Seventy-First was an intriguing team to keep an eye on last year, as this was a program that was making strides and heading in the right direction all with young players leading the charge. Now, you have to expect with another year under their belt, the Falcons would take that next step and they seem to be doing so early on this season.
But the junior leading the charge and putting up outstanding numbers to start the season is 2023 6’9 James Scott, who is averaging 18.5 points, 15.3 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 1.8 assists per game. Those numbers are a significant jump from his sophomore numbers, in which he averaged 5.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
If you have watched Scott this past summer though, you could see that he had taken the steps in his game and improved, especially in certain areas that he was focusing on. He has not only gotten stronger and developed his body, but he also worked on understanding how to use his size to his advantage on both ends of the floor. And the numbers early on back that up.
But even though he has started the season off strong, Scott is keeping his mind right. “I just want to win and have fun and enjoy every minute of it,” Scott told Phenom Hoops.
It may be hard to keep those numbers up throughout the year but Scott has caught the interest already of a few programs. He holds offers from High Point, Hampton, and North Carolina A&T already and he mentioned that he talks to High Point a lot, as he hopes on getting up there to take a visit soon. He also mentioned that schools like Campbell and Elon have also expressed interest.
Coach’s Thoughts (Seventy-First AC Michael Dial):
“He has made that jump and it is crazy. Kind of reminds me of Jonas Aidoo honestly. This is our first year in the program and I met James at the beginning of the summer and just from watching film last year, the difference in him is the added muscle so he doesn’t get pushed around in the paint and confidence. When he walks into the gym, he thinks he is the best play in there and he has that killer instinct in him. He actually told us he lacked confidence before but that isn’t the case now and it shows. He is a hard-working kid who never skis a rep and wants to go that extra mile to make sure he is the best player he can be and do whatever it takes for his team to win.”
NC Top 80 Evaluation:
“He’s a long, fluid, wiry post prospect with IQ, touch, and an active motor on both ends of the floor. Scott displays a variety of useful post moves and finishes well from the block or above the rim. He’s very mobile for his size and moves like a perimeter player, but still embraces his identity within the paint. Scott displays great defensive instincts, both as a rim protector and when intercepting passing lanes to force turnovers. He rebounds the ball at a strong rate and runs the floor hard in transition. Next in his development process is working to add strength, as it would make him a more physically imposing player inside the paint. Coach Whaley on Scott: “James rim-runs extremely well. He’s a lob threat with instincts as a rim protector. James is a special shot-blocking presence.” Scott highlighted a lot of ability at camp, and should only continue to collect scholarships over the next few years at Seventy-First.”