Living Up To The Potential: Durand Scott, Miami (FL)

        The offseason disasters are well-known at this point. Honorable mention All-ACC center Reggie Johnson (11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks) will be out until January with a knee injury suffered in a pickup game. His backup, 6'10" Julian Gamble blew out his ACL and is lost for the season. Adding to the injury list is top freshman recruit Bishop Daniels, a 6'3" combo guard who broke his foot and has been limited. Without the talent and depth of these players, Miami will rely heavily on its backcourt, especially that of wing Durand Scott.

        Scott was a workhorse last season- averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He clearly shows off his skills that allow him to be a threat on both ends of the floor, but his versatility as a scorer will be counted on for the short-handed Hurricanes.

        As a sophomore, Scott improved both his 3-point percentage and free-throw mark; in Miami's three NIT games, Scott averaged a team-high 19.3 points, but new head coach Jim Larranaga says that Scott still has room for improvement. The Hurricanes' success will certainly depend on the level of production that he puts forth. When healthy, this team is as talented as the third best team in the ACC, but with injuries, they could be battling to get into the NIT.


By President Corey Ruff - 12 - 9 - 11