The guard from Clayton Park, N.S., said having the Island Storm announce he had signed with them had him thinking back to Jan. 25, 2014, when he committed to the UPEI Panthers for his final three seasons of university eligibility.
“It’s kind of like that feeling all over again,” Scott said Tuesday night.
Scott was a key member of the Tim Kendrick-coached Panthers and led the Atlantic University Sport in scoring (21.5 points per game) in his senior year.
Now he can’t wait to turn pro, start training camp and get his first exhibition game under his belt under Kendrick’s tutelage. Kendrick joined the Storm during the off-season after his contract was not renewed at UPEI.
“I’m just super excited,” Scott said. “You can’t wait to step on the floor and get that first shot up. . . If you love basketball, if you love any sport, being away from it for a little bit . . . you miss it.”
The Storm drafted Scott fourth overall during the National Basketball League (NBL) of Canada first all-Canadian draft in 2016.
Scott said the familiarity of playing on the Island helped him make the decision to play in the NBL as opposed to exploring overseas opportunities.
“Being able to be home and play in the comfort of coach Kendrick’s system, it seemed like a great fit.”
The decision also reunites Scott with his former Panthers teammate Brad States. The duo played two seasons together at Acadia and two at UPEI before States turned pro a year ago.
Scott said there would be a transition from the university game to professional ball, but it’s one he is ready for. Scott played through injuries while at UPEI, but said he has been working hard on his body and feels healthy and ready to earn his spot in training camp.
“I feel like finally my body is getting back to being 100 per cent,” he said.
Kendrick coached against Scott in Nova Scotia high school basketball, and the duo helped the province win silver at the 2009 Canada Games in Summerside.
“He’s a great player and shooter,” Kendrick said. “He has good range and possesses an exquisite shooting touch” while being an underrated passer and decision-maker.
Scott joins centre Nick Evans, point guard Andre Stringer and guards Kemy Osse and Jackson Trapp as players the Storm has announced for training camp while more announcements are expected in the near future.
Each team must have five Canadians on their roster and the Storm has three Canucks announced at this point.
The draft combine will be held Oct. 20-22 in Windsor, Ont., with the draft taking place on the last day. The Storm’s first regular season game is on Nov. 18 at the Eastlink Centre against the expansion team from Newfoundland.
