Guard Scoggin Sharpens Skills Off the Court, Too

Brian Scoggin, senior guard at UC Irvine, heads out into the real world soon. People in the job market had better be ready. Scoggin generally gets what he wants.

He wanted to be a Division I basketball player, didn’t he?

“I don’t want to be working at McDonald’s,” Scoggin said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“I would love to stay in sports. I want to work for a company whose product I can take to the public. I’m a people person.”

That will come as news to some Irvine opponents. Scoggin, a solid 6 feet and 190 pounds, has a sharp mind, and even sharper elbows.

A graduate of Santa Margarita High School, Scoggin is not a typical walk-on who sits at the end of the bench, clapping and chatting. Last season, he played in 18 games, starting four. He had 12 points and three steals to keep Irvine from an embarrassing loss to Division II Sonoma State.

This season, he has played in 23 games, starting one.

“I’m worried about the last game,” Scoggin said. “They always do a senior night and they announce the player’s highlights. ‘So-and-so scored 30 points in a victory over . . . ‘ What are they going to say about me? ‘Brian scored two points against Cal State Stanislaus.’ I hope they talk about my student activities.”

Scoggin is selling his team contributions a bit short--he had eight points against Stanislaus. But his school activities do fill out a resume.

He is the secretary for the athletic advisory council and is on the committee that is putting together a referendum that would raise scholarship money.

“He is one of my favorite kids in the five years I’ve been here,” said Keith Shackleford, the compliance and academic services coordinator who works with the advisory committee. “He sees a bigger picture. He’s the mover and shaker in getting the referendum ready.”

Scoggin also works with Blake Sasaki, who handles marketing and promotions for the athletic department. He helped put together the midnight madness practice for the men’s and women’s basketball teams in October. Outside of school, Scoggin is a volunteer once a week at an Aliso Niguel elementary school, coaching basketball.

“We would have a hard practice, like two or three hours, and Brian would still run over to the school and work with those kids,” Irvine guard Malachi Edmond said. “You want someone like that representing the program and the school. He teaches those kids fundamentals.”

Uh-oh. Youth leagues in the Aliso Niguel area are about to take a tremendous leap in intensity. Scoggin does make his presence known, and felt, when he plays.

There is no missing Scoggin on the court. He matches his Marine Corps looks with a Shores-of-Tripoli desire.

Last month, he was guarding Long Beach State’s Ramel Lloyd and was called for a foul. Scoggin extended his left hand, pleading his case to the official. At the same time, he gave Lloyd a quick jab with his right elbow.

“He’s definitely physical,” Anteater forward Ben Jones said.

Said Edmond: “Brian brings a toughness we need on the court. It’s a little more of a challenge in practice.”

And those are his roommates.

Scoggin doesn’t mind. He’s a working-class player, and knows it.

“I grew up watching college basketball on TV,” said Scoggin, who played at Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges. “I always wanted to play Division I basketball. I wasn’t skilled enough out of high school, so I had to go to a JC. But I didn’t want to play Division II or Division III or NAIA. This is what I wanted.”

And he is now ready to attack the job market the same way. Maybe not attack. He is, after all, a people person.

“I am,” Scoggin said. “On the court, it’s another story.”

NO BACK SEAT DRIVER

Scoggin takes a back seat to no one--especially a freshman.

“He always wants to ride shotgun on the road,” freshman guard Zamiro Bennem said. “He gets real upset if he doesn’t get it.”

Said Scoggin: “That’s seniority. It shouldn’t even have to claim it. When they are seniors, they can claim it. There are some perks to this, there have to be.”

MONEY, IT’S A TRIP

The final details of the referendum, which would impose a student fee to raise scholarship money, will be presented to the the associated student council in the next two weeks. The council will vote on whether it will go on the ballot this spring.

The referendum must receive 60% of the votes with 25% of the students voting. The money would allow all Irvine athletic programs to be fully funded.

Money would also go to the band, the pep squad, the recreation department and the Associated Students of UCI, according to members of the committee drawing up the referendum.

MUST SEE TV?

Irvine’s game against Utah State, televised on ESPN, had an 0.4 rating.

The Jan. 14 game between Long Beach State and New Mexico State--the previous Big West game televised in the same time slot on ESPN--had a 0.5 rating. An ESPN official said a normal rating for a midnight game is 0.7.

Now the bad news: It means about 300,000 households saw Irvine get smacked, 76-46.

RECRUITING TRAIL

Lauren Nichols, a 6-foot outside hitter from Los Angeles Marymount High, said she will play volleyball at Irvine next year.

Nichols plays for the Ichiban Nike club team, which finished second in the Las Vegas tournament two weeks ago.

“I like the potential the program has,” Nichols said.

Irvine also has a commitment from Jamie Pilbeam, a 5-foot-10 setter from Apple Valley (Minn.) High School. Erika Denison, a 6-1 middle blocker, has transferred from Houston.