The Scott’s All-Stars sixth-grade basketball team finished with a 4-2 record at the national tournament July 12-15 in Hampton, Va.
“This team did better than any other SAS team at nationals in the team’s three-year history,” founder and coach Marcus Scott IV said. “This is my first year coaching the team, but I felt being on the sideline as the president, assisting coach Darrell West and having three kids that went multiple years to nationals helped our confidence.”
Scott said the team was three wins away from bringing home the title.
“We finished as one of the top eight teams in the nation,” Scott said. “I think it is remarkable for our team to be considered one of the best sixth-grade teams in the nation.”
Scott said other coaches recognized his team’s athletic ability.
“Our team was smaller than most teams, but we were able to compete with bigger and, in most cases, older kids,” he said.
Scott said his team has several sharp shooters who can put up points and hit 3-point shots throughout the tournament.
“Making 3-pointers and free throws was the key to our success, Scott said. “However, like shooting teams, when you live by the jump shot, unfortunately, you die by the jump shot. In the game before what would have been the medal round, we couldn’t hit open shots and was not as aggressive on defense. Defense wins championship, so that’s definitely a focal point for next season.”
He said he would like to recruit bigger players.
“Unlike most programs, recruiting kids for us is more difficult,” he said. “We don’t only want kids that can play basketball but kids that are committed to the values of SAS program.”
He said there are players who are fundamentally sound in basketball but don’t want to commit to community-service hours, tour colleges while traveling at tournaments or maintain the B grade average that is required for an All-Star player.
“It is so much easier for them to play with other programs that don’t have these standards,” Scott said. “Many teams at nationals are bigger because they have kids that repeated a grade. We don’t mind having a child in the program that had to repeat a grade in the past, but we make it clear to all potential players that failing classes is no longer an option.”
The sixth-grade team toured Hampton University; for some of the players it was their second tour, but for many, it was their first time visiting the campus.
“It was refreshing to see the returning players able to give our current students the tour of the campus this year,” Scott said.
The All-Stars will be in Virginia for another week to compete in AAU Division II nationals. They will end the season with a basketball camp July 30 at the Liberty County Recreation Department Youth Center in Riceboro.
On Aug. 3, they will honor their players at their annual banquet at Club Stewart.
Scott’s All-Stars results
SAS 47,
Virginia Squires 24
SAS: Humphreys 13, M. Scott 11, Jackson 7, Moser 6, I. Scott 6, Dandy 4, Barnhill 2, Jenkins 2, Beacoat 2

Ascend Ballers 56,
SAS 34
SAS: M. Scott 11; Humphreys 10, Moser 7, Dandy 6

SAS 63, North Carolina Sharp Shooters 53
SAS: Humphreys 20, M. Scott 18, Jackson 22, Barnhill 2, I. Scott 1
SAS 66,
Bowie Magics 58
SAS: M. Scott 22, Humphreys 19, Jackson 15, Moser 8, Barnhill 2

SAS 61,
Tidewater Select 58
SAS: M. Scott 20, Humphreys 15, Jackson 10, Moser 10, Barnhill 6

Triangle Trailblazers 64, SAS 50
SAS: Jackson 19, Humphreys 17, M. Scott 5, Dandy 5, Moser 2, Barnhill 2