Paul Scruggs
Paul Edward Scruggs (born March 9, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Trefl Sopot of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He previously played for the Xavier Musketeers of the Big East Conference.
| No. 0 – Trefl Sopot | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| League | PLK |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 9, 1998 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Xavier (2017–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Trefl Sopot |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career
Scruggs played for Southport High School in Indianapolis, Indiana in his first three years of high school. As a junior, he averaged 19 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, leading his team to its first regional title since 1990.[1] Scruggs finished 55 points shy of the school's all-time scoring record.[2] He competed for the Indy Hoosiers on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.[3] For his senior season, Scruggs transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, joining his longtime friend Gary Trent Jr. In his fifth game of the season, he suffered a torn MCL in his left knee that required surgery, before returning for his team's final two games.[4]
Recruiting
On October 14, 2016, Scruggs committed to playing college basketball for Xavier over offers from Indiana, Michigan State and UConn. He became the program's highest ranked recruit in the modern recruiting era. Scruggs explained his decision by saying, "It's the school that fits my style of play."[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Scruggs PG |
Indianapolis, IN | Prolific Prep (CA) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Oct 14, 2016 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 30 Rivals: 39 247Sports: 32 ESPN: 32 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
Scruggs came off the bench for Xavier in his freshman season, averaging 4.9 points per game.[6] He moved into a starting role in the following season.[7] Scruggs averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore. He declared for the 2019 NBA draft before withdrawing his name and returning to college.[8] On November 24, 2019, Scruggs scored 24 points in a 70–65 loss to Florida in the Charleston Classic title game, earning All-Tournament Team honors.[9] Scruggs posted a junior season-high 30 points in an 80–78 loss to Wake Forest on December 14.[10] He missed his team's final three games of the season with a hamstring injury.[11] As a junior, he averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. For his senior season, Scruggs was named co-captain of his team.[12]
Professional career
On August 7, 2023, he signed with Trefl Sopot of the Polish Basketball League (PLK).[13]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Xavier | 34 | 0 | 16.8 | .455 | .304 | .723 | 2.0 | 1.7 | .5 | .3 | 4.9 |
| 2018–19 | Xavier | 35 | 35 | 32.8 | .461 | .375 | .737 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 1.2 | .5 | 12.3 |
| 2019–20 | Xavier | 28 | 28 | 33.3 | .463 | .373 | .741 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .4 | 12.7 |
| 2020–21 | Xavier | 21 | 21 | 32.7 | .458 | .325 | .841 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 1.6 | .5 | 14.0 |
| Career | 118 | 84 | 28.3 | .460 | .355 | .762 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .4 | 10.6 | |
Personal life
Scruggs is the son of Brenda and Dan Scruggs. His favorite NBA player is LeBron James.[7]
References
- Neddenriep, Kyle (October 14, 2016). "Former Southport standout Paul Scruggs chooses Xavier". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Doyel, Gregg (September 6, 2016). "Why did a Mr. Basketball candidate choose prep school? Seriously, I'm asking". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Saint Jacques, Sean (August 25, 2017). "Get to Know an Incoming Recruit: Xavier's Paul Scruggs". Big East Coast Bias. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Russell, Shannon (September 11, 2018). "Paul Scruggs' path to becoming a Xavier veteran has been quick but winding". The Athletic. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Borzello, Jeff (October 14, 2016). "Paul Scruggs, ranked no. 28 in ESPN 100, commits to Xavier". ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Baum, Adam (October 19, 2018). "Xavier University basketball player Paul Scruggs: 'He's that guy you want in your foxhole'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Russell, Shannon (October 21, 2019). "How well do you know Xavier's Paul Scruggs?". The Athletic. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- "Xavier's Scruggs and Jones withdraw from NBA Draft, Goodin expected to do same". WKRC (AM). May 28, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- Topp, Laura (November 24, 2019). "Paul Scruggs Posts Game High 24 Points in Loss to Florida". Xavier University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- Topp, Laura (December 14, 2019). "Paul Scruggs Posts Career High 30 Points in Loss at Wake Forest". Xavier University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- Baum, Adam (March 7, 2020). "Paul Scruggs remains out vs. Butler, plus Xavier basketball's seeding for Big East Tournament". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- Baum, Adam (April 5, 2020). "Travis Steele, Paul Scruggs and Jason Carter discuss the 2020-21 Xavier Musketeers". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- "Paul Scruggs signs at Trefl". eurobasket. August 7, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.