Final word on Cam Scott: What we’re hearing ahead of top basketball recruit’s decision
It is almost decision time for Cam Scott.
The Lexington High basketball standout will announce his college choice at 2 p.m. on Friday in a ceremony at the school. The announcement will be livestreamed on the school’s YouTube channel.
Here is what we know heading to the announcement of his college choice:
▪ The four-star prospect will choose between Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas. Scott has taken visits to all the schools except Alabama, which is making a late run at him.
▪ Scott’s last visit was to Oregon in June. After that visit, Oregon assistant Chuck Martin, a former USC assistant and Scott’s top recruiter, left for a job on John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky.
▪ Scott has been top priority for South Carolina, dating back to when Frank Martin was the coach. The Gamecocks offered him in June of 2021. Since Lamont Paris arrived, the Gamecocks’ staff has turned the recruiting efforts up.
The coaching staff was virtually at all his high school team and AAU events the past two years. Scott has taken multiple visits for Gamecocks games over the past few years. He took his official visit to USC in October.
“They are the backyard team and they are right there,” Scott said this summer of the Gamecocks. “It is easily accessible to me and my family. ... It’s one of those things where you have to appreciate the little things they do for you.”
▪ The Gamecocks have done well landing top in-state talent under Paris. GG Jackson committed to USC months after Paris took over and was the top-ranked prospect in the school’s history. Jackson played last season at USC and was a second-round draft pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in this year’s draft. Scott attended Jackson’s draft party.
USC also has landed other in-state prospects Arden Conyers and Collin Murray-Boyles as well as in-state transfers in TaLon Cooper and Hayden Brown.
▪ The 6-foot-6, 180-pound Scott averaged 19.2 points, six rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game this past season and was named the SC Gatorade Player of Year. He also set the school’s all-time scoring record, breaking the mark of Shaq Roland, and led the Wildcats to their first state semifinal appearance since 2019.
▪ Scott has had a busy and productive summer. He was co-MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas this summer where he averaged 24.6 points per game and hit 56.6% of his 3-point attempts.
Scott also was invited to Jayson Tatum’s Elite Camp for high school players. Tatum is an All-Star for the Boston Celtics. Scott is one of 20 high school players invited to Portland Trail Blazers guard Damien Lillard’s Formula Zero Elite Camp in Phoenix on Aug. 16-19.
What they are saying
▪ The landing spot for Scott that has got the most traction this week is Texas. This week, Rivals recruiting site analysts logged six commitment forecasts for Scott to end up at Texas.
“Scott’s recruitment was once seen as unpredictable, and schools such as Alabama, South Carolina and Oregon have looked like serious players at different times in the past years. It’s Texas, however, that seems to be trending when it matters most,” Rivals’ Basketball Recruiting Director Rob Cassidy wrote. “.... The Longhorns feel optimistic about where they stand. Scott has a longstanding relationship with head coach Rodney Terry, which has been important in the process.”
Scott took an official visit to Texas over Thanksgiving. Since then the Longhorns went through a coaching change. Chris Beard was fired in January and Terry was promoted to head coach and led Texas to the Elite Eight. The coaching change was thought to put Texas behind in the recruiting battle, but the Longhorns have gained momentum.
▪ On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has a 33.2 percent chance that Scott stays home and plays for Lamont Paris and South Carolina. Behind the Gamecocks are Auburn at 14.8 percent, Ole Miss (12.6) and Texas (10.5).
▪ 247Sports doesn’t have any crystal ball predictions for Scott, but Director of Basketball scouting Adam Finkelstein broke down the guard’s game and his big potential.
“He is a versatile and smooth big guard, naturally unselfish and a very willing ball mover,” Finkelstein said in a video on 247Sports website. “He is extremely fluid with the ball in the open court and has definite playmaking ability. And the three-point shot has continued to get better. … I think he has an upside as a combo guard and maybe a big lead guard down the road. If he can fulfill that potential, his stock could really rise in the coming year. I’m personally very high on Cam Scott.”
