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Scott chooses Tigers
Published December 5, 2009
DOUGLAS — A Nov. 21 visit to the Plains helped Jacey Scott take the final step in securing her future.
Scott, a 5-foot-9 freshman, made Douglas basketball history by verbally committing to play for Nell Fortner’s Auburn Tigers.
She’s the first Eagle to commit as a freshman, and she could be the first in Marshall County history to receive such an early scholarship offer from a Division I program.
The daughter of Keith and Vicky Scott, Jacey is averaging 19.6 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals per game this season.
“The first week I just kept thinking, ‘OK, did that really just happen?’” Scott said.
“Dad and I had talked about if I was offered would I commit early and to who would I commit early, and Auburn was definitely one of the ones I would commit early to.
“When they offered I was still in shock, because that was one of the things we had talked about, just dreaming, (what) if they did.
“And then they did, and we were in shock. We thought about it for a couple of weeks and prayed about it.”
Scott realizes Fortner took a chance in offering her a scholarship because she has three years left in high school, but she plans to work hard and not disappoint her future coach.
“Every time I went down there, if it was for team camp or just to watch a game, they always treated me just like I was part of them,” Scott said.
“They invited me to practices, to their workouts … I was one of them. Whenever I went down there, not just Coach Fortner, but all the players knew me by name, and all of the coaching staff … ‘Hey Jacey, hey Jacey.’ They just made me feel very at home.”
When Scott shared her news with Fortner, the coach’s reaction provided reassurance for Scott about her decision.
“She was very excited and happy,” Scott said. “Actually when I told her she said, ‘Did you just verbally commit to Auburn?’ And then she just screamed ‘War Eagle’ in the gym. It was a very home-like feeling.”
One of Auburn’s current starters is junior guard Alli Smalley, a former Arab star.
Scott never faced Smalley in high school, and the two won’t play together at Auburn.
“Our paths have been very similar,” Scott said. “We didn’t try to be like Alli, but that’s just the way things have fallen.
“We play on the same AAU team. We never played together, but when she left, I then went to that team.”
Scott plays for the Birmingham-based Nike Roadrunners.
Three of her AAU teammates signed scholarships in November. Both Kaneisha Horn, of Ramsay, and Khristian Lee, of Erwin, inked with Alabama while Peyton Davis, of Mortimer Jordan, signed with Auburn.
Scott looks forward to playing in Auburn Arena, the $92.5 million facility that will open in 2010.
“The new facility they’re getting is amazing, and I’ll be there while it’s still new,” she said. “They took us in there, and that was just amazing.”
Scott has received information from almost all of the SEC and ACC teams. She visited ACC member Florida State.
“I had gone to Florida State and they were nice and they had nice facilities down there, but that was so far away, and as home-like as they can treat you in college, it’s still not the same as home,” she said.
“Auburn is just so much closer, and they already treat me so much like their family, and then I’m still that much closer to my real family. It’s not going to be like I’m leaving my family.”
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