July 8, 2005
Since walking on to the Bronco men's basketball team in the fall of 2002, Santa Clara University junior Scott Dougherty has been a key member of Coach Dick Davey's program.
He redshirted that freshman season to help make the difficult transition to playing on the college level and also served as a reserve pitcher on the SCU baseball team.
In the last two years Dougherty has seen action in 49 games and earned a starting position four times. He scored a career-high 13 points twice, including against local rival San Jose State. After last season, Davey rewarded Dougherty with a scholarship.
A native of Portland, Ore., Dougherty had the fortune of playing in the final game at Gonzaga's Martin Centre. A noteworthy accomplishment since his father, John, played in the first game in the building in 1966.
SantaClaraBroncos.com caught up with Dougherty following a day of working summer camps.
What are you up to this summer?
"I am just hanging around here and working summer camps. I find it's a lot easier to stay in shape and work on basketball while I'm here. It's also good to be around the guys on the team. It's a good bonding experience. It is also great to be around some of the new guys, since Calvin (Johnson) and John (Bryant) are around. We can get together and develop a rapport. I will be going home to Portland every now and then for visit my parents. I'm also going to Bend (Ore.) to visit my buddy Scott Lonergan, who is playing summer ball with the Bend Elks (of the Pacific International League)."
How does it feel to have earned a scholarship after walking on to the SCU program?
"No doubt I am thrilled to earn a scholarship. It is a validation that I've been working hard and that I am capable of being a real contributor to this program. I certainly need to continue to prove myself, but it is a good feeling to know that the coaches have confidence in me. While I was a walk-on, I never really felt any different than anybody else on the team. I think we have a team environment in which everyone is equal. I believe I belong here and I'm going to continue to work hard to help us achieve our team goals."
Are you taking classes this summer?
"During the second summer session I'm taking a human anatomy class that is only offered during the summer here at Santa Clara. I'll need that class ultimately as part of my preparation for dental school. I might also take an economics class as part of my business major. I'm also studying for the DAT (Dental Admission Test) to get into dental school after I graduate."
You seem to enjoy working summer camp. What about camp do you enjoy the most?
"My favorite part of working camp is having campers in multiple sessions. We finished guard camp then had a team camp right afterwards and there were some guys that went to both. It was fun to see them again and remember their names and see them improve. I like working with kids and teaching them the game of basketball. I remember all the help that people gave me when I was younger, whether it was my dad, coach, older brother or camp counselors. I suppose in some way I like returning the favor."
How about next year's Broncos? What do you think about the upcoming season?
"Without a doubt next year we will have a younger team, but I don't that that is necessarily going to be a bad thing. We only graduate Travis and Tristan from next year's team. I think Calvin, John, Cliff (Sammett) and the other young guys will have a chance to play and contribute right away. I'm sure we will play a different style of game with a lot of different sets. We'll set a lot of screens and play the style of defense that Coach Davey is known for. I think we'll also play more of a style that involves everyone since we don't necessarily have a Kyle (Bailey) or Doron (Perkins) as a go-to guy. We'll probably pound it inside to Travis a lot since he's our main returning threat. Our goal remains the same, to make it to the NCAA Tournament. That's the goal of every college basketball player and we aren't any different in that. I think we've got the talent to be able to do that."