Nice pickup for Winthrop last night. 6'8 big man Jarad Scott of Flora MacDonald. Like his upside in the Big South.
http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/03/22/4715398/winthrop-nabs-big-man-jarad-scott.html
Winthrop nabs big man Jarad Scott
Published: March 22, 2013
By Bret McCormick — bmccormick@heraldonline.com
Winthrop men’s
basketball has nabbed a needed big man with its final scholarship for the
2013-14 season. Jarad Scott, a
6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Red Springs, N.C., committed to play for the Eagles and coach Pat Kelsey on Wednesday night.
6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Red Springs, N.C., committed to play for the Eagles and coach Pat Kelsey on Wednesday night.
“They recruited me
really hard,” said Scott on Thursday. “Coach Kelsey and his resume and the
places he’s coached, and he’s good at coaching my position, made me want to go
to Winthrop.”
ESPN recruiting
guru Dave Telep indicated that Scott was Winthrop’s priority after the Eagles
signed two guards in the early signing period. The commitment, which will
become an official signing on April 16, is a nice get for Kelsey and his staff.
Scott had offers from High Point, Charlotte, Appalachian State, Marshall, Old
Dominion, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure and Tennessee Tech. Clemson, Oklahoma
State, Temple, Syracuse and Miami (Fla.) were a couple of the high-major
programs also sniffing around the 6-foot-8 stretch post man.
Scott rose to
prominence two years ago, helping Flora MacDonald Academy to the North Carolina
Independent Schools Athletic Association 1A state title, though that
championship was vacated last year when the school was investigated for
undisclosed violations. Scott averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, two steals
and three blocks per game for the school last season.
He was starring on
the AAU circuit for South Carolina Elite last summer when Winthrop’s staff
initially spotted him at a Myrtle Beach tournament in July.
Telep said in an
email Thursday “He’s a legit mid-major prospect and was Winthrop’s top big man
target this year. Excels in running the floor and he’s got a knack for tracking
down rebounds.”
Scott joins a
Winthrop post group that includes returning players James Bourne (6-foot-9),
Larry Brown (6-foot-6) and Steve Johnson (6-foot-7). The Eagles already have
6-foot-8 Chukwudubem “Duby” Okeke, from Jonesboro, Ga., signed to join the team
next season too. Telep thinks that Kelsey has got a guy in Scott who can play
right away.
“My take on him
following last summer was that he was a late bloomer. Winthrop locked in on
this kid, made him a priority and sweat it out. He may start four years.”
Scott’s ability to
stretch the defense with his long-range shooting should make him effective in
the Big South Conference, a league largely devoid of traditional post players.
#SCELITE
#SCELITE
