Lexington’s Cam Scott chooses Gamecocks, heads close to home

Lexington basketball’s most decorated player is staying close to home for his college career after previously decommitting from Texas. Cam Scott made it official and signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Lamont Paris and the South Carolina Gamecocks for the upcoming season.

“Some things changed, some things happened, inner circle-wise,” Scott said. “We just had to sit down and make a big family decision.”

That decision will keep Scott close to his roots in Lexington. Less than 25 miles separates Lexington High School and Colonial Life Arena, making it about a 30-minute drive. This will allow his family and friends to see him more often than if he was over 1,000 miles away in Austin.

“To stay in South Carolina and represent your state on the front of the jersey as well as your own self on the back, it’s a big honor for everybody,” Scott said. “I want to go and contribute to that.”

Scott, Lexington’s all-time leading scorer, led the Wildcats to their first state title in 24 years last season. He also won the 2024 S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year award, becoming the third person to ever earn back-to-back Player of the Year awards and the first since Brice Johnson, who did so in 2011-12.

Parts of his game that he thinks will translate the best are his versatility, energy, and ability to help others on the floor. “I love to play basketball, so just being on the court with another group of guys who love to play basketball, we’ll mesh really well,” Scott said. “Slashers, post players, people who like to kick out, people who like to score, I’ll just be able to compliment everyone everywhere.”

Scott will join a Gamecocks team that is coming off their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017. South Carolina has been building up under Lamont Paris and has been using in-state talent to do so.

Columbia product Collin Murray-Boyles excelled on the court in his first year under Lamont Paris. Another hometown product G.G Jackson flipped his commitment from North Carolina to South Carolina in 2022 to play under Paris. He is now making his way through the NBA as the league’s youngest player and showing a lot of promise in Memphis.

Most recently, Greenville native Jordan Butler announced his decision to play for the Gamecocks after entering the portal from Missouri. Butler’s mom played basketball for the Gamecocks and his dad is the coach at Christ Church.

Scott is excited to join those guys and continue to build on the foundation started last season. “South Carolina basketball as a whole has really been on an uprise,” Scott said. “Being able to follow these huge footsteps has been an honor. It should be fun, the next couple of years.”