Scouting Notes: Scottie Adkinson at the Highland Shootout

HIGHLAND, ILL. — During brief lulls in the action, Webster Groves coach Justin Mathes can find himself issuing a reminder to Scottie Adkinson. 

“I’ll harp on him a little about maybe forcing a shot too many times on the first touch,” Mathes said. “Then, you look at the stat sheet, and he’s like 7 of 10, and you tell yourself, ‘Okay.’”

In those moments, Mathes can only suppress a laugh. When a top-30 prospect helms you, the benchmark course corrections shifts because the 6-foot-2 sophomore makes hefty production look easy. That much was evident in a 55-44 victory over the hosts at the Highland shootout, racking up 25 points on 11 of 18 shooting to go with two assists and three steals. 

No one would dispute Adkinson, a major target for Missouri in the 2027 class, exited the grassroots season on a torrid run. That momentum has undoubtedly carried over to his sophomore campaign with the Statesmen – and last Saturday offered prime evidence.�

Adkinson’s upped his scoring by roughly six points per game but on approximately the same volume of touches. He’s experienced a modest uptick in shooting from beyond the arc while making clear improvements at cashing in abundant trips to the charity stripe. Adkinson’s made incremental progress as a distributor. 

“His efficiency numbers have always been crazy good,” Mathes said. “We look at [points per shot] quite a bit, and he’s already in some rare air, like back to the (Courtney) Ramey days. And I know he agrees with me, but he’s not nearly as good as he can be.”

Yet, it’s still hard to pin a positional distinction on Adkinson at this stage. His assist rate, for example, has remained stable, and the Statesmen’s half-court offense avoids cycling Adkinson through an infinite loop of pick-and-rolls. 

And when you ask Adkinson to assign himself a role, it doesn’t take him long to respond. “I would say more of a combo guard,” Adkinson said.

Mathes installed an offense rooted in using ball-handlers interchangeably. He’s acutely aware of the gravity Adkinson creates, but the system frequently inverts the dynamic by using Adkinson as the screener in various actions. It’s also necessary, given Webster Groves’ lack of a traditional interior presence. 

“Without that traditional big, we go to a lot of four-high stuff,” Mathes said. “We’re more of a pick-and-pop team than a pick-and-dive team.”

The end goal of actions isn’t hard to deduce, either: pry open double gaps. Ideally, Adkinson’s defender would turn tight and fight over every screen, letting him dribble unencumbered toward the rack. But switching is now a default at the high-school level – as are the tactics needed to counter it.

“You’re trying to run ghost screens,” Mathes said. “Scottie’s involved in different actions where you talk about handoffs and trying to find that space.”

The Statesmen don’t rely on disguises. On Saturday, they sometimes simply cleared out a side of the floor and had Miles Simpson trot through a ghost screen. All Adkinson needed was the split-second defenders used to mull a switch. 

Watch long enough, though, and you’ll spy some modern iterations of the point series. Webster also feels at ease using window dressing, like a zipper action on the strong side of the floor and away screen for Adkinson set on the weak side.   

That off-ball work isn’t a compromise for Adkinson. It’s a preference. “I actually enjoy playing off the ball a little bit more,” he said. “You know, coming off screens and getting involved in more actions than just bringing the ball up the floor.”

Moving forward, though, it’ll be worth monitoring Adkinson’s progress as a facilitator. Webster Groves’ staff has tried to set down guideposts to help it unfold steadily. This preseason, it set the goal for Adkinson to average 30 points per game in baskets and assists. That includes setting quality screens that shake a Statesmen loose for a bonus ball or layup. As it stands, Adkinson is meeting the standard.�

Against Highland, those plays were easy to miss in real-time: a pair of ball reversals, a kickout to the corner, a dribble handoff, and feeding a cutter in the middle of the zone.�

They’re also trying to instill a measure of patience. One of Adkinson’s best assets is an ability to grab, go and serve as a one-man transition attack. But those impulses require moderation against a set five. 

“Defenses are going to be loaded up,” Mathes said. “He’ll have more room to operate on his second touch than his first touch. That’s the biggest part. No matter what set we’re running, when the ball touches two and three sides, it gets harder for them to guard you.”

Diversifying his finishing package is also Adkinson’s agenda. A reliance on his dominant left hand results in a higher degree of difficulty. As you can see above, a spin move took him away from the rim and forced him into a runner. In another clip, Adkinson opted for a left-handed floater against a vertical defender instead of an easier right-handed extension finish. 

It’s a trait Missouri coach Dennis Gates has also noted during Adkinson’s unofficial trips to Columbia. “He wants me working on my right hand,” Adkinson said. “Not spinning as much, which can lead to more contact and some fouls.”

As a defender, Adkinson spends more time than you might expect within the shell. When he causes havoc, it comes by making instinctual plays in passing lanes and as a help defender. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 2.5 steals and efficiently generates those takeaways without getting into foul trouble. 

Still, lapses happen. And Mathes wants to see Adkinson carry out grunt work – like fighting through screens – more consistently as his body matures. “He’s really good physically and wants to be that way,” Mathes said. “Sometimes, though, it’s about reading the game and knowing what to do – when there’s not a chance to be physical.” 

Projecting the potential fit in Columbia doesn’t require much imagination from Adkinson, either. “The way they practice at Mizzou is the exact same way we practice at Webster,” Adkinson said. And it’s those similarities that have been the topic of conversation with Mathes when they’ve talked about the treks down I-70. 

“He sees a lot of similarities in the system that make him feel comfortable,” Mathes said. “The flexibility that coach Gates and his staff allow for their guards is another thing he likes.”