Durand Scott Plays in Portsmouth Invitational
Miami guard and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Durand Scott accepted an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia from April 10-13 and was selected to play for team Cherry Bekaert.
Scott and Cherry Bekaert won its first game of the tournament, defeating Sales Systems, Ltd. by a score of 81-74. Scott, a 6-3 defensive-minded guard, put up 10 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and a steal in Cherry Bekaert’s win.
Cherry Bekaert lost its second game of the tournament, losing in the semifinals to Roger Brown’s Restaruant in a closely contested 68-67 game. Durand Scott led the team in points, scoring 12, and also posted three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
The Portsmouth Invitational is the oldest amateur basketball tournament and the one and only postseason NCAA camp dedicated to seniors exclusively. The tournament is conducted on a voluntary basis and all money raised through ticket sales and sponsorships at the tournament are put towards providing scholarships for high school students in Portsmouth, Va.
Despite the tournament’s charitable nature, Durand Scott will showcase his skills and competitive nature with the hope of using this pre-draft camp as a stepping-stone into the NBA.
History of the P.I.T. (courtesy www.portsmouthinvitational.com)
Each year for 60 years the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball players (seniors) from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team. The tournament drew the attention of NBA Scouts and General Managers in the mid-70’s when players like Dave Cowens, John Lucas, Walt Szczerbiak and Bobby Cremins came to Portsmouth to play. Soon the word spread and approximately 200 Scouts, General Managers and Representatives of all 30 NBA teams began to come to see players like John Stockton, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen and others. Today scouts from numerous international leagues have joined in on the annual April pilgrimage to Portsmouth. Over the years the P.I.T. has been a showcase for five of the 50 greatest players in NBA History (Rick Barry, Earl ‘The Pearl” Monroe, Dave Cowens, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen) and for many others who have gone on to NBA stardom.
