Returning Player Refresher: Trevon Scott

This is the year that Trevon Scott will decide what kind of player he wants to be. Thanks to his build and athleticism, Scott can do a lot of different things on a basketball court.

At 6’8”, he has length to be a ferocious rebounder. During his first two seasons with the Cincinnati Bearcats, he has averaged 10.7 rebounds per 40 minutes with a solid mark in total rebounding percentage (15.4). He made strides forward as a sophomore, and ended up with 17.2 boards per 100 possessions while ranking third on the team in rebounding percentage.

Scott also has the wingspan necessary to be menace in rim protection. This is an area that could use some improvement, especially as he settles into a starting role. Scott only had 0.9 blocks per 100 possessions last season, which was down considerably from his freshman season. It’s possible that small sample size is the culprit, but we’ll see this year if more time will lead to more rejections.

Even without the blocks, Scott can still be a defensive maestro. His versatility allows him to clash with frontcourt opponents, interrupt passing lanes and hassle backcourt players. His defense has only gotten better with time, as his 86.9 defensive rating last year was better than an already excellent 89.3 the year before.

Then there’s Scott’s offensive game, which still needs polish, but is better than you might think. As the seventh or eighth scoring option on the team, Scott still posted an offensive rating of 119.7 last year, which was actually three points better than leading scorer Jacob Evans.

Scott’s offensive contributions were enhanced by smart shot selection and budding court vision. Starting with that first point, while his scoring rates went down between his first two seasons, Scott’s efficiency went up. His true shooting percentage (.571) and effective field goal percentage (.554) were both career-highs, showing continued development in scoring around the rim and even a little expanded range. As for his passing ability, Scott isn’t about to start at point guard, but he flashed a real ability to make the extra pass, collecting at least three assists in six games. When you consider he was playing only 12.5 minutes per game, that’s more than pretty good.

Based on what we saw over the summer, Scott is prepared to take on a much larger offensive role this year. He averaged seven shots and eight points per game during three exhibitions contests and was pushing more than 25 minutes each time out.

The pieces are all there for Scott to be a breakout player. Ultimately, what he needs to be is a solid enough replacement for Gary Clark and Kyle Washington, but if he can be more than that, the Bearcats will have another star to lean on.