Scout team posts up with the best

By David Thackham
thackhamd@mytjnow.com

They don’t dress on game days, they’re not paid and they certainly don’t grab the headlines, but the Winthrop Lady Eagles women’s basketball scout team has been an integral part of the varsity squad’s success in 2012. And here’s the kicker: they’re all male. Eight men make up the typical practice team that the Lady Eagles face in their warm-ups. In this interview between The Johnsonian and one of those players, Tony Scott shares how the guys match up against the Lady Eagles, his projections for Winthrop in the Big South and who’s the toughest girl on the team to guard.

Coach Marlene Stollings began the scout team upon her introduction to the Lady Eagles this spring. Photo courtesy of Tony Scott 

The Johnsonian: How did you start getting involved in practices?

Tony Scott: When Coach Stollings was announced as the head coach last year, she told the team that she was interesting in having a scout team. I’ve known a few of the players for a while, so they asked me if I’d be interested and of course I was. When the semester started it was just a matter of getting in contact with the coaches and then other guys who wanted to help.

TJ: What does Coach Stollings like to have you and the others do, specifically? 

TS: In practice, we typically mimic the offensive or defensive strategy of an upcoming opponent. For example, we will learn several of their plays and run them against the Lady Eagles. Our goal is to provide a greater level of difficulty than the opposing team, which should make executing during in game situations easier for the ladies.

TJ: How much of a help is it to the players (especially someone like Diana Choibekova) to be defended, to come up against you guys, who are probably quicker or tougher than some of the team’s usual opponents?

TS: Based on feedback that I’ve received from the players, our participation has become vital to their success. They recognize that they typically will not have to play against people who are as tall, fast, strong, and sometimes skilled as we are. They also understand that being able to efficiently run their offense or get defensive stops against us, makes them that much better, and more prepared during games. In the case of Choibekova, we attempted to make it very difficult for her to receive the basketball and get open shots, because we know that the opponents will do the same. Having quicker and taller defenders is teaching her to use off-ball picks, pump fakes and jab steps to create enough space for a quality jump shot.

TJ: What’s your favorite basketball position?

TS: In high school, I was a shooting guard, it is my favorite position. I’m not a great shooter, but scoring the basketball is definitely the strong point in my game.

TJ: Who’s the toughest women’s basketball player to guard?

TS: That is a tough question, and I can’t give you an exact answer because there is a tie. The two people that are most difficult are Diana and DeQuesha [McClanahan], for different reasons. DeQuesha is easily one of the quickest players that I’ve ever had to guard, which makes her tough to contain. In her position, Diana is constantly using ball screens, which are tough to get around, which makes staying close to her nearly impossible.

TJ: Where do you project Winthrop to finish in the Big South?

 TS: I’ve done some research on other schools in the Big South and I remember a few returning players, because I’ve attended a lot of the women’s games. Based, on what I’ve seen in practice I think that they can win the Big South if they play to their potential. I honestly think that the sky is the limit for them when they are truly executing.