‘Zhy gets it’

There’s nothing Ryan Bond loves on the basketball court more than consistency.

Whether it’s walkthroughs in practice, weight room reps, or sharing the ball in the heat of a district game, he values players that show up time after time, with little deviation in their effort and execution.

He keeps his rotation tight for a reason and knows what he gets out of his regular starters, and the four reserves who come off the bench. Ruston’s standards are high, and Bond isn’t willing to hope and pray in a player to get it when the lights are brightest.

It’s why he loves Zhy Scott and the unwavering consistency he brings.

Ruston’s goal is clear: win a state championship. But without Scott, Bond isn’t sure Ruston would have as nearly strong of a chance.

Scott, a senior forward, is averaging 10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds – both career highs – and holds a 2.0 assist- to-turnover ratio during the team’s 11-game win streak.

Through two district games – both blowout wins – Scott has averaged 8 points on 57% shooting, along with 2.5 steals. And when the Bearcats ran into foul trouble Tuesday against a tough Arcadia team, there was Scott to the rescue with 14 second half points with a team-high 9 field goals to help secure a 15-point win.

“There are not enough good things you can say about Zhy Scott,” Bond said. “He gets it. He gets it in the classroom. He gets it in the weight room. He gets in here. He gets it over on the football field. He plays hard. He’s got every attribute that you want in a player. He’s physical.

“He’s not afraid of the moment on either end of the floor. We all love him. His team-mates love him,” Bond continued. “ We love him as coaches. Football coaches love him. He’s just a tremendous kid.”

Scott has reached double figures in nine of his 13 games played this season, and lights up when the Bearcats get into physical matchups, according to Bond.

Ask Scott himself, and that assessment holds true. He knows his role is to clean up the glass, be a force inside and defend at a high level.

He doesn’t see himself as the key puzzle piece like Bond does. He just wants to scrap and put his best foot forward whenever he’s asked to deliver for his team.

“I just like playing physical. I like playing hard,” Scott said. “ I definitely had to grow into it though — probably 10th grade I was playing kids that were bigger than me. I had to play harder.”

For as quiet as Scott comes off in non-competitive settings, he’s the loudest on the floor for the Bearcats when the whistle sounds.

Scott actively alerts his teammates when they’re on an island defensively, when a screen is coming, or when he’s looking to make a pass.

Consistent communication is the cherry on top for Bond, who harps to his players they need to get each other involved, talk, and get through adversity together. Scott is one of the leaders in making that happen.

“He talks constantly. He is the vocal leader out there with Aidan. They need to be talking,” Bond said. “He’s really come into his own, especially the last couple years. He doesn’t say a lot but whenever he does, you better be listening and it’s important. The guys respect him.

“When I remind the team to talk, he’s the first one, the loudest win. It’s an invaluable skill. The kids might not realize it, but communication is a skill just like dribbling and shooting and playing hard are skills. Too many times, they think scoring points and threes and dunks is all. As coaches, we look for those communicators and guys that give 100%,” he added.

But how does Scott get through to teammates when he’s otherwise a quiet character who puts his head down and works? Bond said his voice makes no difference. It’s what he does when he thinks no one’s looking that forces teammates to pay attention.

“They know what he does. They see what he does daily. They see the amount of work he puts in every drill, every time we go in the weight room he’s working his tail off,” Bond said. “That’s why they respect him. That’s why we as coaches respect him. He’s a leader. Fortunately, we have a lot of guys like that, but Zhy stands out as far as being the locker-room guy. It’s cliché but they’re key to your team being successful.”

Noticing Scott’s effort and impact has gone beyond the locker room too.

“Even my wife when she comes to the games, and she likes all the guys, but she always tells me, ‘I just love watching Zhy Scott play,’” Bond said.