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The eight-year-old boy's eyes widened at the sight of his aunt's basketball trophies and plaques, which filled a whole room.

"Holy mackerel," he exclaimed. "Those are a lot of trophies."

Fast-forward 10 years, and that young man, Jerel Scott, has amassed his own collection: About 15 plaques hang on walls throughout his house. They boast of his sportsmanship, his improvement, his value.

His most recent claim to fame is a nomination to McDonald's All-American Boys' Basketball Team.

He was chosen from a crop of between 1,500 and 1,800 boys whose names were submitted by a selection committee and state representatives. A committee of high school analysts, scouts and high school newspaper reporters and basketball coaches then took a series of votes.

The All-American Game recognizes exceptional student athletes for their accomplishments on and off the court.

"It's a great accomplishment," said Jerel, a senior at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany. "It makes me feel good. It's very important that people notice."

Slam dunk
He's been scouted by schools like Syracuse University, Boston University and Marquette University in Milwaukee, as well as ESPN, but he'll be attending Worcester Academy in Worcester, Mass., in the fall to improve his 85 percent average.

Of course, he'll play basketball there.

Jerel has come a long way since his mother, Tameko Artis, taught him at age three or four how to play the game at the Swan Street courts in the Arbor Hill neighborhood of Albany, where the two of them live.

He was never really interested in any sport but basketball.

"He's passionate about the game," Ms. Artis said. "He just had a hunger for it. I think it saved him from the streets."

That passion shows: Even in the off-season, Jerel asks his mom to wake him at 4 or 5 a.m. to run before the school bus comes. When she isn't working a 15-hour day, she joins him.

After school, he runs, gets in 500 jump shots before leaving the gym and works on his stretching and footwork at the Washington Avenue YMCA weight room.

About the bleak future of that facility, he remarked, "I guess I've got to find somewhere else to go."

Team player
His coach, Orlando DiBacco, said that Jerel is an outgoing and unselfish player: He doesn't hog the court and involves his teammates.

Jerel doesn't just want to play the game; he wants to learn about it, said his aunt, Rhonda Alston, who coaches him in the Amateur Athletic Union summer league. She said she can't know for sure until he reaches college, but believes his chances of becoming a professional player are "very good."

Jerel told The Evangelist: "If I can't make it to the NBA, I'd like to become a veterinarian."

When he's not studying or playing basketball, he's usually playing more basketball. Jerel has been invited to Five-Star Basketball camps in Pennsylvania and North Carolina four times. He also teaches neighborhood kids how to play and has represented his school in television news interviews and at the funeral of a long-time fan.

"He doesn't even know just how much of a superstar he is," Ms. Alston said.

Jerel doesn't let the success get to his head, others said: He opens doors for women, runs errands for his aunt and mom and washes the dishes before Ms. Artis gets home - though she said his bedroom could use some help.

Jerel is very close to his mother and said it didn't bother him to grow up without a father. "My mom was able to fill both roles," he explained.

Student and athlete
Ms. Artis sent her son to Arbor Hill Elementary School and Philip Livingston Magnet Academy for middle school before deciding to invest in a Catholic school education for the discipline, one-on-one attention and change of environment.

"It shows in his grades," she noted. "It shows in his mannerisms."

"His view has changed and he's able to relate to all different types of people. It played a role in the man he turned out to be."

Jerel receives no financial aid, so Ms. Artis works two jobs to cover expenses.

"He's come so far, it's like I just have to keep going," she said. "He always says to me, 'It's going to get easier, Mom.' He says I'm his second heartbeat."

Despite their relationship, she is not the first person Jerel thanks when he wins awards; God is.

"I'm happy about that," Ms. Artist said.

A parishioner at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Albany, Jerel prays before games and prays for his friends if they have problems.

Ms. Alston said that deceased family members provide guidance and inspiration to him.

"As long as he has those angels on his shoulder," she said, "he'll always be able to fly."

(04/22/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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