Hundreds of Wildcat fans saw senior transfer Eric Lawton lighting up Lone Star Conference opponents and became fans of him on the court, but Lawton’s off the court drive is just as impressive.
As a young player in California, Lawton was ranked the number 28 shooting guard in the entire country according to ESPN.com.
Lawton was one of seven children raised by his mother, who has been a constant source of inspiration to him.
“Eric was always a good kid with a good mom who did a great job with him,” head coach Joe Golding said.
Lawton chose to spend his first two years of college close to home, playing at Mount San Jacinto Junior College, where he flourished and was named an All-Conference performer.
From there, he was recruited to play basketball at Arkansas Little Rock by then head coach Joe Golding, who ended up taking the head coach job at ACU before Lawton’s junior year.
After an up and down season in Arkansas, Lawton decided to transfer, and found himself in Abilene playing for Golding in his senior season.
“We built a great relationship while we were at Arkansas Little Rock and he left for ACU,” Lawton said. “So when I decided to transfer he was the first to call me and we already had a great bond.”
Once in Abilene, Lawton took the reins of a program that was in transition, leading them to competitiveness and led the Wildcats to their best season in five years.
Lawton was named the LSC newcomer of the year after averaging over 17 points per game as a Wildcat. He also led the team in assists, three-pointers made and minutes per game.
“Eric had a really special year,” Golding said. “If you go back and look at his numbers he shot 47 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three. He had 116 assists. When we had those injuries, I think around Christmas Eric really took over our team and became the heartbeat of our team. ”
Meanwhile, Lawton developed a fondness for the ACU community that valued him as more than a basketball player.
“He is a great person, and ACU was good for him too,” Golding said. “He has never been in an environment like this with everyone being so nice and generous and wanting to help. You could tell how Eric changed throughout the year and grew up in his faith, friendship and basketball. He grew up to be a man and it was fun to watch as a coach that is what it is all about.”
With his college career over, Lawton will be headed overseas to begin his professional career that he hopes will end in the NBA.
“Lawton will play at a high level overseas because he is a baller, he loves to play the game,” Golding said. ” We are working on getting him to finish his degree as he plays, either with online classes or by getting him back here in the summer. We want him to graduate from Abilene Christian. He will be a good representation of this university.”
One way or another, Lawton grinds everyday so that one day his mother will not have to.
“My mom is a big influence on my life,” Lawton said. “She is loving, caring and she has supported me throughout my career. Growing up, seeing my mom struggle, one day I want to change that.”
