From a sniper beyond the arc to a senior leader dropping double-doubles, Dawson Gilbert’s career at Adair County has been nothing short of automatic. Here is the file on the Indians’ lethal scorer.
📈 The Senior Surge
Gilbert saved his best for last. After being a key rotation piece for years, he exploded in the 2025-26 season, nearly doubling his scoring average to become a primary offensive engine.
• Scoring Jump: He went from averaging 11.8 PPG as a junior to 18.9 PPG his senior year,.
• Board Work: He transformed his game in the paint, more than doubling his rebounding average from 2.0 in 2022-23 to 4.9 in his final season.
🎯 The Sniper from Deep
If you left him open, it was over. Gilbert was consistently one of the most efficient shooters in the state.
• Freshman/Sophomore Era: Even early on, he was dangerous, shooting 41.3% from three in the 22-23 season.
• The Junior Year Clinic: During the Indians’ massive 30-win season in 24-25, Gilbert drained 83 three-pointers at an incredible 44.9% clip,.
• Efficiency: He kept his field goal percentage over 50% in both his 2022-23 and 2024-25 campaigns.
🧊 Ice in the Veins
When the game was on the line, Gilbert was the guy you wanted at the stripe. He was an elite free-throw shooter throughout his career.
• 2022-23: 80.8%
• 2023-24: 75.8%
• 2024-25: 82.5%
• 2025-26: 84.4%
🔥 Signature Games (Senior Season)
Gilbert put the team on his back multiple times during the 2025-26 campaign:
• vs Somerset (Dec 29, 2025): Dropped a season-high 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting while grabbing 9 rebounds,.
• vs Russell County (Jan 5, 2026): A monster double-double in a double-overtime thriller, putting up 28 points and grabbing 10 boards.
• vs Central (Dec 21, 2025): Another huge double-double with 27 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
• vs LaRue County (Jan 8, 2026): Poured in 28 points, hitting 5-of-9 from deep.
🏆 The Rupp Arena Runs (Back-to-Back)
Gilbert contributed to Adair County’s dominance during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, helping the Indians secure consecutive 5th Region titles and earn their spot on Kentucky’s biggest stage. During these two state tournament seasons alone, Gilbert suited up for 70 games, proving to be one of the most durable and consistent winners in the program’s recent history.
The Bottom Line: Dawson Gilbert evolved from a specialist into a star. Whether it was contributing to a 30-6 record in 2024-25 or averaging nearly 19 points a game as a senior, he left it all on the floor for Adair County,.
