These days, Scott is still all about business on the hardwood. At 6-4 he boasts the handle and quickness of players who are shorter than he is, combined with an unorthodox yet rapidly improving jump shot with range, and an ever-improving feel for when and how to share the ball with his teammates.
When discussing the off-season and upcoming 2011-12 season with Durand Scott, his tenacity jumps through the phone. Being a starter for the past two seasons at the University has been nice, but the junior point guard expects more. He expects to win when he takes the floor, and he hasn’t quite done that yet so far in his tenure at The U, so he has done everything in his power to change that.
“I’ve been doing a little traveling,” explained Scott. “I spent most of my time training in Las Vegas (at Impact Academy) over the summer and then I headed to upstate New York. I didn’t even get to go home, I just went to upstate NY and those were pretty much my two locations for working out this summer until I came back to school.”
What did he work on?
“I definitely want to make my ball-handling—I want to perfect that,” boomed Scott. “I want to get more out of my dribble, so that was my main focus and I think that should help me to keep my turnovers down.
“Also, I want to have a more consistent jump shot. You can choose between those two as my primary [areas of improvement] but there’s never anywhere perfect in your game, so I just have to try to work on different parts of it. I listen to different people to learn about different ideas, to see what they think of me—about where my game should be and where it’s at right at this moment.”
In his first two seasons at Miami, Scott’s averaged 12 points, 3.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 30 minutes per game for two inconsistent, up-and-down teams. With George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga taking over following an abrupt departure by Coach Frank Haith to the University of Missouri, it’s no surprise that Scott is optimistic and energetic about the second half of his career as a Hurricane.
“Coach Larranaga preaches about defense a lot and I think I’ll catch onto that real quickly,” stated Scott. “Coming from Rice [in NYC], man-to-man is all we played, so this should be nothing new to me.
“As far as offensively, I only hear things are hurried up. He’s a great coach and he coaches the way I want to play so I’m just looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen. I like his goals, I like his vision, the way he has things in place for us. I’m just ready to go out there, get ready for the season, and get some Ws.”
***
“I know he’s always watching out from above,” explained Scott of his father. “He’s not the only one that inspired me—I have a lot of family and friends that mean a lot to me—but he definitely inspired me the most.”
Durand Scott has nine stars tattooed on his right arm for family members and friends who have all passed away and really meant something to his life. He plays the game and lives life for those people just as much as he does himself. For the upcoming season, Scott has even designed a pair of kicks that will be dedicated to his late father and his mother. He named them “My Parents,” and is excited to bring take the freshies out of the box and put them to good use this season.
As far as the future—life after college—is concerned, Scott doesn’t seem to be in any kind of rush to leave Coral Gables, FL.
“I’m really not thinking about the future—I’m just thinking about work right now,” said a stern Scott. “As far into the future I can go is tomorrow. I’m just trying to do everything I can to help my teammates, and when that time comes, I’ll have to figure it out. But right now all I’m thinking about is now.”
Hard work, friendships, family, a caring attitude, and a healthy competitive spirit are some of the characteristics that Durand Scott is comprised of.
A marvelous hunger to become better at his craft, the pursuit of creating a winning team, and honoring those stars on his right arm will help ensure that he attains his goals—both on and off the court—throughout his life.
***Shoutout to F4L. Chris Fouch at Drexel, Kemba Walker in the League, Darryl Truck Bryant at West Virginia, Dorvell Carter at Marist and Jordan Theodore at Seton Hall.
