Forward: A Direction as Well as a Position

Heart condition, surgery didn't prevent player Mike Scott '98 from returning to the sport he loves

By John Veneziano

Assistant Director, Sports Information

Here's the good news: Harvard will graduate just one senior from this year's men's basketball team.

Now the bad news: that senior is team captain Mike Scott, a skilled and athletic small forward who ranked among the Ivy League leaders in six different categories.

Yet the best news of all is that Scott is even playing basketball, for there was a time during his collegiate career when a heart condition had the Racine, Wis., native contemplating life without the sport he loves so dearly.

"I started having problems in the spring of my sophomore year," remembers Scott. "I began feeling heart palpitations at different times. I could be working at my computer, playing a pick-up game, or just walking. Whenever my adrenaline got going, my heart beat out of control. And one day it just went crazy."

While each doctor he visited offered his own diagnosis, they all agreed on one thing -- Scott should give up basketball until the source of the palpitations was discovered.

"When one doctor said, 'No more basketball,' my first thought was to go out and get a second opinion," says Scott. "Then another doctor diagnosed it as heart disease. That was more severe than anything I had imagined.

"There was a time when we were talking about open-heart surgery and changing my entire lifestyle. When that was happening, I was truly fortunate to have my family around to support me. Everything in my life begins and ends with them," says Scott, mentioning the guidance and care he received from his parents, David and Barbara, his brother, Dave, and sister, Kristin.

Finally, it was determined that Scott was suffering from ventricular tachycardia, a condition that occurs when a group of cells interferes with the heart's natural pace maker and causes an irregular heartbeat. Scott returned to Boston in early September and went through surgery to burn off the bad cells.

"It was a one-day procedure, and the doctors were satisfied with the results," says Scott. "But it still wasn't until October 15 -- the first day of practice last year--that I got my clearance to return to play."

As a precaution, Scott remained on medication throughout pre-season and for the first several games.

"The medicine was basically a beta-blocker, which counteracted my adrenaline flow," explains Scott. "But it made me sluggish and slow in practice, and anytime I got worked up, my body would put on the yellow light. Just before Christmas, I was allowed off the medication."

A short time later Scott received a wake-up call. One that, in retrospect, he realizes he desperately needed.

"For a time, I think I was satisfied just to be playing, and wasn't focused on reestablishing my goals," says Scott, an economics major whose reading list includes sports-psychology books and anything about Michael Jordan. "We were practicing at Georgetown for our game against Navy and [Assistant] Coach [Kevin] O'Brien pulled me aside and said, 'You've made it through the tough times. Now let's get back to the individual workouts. It's time to start realizing your potential.'

"He worked with me before practice, after practice, and wouldn't let me settle for what I was doing," adds Scott. "I needed that little shove from him so I would have the confidence to bring my game to the next level."

Scott went on to enjoy a tremendous second half in 1996-97 and helped the Crimson finish with 17 wins, its highest victory total in 51 years. He averaged 9.9 ppg and scored in double figures 12 times in the final 14 games. He was second on the squad in three-point shooting percentage, assists, and steals.

His contributions didn't skip a beat in 1997-98. Scott averaged 15.1 ppg and 5.9 rebounds, while hitting 43 three-pointers. Look at the Ivy leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, three-pointers, assists, and steals and you'll see Scott's name. He netted 24 points against Holy Cross, where he came within one assist of recording the Crimson's first triple-double in seven years.

For his stellar play, Scott was named honorable mention All-Ivy. And Harvard closed out the season with back-to-back home victories over Yale and Brown to finish 13-13 overall and 6-8 in Ivy League play.

But what's it like to be the only senior?

"It feels pretty lonely," Scott says with a smile. "We had such a great group of seniors last year. They were guys who had been through the good times and the bad times. . . ."

Soon after arriving in Cambridge, Scott found his first role with the Crimson. He became the team's defensive stopper.

"I went through a pretty rough transition from high school to college," admits Scott, who was an All-State choice in basketball, volleyball, and golf at J.I. Case High School, and credits volleyball for increasing his vertical jump by 10 inches. "I was the center for my high school [basketball] team, and we weren't exactly disciplined. We just ran up and down the court shooting three-pointers, and didn't play much in the way of defense.

"But under Coach [Frank] Sullivan, defense and rebounding are two keys if you want to see playing time. In my sophomore year, I really put it upon myself to become a strong defensive player, and that was something for me to take pride in.

"Coach introduced me to the X's and O's of the game -- the screening, the defense, getting around picks -- all things that were alien to me coming in."

Did it take long for him to become convinced?

"It's hard not to believe in something when it works for you," says Scott, reciting the team's success when holding an opponent under 40 percent shooting. "We know there is no one who's going to prepare us better for a game than Coach Sullivan."

The coach offers similar praise for his lone senior.

"Michael has done a terrific job finding a leadership style that not only fits his personality, but also represents, in an accurate and positive way, what he knows the coaches value. He has always been one to work overtime on his game -- before practice, after practice, and then on into the summer," says Sullivan. "He has brought that same resolve to this mantle of responsibility, and he has the highest level of respect of his teammates and coaches."