Four years ago, current University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff forward Jaquan Scott and former UAPB player Doctor Bradley nearly won a national championship together.
The two former teammates will be opponents later this weekend. The UAPB men’s basketball team will first host Florida A&M at 5:30 p.m. Saturday before welcoming Bradley and Bethune-Cookman to H.O. Clemmons Arena at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Bradley and Scott were members of the 2021-22 Salt Lake (Utah) Community College team. That season, the Bruins finished 35-2 after an 83-67 loss to Northwest Florida State College in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I championship game.
Scott averaged 8.2 points per game that season and led the Bruins with 11 points and five rebounds in the championship. Bradley averaged 13 points per game.
Scott said he is looking forward to facing his old teammate.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Real run, real high intensity, high energy, and a lot of stuff-talking,” Scott said. “So, it’s going to be fun. I’m ready for that matchup. … It’s my guy, and seeing him do good things and being able to play again, it’s going to be fun.”
They went their separate ways after that season. Bradley transferred to New Mexico State but ultimately ended up joining UAPB midway through last season. He debuted at the start of conference play and averaged 19.6 points per game as a Golden Lion before transferring to Bethune-Cookman this offseason. Scott stayed at Salt Lake for another year before signing with Mississippi State. He transferred to Texas-San Antonio after one season before making his way to UAPB (6-11, 3-1 SWAC) this year.
After transferring to Bethune-Cookman (5-11, 2-1), Bradley was named the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Preseason First Team All-SWAC before the NCAA declared he was ineligible to play.
On January 9, a judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida granted Bradley a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing him to compete. He played off the bench against Grambling State and Southern, scoring 7 and 6 points while averaging 16 minutes per game in his first two games as a Wildcat.
BCU was already playing like a team with a chance to make a run in the SWAC without Bradley. The Wildcats grabbed national attention when they took then-No. 20 Auburn to overtime on the season’s opening day. They went on to beat Ohio and South Carolina State before starting SWAC play 2-0. Their 77-73 loss to Southern in their last game was their first SWAC loss.
UAPB Head Coach Solomon Bozeman said adding Bradley to what the Wildcats were already doing makes a big difference.
“Doc’s a player, man,” Bozeman said. “I think we all saw what he can do. He’s super, super talented. I know Doc, man. He’s a competitor. He’s going to be looking forward to coming back in here, playing well in front of the Pine Bluff people.”
BCU senior Jakobi Heady has led the Wildcats so far this season, averaging 16.1 points per game. His 48.7 shooting percentage from the floor is second only to UAPB guard Quion Williams’ 50% among SWAC players.
Before the Golden Lions host Bradley’s Wildcats, they must get through Florida A&M (5-9, 2-1). Saturday’s game will feature a ring ceremony for the UAPB men’s golf team, the reigning HBCU national champions, at halftime.
FAMU is coming off a two-game sweep of Southern and Grambling at home last weekend but is 0-8 in true road games entering Saturday. The Rattlers showed they can win in both defensive and offensive games, topping Southern 67-59 before outscoring Grambling 91-84.
They have four players averaging double figures, led by senior guard Jaquan Sanders’ 12.8 points per game. Fellow senior Micah Octave is averaging 11.8 points and a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game.
UAPB is coming off its first SWAC loss of the season but remains tied for first place with Prairie View A&M entering this weekend. Each of this weekend’s opponents sit a half game behind UAPB and Prairie View in the standings.
The 73-61 loss at Prairie View was one of UAPB’s worst offensive outings of the season. The Golden Lions tied their season low in assists with seven in that game, and Bozeman said they need to get back to playing the right way.
