May 13, 2009
Great Scott!
For Mitty hoops, the proverbial cupboard was barren. A new coach and promising freshman are dubbed the futures of the program but it was holdover senior Brandon Scott who proved the most important in leading ...
Scott is effective going to the hoop
Drew Gordon and Collin Chiverton graduated. So did John Adams and Angelo Caloiaro, plus Enoch Andoh. All five were awarded D-I college basketball scholarships and left the proverbial cupboard barren. Coach Brian Eagleson also departed from the coaching box. It was definitely Archbishop Mitty Makeover Edition time. Tim Kennedy came down from Serra to replace Eagleson and freshman David Andoh arrived at Mitty with a tag of high major potential. But it was holdover senior backcourter Brandon Scott who proved the most important in leading the Monarchs to a successful 18-12 season and now he is heading down south to play college basketball.
With a very impressive senior season, the 6-foot-2, 180 pound Scott impressed the Cal Irvine coaching staff and Coach Pat Douglass decided his Anteaters needed the assistance Scott could bring to the UCI backcourt.
Who and what is Douglass getting? A player who averaged 17.5 points per game despite being the primary target for opposing defenses in his senior season. Someone who shot 53% overall, 36% on three-point attempts and 75% on free throws. These numbers garnered Scott a place on the West Catholic Athletic League all league first team but stats alone cannot account for the heart Scott brought to his squad.
Scott willed Mitty to many victories
Tim Kennedy has more to say about his protégé. "Brandon willed us to four or five victories. He hated to lose and just came down and made shots for us."
But maybe more important -- at least initially -- was the role Scott assumed early in the season, something important for any new coach. According to Kennedy, "He played a large part from the beginning. Brandon was the guy I needed to get on board." One area that Scott demonstrated leadership by example was in finishing first in team sprints.
To Scott it seemed a natural role. "I was the only returning guy with significant playing time," he said.
Scott was ready to walk-on at USF but it became a no-brainer once UCI entered the picture. "I didn’t know much about it [Irvine} before but I really like the location. I met and liked the players and the coaching staff was good." What he was told is that he would come in and compete for time at the 2 guard.
UC Irvine has five backcourt returnees: senior Michael Hunter and junior Patrick Rembert were starters in 2008-2009 while seniors Darren Moore and Chad DeCasas came off the bench, as did sophomore Derrick Strings.