Rider’s Scott ready to take on scoring load this season
LAWRENCEVILLE » Frederick Scott spent last season watching from the end of the Rider basketball team’s bench.
Unable to play because of NCAA transfer rules, Scott tried to soak as much information as he could, and now that he’s on the floor, he’s ready to show Broncs fans what he has in his arsenal.
“You’re going to see everything,” Scott said. “I’m a little bit anxious, but I’ve also been playing with these guys for the last year and a half. I’m just excited to be out there.”
A redshirt freshman, Scott, a Munster, Indiana native, only appeared in four games at DePaul during the 2015-16 season, and while his prep pedigree is outstanding — he played at powerhouse programs Oak Hill of Virginia and then Simeon of Chicago — there’s only practice reports to go off of.
At 6-8, 223-pounds, Scott offers a dimension that coach Kevin Baggett hasn’t had in his first five seasons.
“At his height, he can handle the ball really well (and) he can score the ball,” Baggett said. “(His) biggest thing will be on the defensive end. He can score the ball with the best of them, but he’s got to be able guard and be a solid defender for us if we’re going to be good.”
While Baggett has always said his team’s hang their hat on defense, this year’s group needs Scott’s offense.
Rider averaged 75.7 points per game, but graduated four players who combined for 67.7 percent of those points, which comes out to 51.3 per contest.
“We’re going to need that,” Scott said. “We’re going to need that aggressiveness and I fell like we’ll be just as aggressive this year as last year. I know we’re young, but we’re all in attack mode, and that’s a good thing.”
With only one senior on the roster, the success or failure of the season depends on how quickly a youthful group comes together.
“It’s an everyday process,” Scott said. “We can come together quick if we put our minds to it, but there’s a determination we have to have every time we step out here.”
Scott is one of three impact players slipping on the uniform for the first time after sitting out last season. Sophomore Devine Eke started 22 games for Maine before transferring in and Jordan Allen, a sharpshooter, redshirted last year.
Those three are all expected to have significant roles.
“We’re a much better 3-point shooting team. That won’t be our problem,” Baggett said. “It will be at the defensive end and with our post play. Can we score consistently? Can we pick up the scoring and rebounding that is gone? The perimeter is our strength this year.”
Scott, for his part, believes his all-around game can fill that void. After all, it’s why the coaches brought him in.
“I came here for a visit and just felt comfortable with (the coaches),” Scott said. “What they told me seemed truthful and I put my dreams in their hands.”