Buzzsaw takes Tyquan Scott second overall in SlamBall draft

Buzzsaw used the No. 2 pick on Tyquan Scott to build a roster around size, stops and loose balls, and the first proof came fast in a 60-34 opening-night win over Ozone, where Scott piled up 10 stops. The draft choice was less about scoring polish than about controlling possessions, and Buzzsaw made that clear by betting on a player built to absorb contact and force opponents into bad angles.

Hernando Planells Jr. saw Scott as the kind of defender who could anchor that identity from the start. Planells compared Scott’s stature, strength and upside to former top pick Rob Wilson, a telling comparison from a coach who had already lived through SlamBall’s early years. Planells had coached the Bouncers in the 2002 and 2003 seasons before taking over Buzzsaw in the 2023 relaunch, so the pick carried real continuity from the league’s first era into its return.

Scott fit the profile on paper. He was listed at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, and at Long Beach High School in Long Beach, New York, he played basketball, football, track and volleyball. He was the basketball team’s leading scorer and also won the New York state high jump championship, a combination that explained why Buzzsaw wanted him in a sport that rewards power, timing and spring. Scott even admitted the leap into SlamBall felt uncertain at first, saying, “This was a new sport. I didn't know if I was going to be able to go.”

The fit showed up quickly. In Week 2, Scott was named SlamBall Defensive Player of the Week after helping Buzzsaw go 3-1 with 30 stops, 33 loose-ball recoveries and four steals. Later league notes pushed the case even further, showing Scott averaging 8.3 stops per game and 8.3 loose-ball recoveries per contest, ranks that placed him third and second in the league, respectively. Buzzsaw’s current roster page still lists him as a starter at stopper, and that is the point of the pick: the team did not draft a highlight machine. It drafted the player who could make Buzzsaw harder to play against from the opening tip.