UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) four-star power forward Donta Scott has shown in recent weeks why he could end up being Maryland’s most impactful player in the Terps’ 2019 class.
After leading Imhotep to a Pennsylvania 4A state championship March 21 via an 11-point win over Bonner-Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.) in a rematch of the Philadelphia city title game in which Scott’s team lost in overtime, the Rivals150 recruit traveled to the DMV, where he will soon call home, to compete in the DMVelite Nations Classic at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School (Upper Marlboro, Md.) April 6.
Scott finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists at the Nations Classic, competing against fellow 2019 Maryland commits Makhi and Makhel Mitchell. He showed off his ability to play point-forward by handling and distributing the ball as well as his shooting range by going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
But all-star games can only hold so much weight, and Scott believes his performance in his high school state title game is more telling of the type of player the Terps are getting. Scott scored a team-high 20 points and was dominant down the stretch as his team avenged a loss to Bonner-Prendergast from a few weeks prior. In the first meeting between the two Philly powerhouses, Scott scored a team-high 19 points but was underutilized late in a close game. His team learned from that questionable game plan and redeemed itself when all the chips were on the line.
“It kind of felt better because they started swinging the ball my way more than in the first previous game, so I think I have my biggest impact when they actually pass me the ball and I can help my team out,” Scott told TSR. “In the first game, they didn’t really give me the ball and they probably should have a little bit, but the second time they figured it out and got me involved and we started getting in a groove and getting on a roll.”
Because of his diverse skill set that creates all kinds of matchup problems for opposing teams, Scott is the type of player you want with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. More importantly, he’s the type of person who wants to be put in that situation.
“I’m willing to score in all three places--in the paint, from the wing, mid-range, so I just like having the ball in my hands at the end of the game and be making the decisions,” Scott said.
Scott understands that he will have to work his way into that role at the next level, but he’s excited about the roster Maryland projects to be returning and believes he can contribute next year right away because of his versatility of defense and ability to score.
“I feel like we can go far (next season) as long as we have the mindset of playing hard for our coach,” Scott said. “As far as me as a player, I feel like I’m going to take on a big defensive role. Sometimes I’ll step up and play defense on a point guard and sometimes I’ll be sticking a big man that’s a lot bigger. Other than that, I’m just going to ball out and put myself in position to score.”
Scott receives plenty of attention for his scoring, but said he prides himself on his “intensity on defense,” which he believes will carry him at the next level and help him see the floor early in College Park.
“People always talk about how I’m an all-around player but they mostly talk about my offense, but my defense is what sparks my offense,” Scott said.
Scott is currently measuring at about 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds. He said some coaches want to see him at around 240 pounds by next college basketball season, but Scott wants to make sure he’s able to keep his quickness and bounce while putting on bulk.
His work to prepare for the college game will start with the Terps this summer, and Scott is eager to get to Maryland to get the next chapter in his basketball career underway.
“I’m probably going to take some summer classes to get them out of the way early and then I’m going to be working out down [in College Park], getting stronger,” Scott said. “I’m going to get on the right workout plan and right eating plan so I can go into the season ready and focused to win a championship.”
Scott’s preparation for a national title run begins with building chemistry with his incoming teammates, the Mitchell twins. He had a chance to catch up with them once again at the Nations Classic and said their relationship is progressively getting stronger.
“It’s coming along really good,” Scott said. “Every time we come up [to College Park] we treat each other like family. We treat each other with the same respect that we expect each other to give. We always look out for each other and have each other’s back. We’re looking forward to having a fun time.”
