The following series will focus on some of the best players in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area encompassing District 12 (Philly Catholic and Public leagues) and District 1 (Suburban Philly) as well as some other top players in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey (South Jersey to be precise). We’ll start in the 2019 class as these young men get set for their last grassroots opportunities to make an impression on college coaches.
Donta Scott 6’7” Imhotep Charter (Philly Pride) – Scott is a high level athlete with speed, quickness and stamina that can beat you in multiple ways and one who places more emphasis on getting the win as opposed to piling up individual stats. This was never more evident than in the PIAA 4A state title game win vs. Sharon HS when he constantly passed up open looks to dish the rock for better shots compiling 7asts in the contest. Despite an all SE Pa. all area 1st team nod and the Philly Pub’s POY award there were some that thought Donta had a mediocre year and that couldn’t be further from the truth based on the Panthers 31-2 record. On the plus side Scott is above average as a ball handler and frequently plays kind of a point forward role due to his ability to maintain control of the basketball as well as see the court and handle pressure. He also is a good shooter who can penetrate to the cup thru contact or pull up and knock down the jumper from inside or outside the arc. He has the ability to drain shots off the catch and can create his shot off the dribble although he can improve in both those areas. If he struggled in any capacity last season it was his shooting stroke as he had plenty of ups and downs in that department but on a team with multiple guys that can score the ball Scott had the chance to show off his passing ability with perfectly timed lobs or laser like feeds to cutters resulting in layups or short jumpers. His penchant for getting inside also serves him well as he has great feel for when to draw the defender then kick it out for the open trey. Another strength is his rebounding ability as he possesses great instincts and he can anticipate the ball coming off the rim then he goes after it with his quick athletic bounce. He also uses his strong frame to box out his man creating board opportunities for his teammates as well. From a defensive point of view this young man can guard the wing positions and can hold his own down on the block against like sized bigs. Imhotep prides itself on their defensive intensity and Scott buys into that with some gusto. He plays tight in his opponents jersey type D especially in on ball situations. He is a slick help defender with the ability to close out quickly on perimeter shooters and shows some real moxie in recovering from a screening action to track down his man. I’ve seen him hustle downcourt and not give up on a play to get blocks or forced shots when most players would not risk the thought of picking up a foul. Simply put he plays defense because it helps to achieve the ultimate goal which is winning. If your looking on the minus side he is sometimes loose with the ball going to his left (off hand) but he seldom over dribbles to compensate. His shooting stroke is erratic but keep in mind that he led the Panthers in 3 point % as a Sophomore so it may be a question of tweaking his mechanics to improve his overall percentage. I have noticed that he generally squares up nicely in off the catch situations but sometimes rushes the shot and he will at times drift a bit when getting a shot off the dribble which again can be corrected with more attention to detail in his mechanics. You can toss these superlatives around all day but Scott has some great qualities like toughness, focus, attitude and a fine work ethic combined with good court sense and a dedication to team play and it’s easy to see why local schools like St. Joe’s and Temple want to keep him in town but national schools like Georgetown, South Carolina and U Conn are trying to pry him out of the City of Brotherly Love and I suspect with a more focused approach this spring and summer he will see that list continue to grow.