Scroggins spicing up the Cougars' court
Jan. 13, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Jimmy Scroggins has brought a certain flair to the University of Regina Cougars men's basketball team.
Take Tuesday, for example. Scroggins -- a 21-year-old product of Phoenix who arrived in Regina on Jan. 3 to join the Cougars -- was wearing a pair of green-and-white-striped knee socks with a picture of the green M&M on the front during the Cougars' practice at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport.
"You'll probably see me out here in pink striped socks or stars and stripes," the 6-foot-2 wing said with a grin when asked about his apparel. "I have some Dora the Explorer socks that I wore the other day. Coach said, 'Don't wear those in a game. Practice is all right, though.'
"That's just me. I try to be inspiring and uplifting for the guys. If they're down for whatever reason, I'm going to try to help them in any way I can."
That goes beyond his choice of socks and onto the basketball court.
"He's athletic, he's quick, he finishes well and he defends like crazy," Cougars head coach James Hillis said. "He gets up on you and can defend all over the court. Those are all things we need to get done. He does some things that other guys can't. That's why we wanted him."
"I'll do whatever the coach wants," Scroggins added. "If Coach puts me on the floor and says, 'Don't let No. 26 touch the ball,' I'm going to try to keep No. 26 from touching the ball. If he wants me to dive on the ground, I'll dive on the ground.
"I'll try to bring energy and excitement and competitiveness to the team. I'm going to compete every day. Whether it's the best guys on the team or the guys who aren't the best on the team, I'm going to push them."
Scroggins spent two seasons with the Bakersfield (Calif.) College Renegades before going to Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Due to some injury issues, he didn't play for the Mustangs -- and he wasn't eligible to do so until this month because of some academic problems. That prompted him to consider a move.
"I just got tired of the whole running around," Scroggins said. "I felt there was something else I could be doing."
So he started looking.
"I actually went on the Internet," he continued. "I looked at Calgary because I saw that they were in first place (in Canada West). I thought, 'They're 9-and-2; why would I go to Regina?' But I contacted them here and the University of Toronto to see if they were interested."
Scroggins knows Cougars rookie Darius Mole -- "He's kind of like a little brother to me," Scroggins said -- so that was a plus for the Cougars. As well, Cougars star Jamal Williams and assistant coach Steve Burrows met with Scroggins during visits to Phoenix over the holidays.
All of those factors helped convince Scroggins to join the Cougars, who just happened to have an open spot on their roster after Danny LeBeck -- who sat out the first half of the 2009-10 Canada West season -- decided to leave the team after the first semester.
"I'm a firm believer in all things happening for a reason," said Scroggins, who was eligible to play as soon as he landed in Regina. "I tie it in with the grace of God. Things went so smoothly."
Just four days after arriving in Regina, Scroggins flew with the Cougars to Vancouver on Thursday. He came off the bench to score nine points and register six steals in Friday's 97-70 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds, and added 12 points as a reserve in Saturday's 76-74 defeat at the hands of the host Victoria Vikes.
"We ran a fairly limited playbook when he was on the floor," Hillis said. "But at the same time, it was a much bigger playbook than I would have expected. You can tell he has played a lot of basketball."
His next chance is Friday, when Regina is to open a two-game series against the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.