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Those watching Louisville basketball play for the first time Thursday, when Pat Kelsey's Cardinals battle Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, are probably wondering why James Scott, No. 0, is wearing a mask.
Not just any mask, either — something that looks as if it came straight out of Hannibal Lecter's wardrobe.
"He's tough as nails when he has that thing on," Kelsey said.
"That dude's a dog," senior point guard Chucky Hepburn added.
This is the story of how Scott, a sophomore forward from Fayetteville, North Carolina, became known as "Silence of the Slams."
It's not just for show — and it's not fun to play in.
"No, sir," Scott said. "No, sir."
Early in the first half of a Feb. 8 win over Miami at the KFC Yum! Center, Scott was battling for a loose ball with Hurricanes forward Brandon Johnson when his face got smashed into Denny Crum Court.
When play stopped at the 11:13 mark, Scott walked to the Louisville bench with blood dripping from his mouth. He did not return to the game.
"I couldn't even look at it," Hepburn said. "I just saw him walking back and saw blood; I don't do well with blood."
Kelsey said afterward that Scott, who followed him to U of L from Charleston, made an emergency trip to the dentist. He had both of his front teeth knocked out.
"They had to go in and, like, extract pieces," the coach said. "I made the point a couple weeks ago, when you guys asked me about James and his personality: He's such a wonderful kid, but I said, 'Man, he'd rather have six root canals than come into a press conference and talk to you guys.' I think he took that literally."
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After Scott didn't miss a beat, playing in a Feb. 12 win at N.C. State, Kelsey told reporters that he was also dealing with facial fractures.
"They had to pull bone fragments out of his upper lip," Kelsey said. "I mean, it was a mess; and he was texting me from the dentist chair, saying, 'I'll be ready for practice tomorrow; and I'm playing on Wednesday.'"
Entering Thursday, Scott was averaging 7.3 points on 75.5% shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.8 minutes per appearance (34 games, 30 starts).
The sophomore also leads the team in blocks with 30 and ranks second in the country with 79 dunks on 87 attempts. One more and he'll pass Montrezl Harrell (2014-15) in the program's record book for second most in a season.
Harrell holds the No. 1 spot with 97 dunks in 2013-14.
Scott's mask is straight out of U of L's J.B. Speed School of Engineering, Kelsey said.
"James went over there, and they built the mask," the coach told reporters back in February. "They form-fitted it to his face; they have all that technology over there. I mean, we made one phone call, and the dean and all of them there were like, 'Come on over.' That's Louisville; that's how much basketball matters here."
The mask Scott is wearing against Creighton isn't his first. The original was broken when he got hit in the face during a March 5 win over California.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: March Madness 2025: Why is Louisville's James Scott wearing a mask?
Continue reading...
Not just any mask, either — something that looks as if it came straight out of Hannibal Lecter's wardrobe.
"He's tough as nails when he has that thing on," Kelsey said.
"That dude's a dog," senior point guard Chucky Hepburn added.
This is the story of how Scott, a sophomore forward from Fayetteville, North Carolina, became known as "Silence of the Slams."
It's not just for show — and it's not fun to play in.
"No, sir," Scott said. "No, sir."
Why is Louisville basketball's James Scott wearing a mask?
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Early in the first half of a Feb. 8 win over Miami at the KFC Yum! Center, Scott was battling for a loose ball with Hurricanes forward Brandon Johnson when his face got smashed into Denny Crum Court.
When play stopped at the 11:13 mark, Scott walked to the Louisville bench with blood dripping from his mouth. He did not return to the game.
"I couldn't even look at it," Hepburn said. "I just saw him walking back and saw blood; I don't do well with blood."
Kelsey said afterward that Scott, who followed him to U of L from Charleston, made an emergency trip to the dentist. He had both of his front teeth knocked out.
"They had to go in and, like, extract pieces," the coach said. "I made the point a couple weeks ago, when you guys asked me about James and his personality: He's such a wonderful kid, but I said, 'Man, he'd rather have six root canals than come into a press conference and talk to you guys.' I think he took that literally."
SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?
After Scott didn't miss a beat, playing in a Feb. 12 win at N.C. State, Kelsey told reporters that he was also dealing with facial fractures.
"They had to pull bone fragments out of his upper lip," Kelsey said. "I mean, it was a mess; and he was texting me from the dentist chair, saying, 'I'll be ready for practice tomorrow; and I'm playing on Wednesday.'"
You must be registered for see images
Entering Thursday, Scott was averaging 7.3 points on 75.5% shooting, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.8 minutes per appearance (34 games, 30 starts).
The sophomore also leads the team in blocks with 30 and ranks second in the country with 79 dunks on 87 attempts. One more and he'll pass Montrezl Harrell (2014-15) in the program's record book for second most in a season.
Harrell holds the No. 1 spot with 97 dunks in 2013-14.
Where was James Scott's mask made?
Scott's mask is straight out of U of L's J.B. Speed School of Engineering, Kelsey said.
"James went over there, and they built the mask," the coach told reporters back in February. "They form-fitted it to his face; they have all that technology over there. I mean, we made one phone call, and the dean and all of them there were like, 'Come on over.' That's Louisville; that's how much basketball matters here."
The mask Scott is wearing against Creighton isn't his first. The original was broken when he got hit in the face during a March 5 win over California.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: March Madness 2025: Why is Louisville's James Scott wearing a mask?
Continue reading...
