LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- University of Louisville men's basketball fans may have noticed forward James Scott wearing a mask during recent games. The mask is his lifeline to be able to play.
Scott's season could've ended early in February because of a terrifying injury during the game against the Miami Hurricanes.
"He had teeth knocked out and had some facial injuries," Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said in an interview after the game.
However, the sophomore forward was determined to get back on the court. His team searched for a solution, and found answers at UofL's Speed School of Engineering.
"We made one phone call," Kelsey said. "The dean and all of them were like 'come on over.' I mean, that's Louisville! That's how much basketball matters here."
Sophie Wegenast and Justin Gillham created this mask for James Scott to protect his facial and dental injuries on the court.
Sophie Wegenast and Justin Gillham are two engineers with the school's Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science and Technology (AMIST). They used their skills to craft a custom face guard for Scott.
"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."
She said they had less than 24 hours to create the mask because the Cards had to leave for an away game in Scott's home state, North Carolina.
"It was like a really important game for him," Wegenast said. "To think that he wouldn't have been able to play at all is heartbreaking."
Though the pressure was on, the first copy of the mask was a flawless fit. It also gives Scott a deceivingly intimidating look on the court.
"He's such a nice, sweet kid that's tough as nails," Kelsey said. "When he has that thing on, he looks like the bad guy in one of those murder movies."
Wegenast said she never imagined she would be able to help someone in this way when she got into engineering.
"When I got into engineering, I didn't even know what 3D printing was," she said.
The mask is perfectly molded his facial features. This allows Scott to see, breathe, and talk with ease. The engineers also said they haven't gotten any complaints about its comfortability.
"As long as he doesn't break it and he doesn't take a direct hit to the face it'll hold up," Gillham said.
That theory was tested in the game against the California Golden Bears when Lee Dort broke the nose on Scott's original mask.
Sophie Wegenast and Justin Gillham created backup masks for James Scott after his initial mask broke on the court.
Thankfully, Wegenast and Gillham quickly made several replacements before the team's next game.
"Anytime I can help somebody, it's like the best part of my job," Wegenast said.
She hopes to encourage other young girls and women to try engineering, because there are "lots of different ways" to pursue the passion.
"Engineering is not just math and science," she said. "There's art, design, and a thousand different ways you can take engineering. I think that's overlooked a lot of the time."
Though it hides Scott's face, the mask highlights his determination and dedication to Card Nation.
"James is kind of a microcosm of the toughness of our entire team," Kelsey said.
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