Memphis is showing early interest in North Texas transfer Aaron Scott, a source tells Hitmen Hoops.
Scott’s two-way ability is expected to garner him significant attention in the transfer portal as teams like Memphis look to construct their rosters.
Who is Scott, and why is he so impactful?
Who is Aaron Scott?
Aaron Scott is a 6’7 junior forward with one year of eligibility remaining. He has spent all three seasons of his career with North Texas and has improved his game every year. Scott has started 72 games for the Mean Green over the last two seasons.
The Spring, Texas native averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game this season. Scott shot 41.9% from the field, 37.0% from three, and 78.9% from the free throw line.
Despite playing similar minutes to the year prior, he played a much larger offensive role for North Texas in his junior season. This increased usage rate caused his offensive efficiency to dip in his final season with the Mean Green.
Scott’s Game
Scott is primarily known for his defensive prowess. He graded out extremely well in multiple areas on that end of the court. At 6’7, 200 pounds, his length and athleticism offer him plenty of defensive versatility, with Scott comfortable guarding multiple positions.
The North Texas forward is a very instinctual defender, always knowledgeable of the man and the ball and consistently in the right position on the court. His athleticism, intelligence, and awareness allowed him to collect a 5.4% block rate this season. Scott knows how to stay vertical when contesting offensive players around the rim and is not pushed around by bigger players.
He is very effective with closeouts, always chopping his feet and staying active with his hands. He graded out well in defending spot ups, limiting the opposition to 0.784 points per possession. Scott keeps his hips in line with the offensive player and consistently prevents dribble penetration, often forcing opposing players to guarded, mid-range jump shots.
Scott is also good at navigating traffic defensively, maneuvering around screens and blowing up dribble hand offs. He knows the scout well, often showcasing his knowledge of opposing sets and ensuring shooters don’t find openings on the perimeter through his effort and communication.
Offensive Skillset
Offensively, Scott enjoys operating as a face up offensive player. He is best on the right side of the court, where he can get to his strong hand easily.
Scott has a good feel for the game and consistently knows where the open space on the court is. He is effective off-ball, knowing when to pounce from the weakside short corner to cut to the rim for wide open finishes at the rim. Scott also was a good playmaker for a forward of his size, showing the ability to make tight passes and consistently finding open teammates on the drive. He finished his junior campaign with a 11.9% assist rate.
Scott found some of his best usage in the pick and pop action. Scott navigated to open space in the midrange or on the perimeter and quickly rose up for jumpshots. He scored 0.98 points per possession on those plays in his junior campaign.
The junior was effective in spot up situations this season. He scored 1.04 points per possession in those situations, ranking in the 73rd percentile. He uses his quick first step and long strides to take advantage of poor closeouts and get to the rim.
Scott, too, possessed solid shot versatility in a North Texas uniform. He was very comfortable out of the post, scoring 0.87 points per possession on post ups this season. Scott loves going to work on the right baseline. Here, he can either get to his turn around fadeaway jumper, or bully smaller defenders with his size down low for paint finishes.
Good Shooter, Limited Creator
Scott was very good in catch and shoot situations this season. He consistently connected on perimeter jump shots with or without a hand in his face. Possessing a solid, compact form, he finished with a 54.9 eFG% on catch and shoot jump shots, including a 53.2 eFG% on guarded shots. Furthermore, Scott demonstrated an understanding of space on the perimeter, moving off the ball to find himself open for three-point attempts.
He, however, struggled offensively in a bigger role this season when tasked to create with the ball in his hands. Scott had limited possessions as a pick and roll ball handler and in isolation. He often tried to create as a face-up player in the mid range, where he struggled to connect on shots off the dribble. Scott had a 22 eFG% on off-dribble jump shots, a very poor mark.
Other Suitors
Despite his limitations as an offensive creator, Scott is still expected to be highly sought after in the transfer portal. He is able to mitigate his offensive weaknesses with his intelligence and feel for the game.
In its early stages, the outlook of Aaron Scott’s recruitment is not known. However, due to his ability to contribute to winning basketball on both ends of the court, expect Memphis to have competition for his services.
Memphis immediately reached out to Scott when he hit the portal, but will that be enough for the Tigers to land the North Texas forward?
