Scott signs with Ga. Southern
Matt Scott wants something he's never had: A chance to play for a winning team.
Lakeside basketball player Matt Scott talks to members of the media after signing a scholarship to play for Georgia Southern University.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
That's exactly what the Lakeside High School senior got when he signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play basketball for Georgia Southern University.
"They were 22-8 last year, so that's one of the reasons I wanted to play with them," he said. "They have a winning program and I haven't had a chance to play on a winning program."
Despite the 18-year-old's hardwood skills, the Panthers were 12-14 last season. Had it not been for Scott, Lakeside basketball coach Richie Carnes admits it could have been worse.
"We never lost more than four games in a row and a lot of that is due to Matt," he said. "He's an exciting player. A lot of people came to games to watch him play and would cheer for the team. That, in turn, would motivate them to play better."
At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Scott expects to easily slide right into Georgia Southern's shooting guard position. He relishes the opportunity.
"They are a good fit for me," he said. "They want to utilize my shooting ability and I'm all for that."
Shooting is something Scott excels at doing. The numbers prove it.
He is the only player in Columbia County history to accumulate more than 2,000 points in a high school career. A three-time All-County player, he was recently named MVP for his 17-point performance at the CSRA All-Star Game.
"He's definitely not afraid to pull up and shoot," Scott's father, Mike Scott, said. "He wants the chance to make the big plays, but he also knows he needs to work on his conditioning."
Hard work is nothing new to Scott, his father said.
"Over the summer, he would get up at 5 a.m. to train" Mr. Scott said. "He wants to be a great basketball player and I think he has the drive to make it happen."