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him, and he knows that. The bottom line is he just 20-point win at Wayne. wants to win." "It looks like I'm bullying guys, because I can be so physical with how I play. That's my body type," said Scott, who averaged more than three STEPHENS steals per game as a junior. "I don't think it's rePERSEVERING ally going to affect me in college, because I feel Kendall Stephens, another of Purdue's 2013 that's what Matt Painter likes, guys that get up freshmen-to-be, will play as long as he can this into guys and get in their face, but I have to learn season before undergoing surgery to repair the not to foul." torn labrum he sustained in his right shoulder Part of that will be keeping a level head. prior to the season. Scott's competitive, highly emotional nature In the meantime, the shooting guard is playdoes sometimes get the better of him. ing for his St. Charles (Ill.) East team — and playOn occasion for him, frustration has bred ing very well — knowing he might not get through frustration, a missed shot sometimes leading to the entire season before he'll have to shut down another, a turnover sometimes leading to another, and go under the knife. and so on. Or technical fouls. Estimated recovery time for the procedure Depending on who you believe, it was a brief Stephens is expected to have to undergo is six encounter with an opposing coach in the postseamonths. He will enroll at Purdue in June. son last year — Scott chased a loose ball into the So the calendar is being closely considered. opposing bench area — that cost him an honor he "He has to do what he feels is best for himwas very much entitled to. self and for his family, but it is a difficult thing, In the summer, Scott — obviously one of the because you want the best of both worlds," Painter elite players in his class in the state — was left said after it was determined Stephens wouldn't off the Indiana junior all-star team's six-man core immediately undergo season-ending surgery to team, reserved for the half dozen finest players in give himself the most time to recover prior to colthe state's rising-junior class every year. lege. "You want to play out your high school seaIt was an egregious slight for a player unison, and you also want to be ready for college. He versally considered a top-100 prospect nationally, is eager to do that, but he also is eager to do some whose numbers and whose team's success would special things (as a high school senior)." stack up with anyone in the state, regardless of The 6-5 shooter is showing few ill effects of the class. injury, averaging 20.3 points through eight games. Tom Campbell It's a sign of disrespect tattooed into Scott's When Painter traveled to Chicagoland for one consciousness, a slight he carries with him to Despite his torn labrum, Kendall Stephens is making the best of of Stephens' first games this season, the coach his senior season averaging 20.3 points per game through eight this day and probably won't soon forget. He may contests. said it was, "the best I've seen him." never. For Stephens, it was obviously important to get ketball and not worry about trying to be the star, and just It's the sort of thing that kicks into gear Scott's to play this season. hyper-active competitiveness, his way of processing worry about helping my team." "It's a cliché but when you're put in a situation like That is precisely what he'll be asked to do next that, it hits home a little bit," he said. "When you go negative and using it as motivation. Scott openly talks about the importance of "calming season. in and it maybe hurts a little bit, it reminds you what It's months away, but in 2013, Purdue will return a you're playing for and your love for the game and how himself down." Davis, his former AAU teammate and future Purdue teammate, said he's known of Scott's team that should be both talented and seasoned. fast it can all be taken from you." Scott will not be asked to be a star right away, but parents urging him to not put pressure on himself. But such is the complexity of Scott, a really, really rather to fill a role and play to his strengths. The BoilerSMOTHERMAN good basketball player hell bent on never settling for makers will need help in their backcourt. PLAYING WELL "It's going to be an adjustment, but I just have to go just "good." Signee Basil Smotherman enjoyed a big summer "It's what makes him who he is. He wouldn't be go- in there and be a great teammate and listen to every- and thus far has carried over that momentum into his ing to Purdue if he didn't have that fire and intensity thing everybody's telling me," Scott said. "I have to take senior season at Lawrence North in Indianapolis. you love as a coach," Coolman said. "You mature as you the bumps and bruises just like every freshman and try The 6-6, now-225-pound forward dominated the get older and you learn to handle it better. You should to learn. I just have to be the best basketball player I can first half of LN's recent win over cross-town rival Lawhave seen the stories about him as an elementary be and hopefully find some minutes for myself." rence Central, finishing with 15 points. In a loss to Scott will almost certainly struggle at times. All Chicago Morgan Park, the Wildcat's first loss in six school kid. He's growing up. "That's what people forget: He's an 18-year-old kid freshmen do. games, Smotherman finished with a game-high 18. It's how he handles that part of it that might determine who has all the same feelings every 18-year-old kid has, Now in his second season at Lawrence North afonly he's been blessed with a tremendous ability to play how quickly he can live up to his billing in West Lafayette. ter he transferred in last year, Smotherman said he's "We talk about it all the time," Coolman said. more comfortable this season. basketball. It's a lot of pressure. Since second grade, he's been told he's really good, so there's this reputation "There's going to be a learning curve. But the best That's shown in the added aggressiveness he's thing about Bryson is he wants to be so good, he's go- playing with, particularly when it's come to attackhe feels he has to live up to. That's been hard." But that's yet another good problem to have, ing to be willing to do whatever it takes to get on the ing the basket on offense. possessing the ability to reasonably held to such an court and get minutes. When he finds himself sitting "Every game you go out there, you have to bring on the bench, he will say, 'I'm going to fix it and I'm go- it," Smotherman said. "You can't just come out one expectation. "I like that pressure, when people hold me to high ing to fight.' He's such a competitor, when he finds out game and just explode and not come back the next standards," Scott said. "I like living up to those things. something's not working, he's going to become thirsty game and keep going. You have to keep scoring and But sometimes I need to just go out there and play bas- for that knowledge. He's going to have to let it come to keep doing little things." j GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED • VOLUME 23, ISSUE 3 • 47