Take two for Tapé
Former Columbia standout Patrick Tapé decommitted from Duke, 247Sports reported Thursday, just nine days after the Charlotte, N.C. native reportedly chose Duke over Syracuse, USC and Ohio State, citing close proximity to his family.
Tapé will be immediately eligible after sitting out this season, as his loss proved a significant blow for the Lions. Tapé averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in three seasons for Columbia, establishing himself as a strong inside presence and efficient scorer. He was an All-Ivy honorable mention as a junior in 2018-19, averaging 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest.
Forrest heads for Hawk Hill
Another former Columbia standout, Jack Forrest, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he will transfer to St. Joseph’s. The Bala Cynwyd, Pa. native and Lower Merion High School product averaged 8.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his rookie campaign, including a season-high 23 points in Columbia’s lone conference win in the Ivy opener against Cornell.
It’s Joe time again
Joe Scott is head coach of Air Force men’s basketball – again. Air Force announced Tuesday that the Princeton ’87 graduate would lead the Falcons again after having done so from 2000 to 2004, compiling a 57-83 record in that span that concluded in 2003-04 with the Falcons’ only Mountain West regular season title, first NCAA tournament appearance in 42 years and a then-school-record 22 wins.
Scott then took over at Princeton, going 38-45 (18-24 Ivy) in three seasons. The Tigers had the lowest adjusted offensive efficiency in Division I in 2006-07 and went 2-12 in conference action. Scott subsequently left to take over at Denver, where he led the program for nine seasons, going 146-132 and leading the program to a school-record 22 Division I victories in 2012 and 2013 before he was fired in 2016. Scott then served for two seasons as an assistant at Holy Cross under Bill Carmody, under whom he was also an assistant at Princeton from 1996 to 2000. Scott, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Georgia, had been an assistant under Pete Carril at Princeton from 1992 to 1996.
The husband of the former Leah Sparagen, Princeton ’92, a four-year starter at point guard for the Tigers and former Princeton, Dartmouth and Arizona State assistant, Scott was a two-time All-Ivy point guard himself at Princeton. Scott hit what was then a school-record 59 three-pointers as a senior and is ranked seventh in program history in steals.
Scott’s teams have always played at among the slowest tempos in Division I, so the Falcons are poised to take their time under his watch.
Testing the NBA Draft waters
Yale junior forward Paul Atkinson and Brown junior forward Tamenang Choh both announced this week that they will declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining college eligibility. Atkinson was named Ivy Co-Player of the Year this past season, finishing third in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, first in free-throw percentage, seventh in steals and 10th in blocks. The West Palm Beach, Fla. native finished second in Ivy play in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. Choh finished 11th in the league in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in assists, leading the conference in fouls drawn per 40 minutes.
Joe Scott was a gritty, in-your-face pest as a player who valued winning above all else. In his coaching career he has enjoyed the least success of any of the offspring from the Carril Cradle. His longevity, however, suggests there is a great deal more to his story. Ironically, he took the Air Force job the first time without knowing that Bill Carmody would soon depart for Northwestern. Otherwise he might have been the Tiger skipper earlier. I certainly wish him the best. I know he loves the Rockies.