Josh Scott’s post presence creating open 3- point shots for his CU teammates.
Scott’s post presence creating open 3- point attempts for CU
BOULDER » Josh Scott might not be the most obvious catalyst behind Colorado’s long- range resurgence.
The Buffaloes enter their Pac- 12 opener in men’s basketball at California on Friday night leading the conference in 3- point shooting ( 41.3 percent). And of the 116 shots CU has made behind the arc, the 6- foot- 10 Scott has drained two— which matches the senior’s previous career total.
Yet, coach Tad Boyle said the team’s perimeter success — one of the major factors behind its 11- 2 start — is strongly connected to the man in the middle.
“When you have a guy like Josh Scott inside who demands doubleteams, it really frees up those 3- point shooters for open looks,” Boyle said. “With Josh, even though he’s not shooting the 3, he’s a big part of those ( shots) being so open.”
Scott, now free of the back pain that plagued him throughout his junior year, has been among the best big men in the country this season. His 18.4 points per game rank second among Pac- 12 players, his 9.4 rebounds fifth.
But it’s his growing versatility that has made him such a valuable offensive presence. Scott is catching the ball not only on the block, but also at the elbow, where he has become adept at facing his defender, surveying the floor and calmly calculating the most efficient option— shoot, drive or dish.
Scott’s calm, measured decisionmaking has helped get open looks for shooters even as he is bombarded by extra defenders.
“It helps all of us shooters on the perimeter, because he draws a lot of attention,” said sophomore guard Dom Collier, who ranks third in the Pac- 12 in 3point shooting at 48.7 percent ( 19- of- 39). “It’s our job to knock them down when he is doubleteamed, because those are wideopen 3s.”
Scott’s ability to have a hand in orchestrating the offense didn’t happen overnight. The former Lewis- Palmer High School standout was a capable scorer from the moment he arrived on the CU campus, but his growth as a playmaker has been evident this season. Scott’s assists have nearly doubled to almost two per game, but it’s seeing the pass that leads to the assist that helps Scott keep the ball moving for the Buffs as the defense closes in on him.
“It’s just something you can’t simulate without experience,” Scott said. “I remember my sophomore year playing against Arizona and having ( 7- foot) Kaleb Tarczewski and ( 6- 9) Aaron Gordon double- teaming me. You can’t simulate that in practice. But it’s also something you have to work on, making the right reads.”
Boyle said the coaching staff has worked to utilize Scott’s emerging distribution abilities, moving players like chess pieces into scoring threats the big man can find. But after CU’s last practice before heading to the Bay Area on Wednesday, Boyle smiled as he offered a caveat to go with the whole passing thing.
“Hopefully, he’ll keep making moves before the double- teams get there,” Boyle said, “because we need him to score down there.”