Cam Scott already making noise as a freshman phenom

The state of South Carolina has had a lot of notable talent come through recently. With the likes of Zion Williamson and Ja Morant leading the charge, there are currently 10 players in the NBA who hail from the Palmetto State.

Lexington High School head coach Elliott Pope sees freshman Cam Scott - who already has an All-State accolade under his belt as an eighth-grader - as the next big thing to come out of South Carolina.

“I coached Ty-Shon (Alexander) when I was at Concord and got to see Wendell (Moore) from when he was a freshman to a senior, and what he did was he dominated games," Pope said. "All of those guys have a different spark, a different level they can tap into. I think Cam has the same ability to do that, at a dominant level.”

Although Scott is only 12 games into his freshman year, his recruitment has really picked up.

“Right now, I just have the one offer, Winthrop, but my coaches say they hear from schools from everywhere," Scott said. "They can’t contact me, but Florida State, Clemson and South Carolina are all in contact with my coach pretty regularly.”

Pope said he has fielded calls from any and everyone across the country showing interest.

“We’ve talked to anybody that you can think of," Pope said. "If you know their name, they have reached out and shown interest. I think most of these coaches want to see him live, see him on the EYBL circuit this summer. Once they see him, I will probably have to get a second cell phone to deal with all the traffic.”

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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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Winthrop: “I like their school; I like their campus. They have a great coaching staff and great facilities over there.”

Florida State: “Most of their staff is in touch with my coaches. The head coach, Coach (Leonard) Hamilton keeps in touch with Coach Pope regularly. They are looking forward to getting me down there in the future. I like how they play, their style. ... Team United, my AAU team, had one of their players, Patrick Williams, who went to the Bulls this year out of Florida State.”

South Carolina: “Personally, I think I need to continue working on my defense, and South Carolina has one of the best defenses in the nation. Their focus stands out.”

Clemson: “All of the assistant coaches there keep in contact with my coaches. I like how they play, and it seems like they like to get up and down the floor and they run a good offense."

“I heard I play like Brandon Ingram," Scott said. "I like spotting up for threes, one-dribble pulls-ups and getting downhill to attack the basket.”

“Cam is a versatile athlete," Pope said. "He is a player who is able to plug in and fill whatever role it is you need him to. You saw him tonight hit a couple threes, make a couple transition buckets. We have been harping on him to rebound, and he had 19 tonight. If he can continue to do that consistently, that will get him on the floor wherever he goes.”

Despite all these early accolades and the vast college interest, Scott still carries a workman’s mindset.

“All summer I worked on getting my shots out of the dribble and getting better vision on the court, so I can see my teammates," he said. "My role this year has been to help my team in general. To share the ball with my teammates and still be able to go out and get my stuff.

"My goals for the rest of this season and into AAU are to become more elite at what I do and getting it to a point where no one can guard me.”

Pope feels his freshman has McDonald's All-American-level potential.

"He has the skill, the determination and the drive. How big-time he will end up depends on how he grows physically, because I know he’s going to be in the gym.”

Scott walks on the floor with a natural frame and great length. He looks like a prototypical wing. Scott has already won all sorts of awards in his middle school event and he was awarded 5A All-State as an eighth-grader. Watching Scott play, he is a smooth jump shooter, with range and a high, soft release. He already has head-at-the-rim athleticism, and he plays within a team concept, never forcing or rushing anything. He’ll finish this shortened season with over 1,000 career points. He has a special talent to go with the frame, and the work ethic to excel.