” Watson said. “That’s what’s definitely made it so fun here.”
If you look, Watson’s picture is still displayed on the top of the San Jose State basketball Web site. His mouth is open in a half-smile, ball in his hands, looking off in the distance.
Surely he would have never seen himself in Emporia then.
He’s still glad he’s made it here now.
“I had my mind set on Division I, but now that I’m here in Emporia, there’s not any other place in the country I’d rather spend my senior year,” Watson said. “I wouldn’t want to be at UCLA. I wouldn’t want to be at Duke or North Carolina. Coach Moe talks about how none of us guys had a dream of coming here. This wasn’t the place we picked.
“But when I wake up every day, this is where I want to be.”