A little over a month ago, Louisville Cardinals forward James Scott suffered a scary moment that very well could've ended his sophomore season.
Scott was diving for a loose ball when an opposing player accidentally crushed Scott's face on the court in the first half of the Cardinals' win over the Miami Hurricanes on Feb. 8. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey called the injury very serious, as it knocked out Scott's front teeth and caused other traumatic facial injuries as well.
With Scott's season in the balance, the team found a creative answer at the J. B. Speed School of Engineering, the engineering college of the University of Louisville.
Engineers Sophie Wegenast and Justin Gillham created a custom face guard for Scott within less than 24 hours. They used 3-D printing to craft a mask that flawlessly molded to his facial features and allowed Scott to "see, breathe, and talk with ease."
"We scanned his head," Wegenast said. "It probably took all of 15-20 minutes, and then he was gone. The rest was just in our hands."
It also helps that the mask makes him look that much more intimidating on the court. Many college basketball fans made Bane and Hannibal Lecter references:
Just turned into the Louisville game to see the score and I see this kid with a mask on and was like why is he wearing a mask. Looked it up and he suffered a facial injury but the mask is insane. James Scott pic.twitter.com/BONzcdKuN0
— angie (@biebsfanonly) March 14, 2025
“No one cared who I was, until I put on the mask…” ~ James Scott. 2/12/25 pic.twitter.com/WJw6tGU4Bg
— Frank Anselem- Ibe (@the2kfranky) February 13, 2025
James Scott Special: ACC Tournament Edition
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 13, 2025
🔨 @LouisvilleMBB pic.twitter.com/crp63Z7ILG
The mask hasn't proved to be totally invincible, as in the case when one of Scott's opponents broke the nose on the mask earlier this year. However, Scott has had several replacements made for him to ensure that he doesn't miss a single game this season.
Louisville is 27-6 (18-2 in conference) and is hoping to clinch its first-ever ACC title against top-seeded Duke Saturday night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Does Louisville's James Scott Wear a Face Mask? Details of the Season-Saving Gear.
