The legacy of Josh Scott extends far beyond the basketball court

DES MOINES – A teary-eyed Josh Scott walked into his last press conference as a Colorado Buffalo, it had finally hit him that his storied college career had to come to an end.

As he fought back his emotions, his head coach, Tad Boyle, took to the microphone, his own voice cracking a bit.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a young man that I felt this way about at this end of his career in terms of his deserving to move on in this tournament,” he said, evoking more emotion out of the Colorado legend.

It’s the end of an era at the University of Colorado, the Josh Scott era, an era littered with success and an era fueled by players from the great state of Colorado. As he gained his composure, Scott was able to take a moment to reflect on his era.

“I mean, I’m extremely proud of the teammates I’ve had, you know, the experiences I’ve had,” he told. “Been to three NCAA Tournaments, so I’m very proud of that. I came here to try to help this program be on the national radar and we made it to three NCAA Tournaments. So I’m very proud.”

“J40” has a lot to be proud of, he leaves Colorado eighth on the all-time scoring list, third on the all-time rebounding list, second on the all-time blocks list and fifth on the all-time double-doubles list.

Scott’s legacy, though, goes much deeper than the record book. His legacy lies in the type of person he was at the University of Colorado.

From a media standpoint, he was one of the most gracious athletes I’ve ever covered. Always happy to talk to you, always answering honestly, always knowing we had a job to do as well. Joking as he walked out of the locker room after practice, looking up to the media members and asking, “Who do I have today?”

Outside of the walls of the Coors Events Center, you got the same Josh Scott. Smile on his face, Crocs on his feet, the first to say hello to you when you saw him around Boulder.

And his legacy goes deeper than that.

“How much he loves the game. How much he respects the game. How hard he’s worked from the day he’s been on campus,” Boyle said.  “The way he’s represented himself in our program over these four years. The way I’ve seen him grow not only physically as an incoming freshman from Lewis-Palmer High School to where he is today, which I think is an NBA player.

“But what he’s done off the court for our university and the way he’s handled himself,” he added. “He’s grown in so many different ways, and that’s why you coach, to see that transformation of these young men from freshman year to their senior year. He gives it everything he’s got. He loves it that much and cares that much and has done so much to help the program and his teammates.”

And his legacy goes deeper than that.

“Josh Scott is the teammate and person every basketball player should try to be,” Colorado Basketball head manager Zach Ruebesam said of his fellow graduating senior. “During my four years at CU I’ve been lucky enough to form a relationship with ‘J40’ and he has become one of my best friends. Josh is extremely loyal, he will always look out for his guys and people he cares about. He is interested in what is going on in your life and will do whatever he can to help you. Josh is the guy who will joke and mess with you constantly, but will always be there if you ever need anything. He is the hardest worker in the gym, quietly setting an example for everyone else who sees him.

“Most importantly, Josh never changes,” Ruebesam added. “He is always the same person whether he is talking to a coach, a teammate, a manager, or a random person on campus.”

After Thursday’s heartbreaking loss, in a tough moment, Josh remained Josh.

“Josh went through the locker room and gave every guy a hug,” Boyle told. “Not sure I’ve seen a senior do that. They were waiting for someone else to give them a hug.”

Josh Scott’s career did not end the way he had hoped, the resume of his illustrious career at Colorado is still missing a tournament victory, but the legacy he built when he wasn’t between the lines supersedes anything he could’ve ever done on the court.