Lexington’s own Cam Scott is gearing up for his freshman season as a member of the University of South Carolina basketball team.

Scott is the most decorated player to come out of Lexington after spending five seasons on the Wildcat varsity team. He won two South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year awards and led the Wildcats to the 5A state championship last season. He is Lexington’s all-time leader in points, the top-ranked recruit in the state for the class of 2024 and a consensus top-50 recruit nationally. 

The guard was originally committed to Texas but flipped his commitment to South Carolina last April. With that decision, Scott became the latest South Carolina native to be given the state’s top individual award and then suit up for the Gamecocks, joining players such as G.G. Jackson and P.J. Dozier.

“It’s a huge blessing, and I couldn't more thankful for it,” Scott said.“Just having this whole state behind me, and it feels like I can go down the road, go see my mom pretty much every day.”

 Adjusting to the collegiate level has been a new experience for Scott. He has had to challenge himself in unique ways and learn from his mistakes.

“Just adjusting to the day-to-day lifestyle of preparing for a college game, it’s definitely the complete opposite of high school,” Scott said. “You go in here with a lot more expectations, a lot more focus on certain things, and just your attention to detail has to be on par every day.”

Expectations have been high for Scott. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris praised the guard during the team’s summer workouts and said he could see him contributing early if he can adapt to the pace of college ball. Luckily for Scott, he is in an environment where it is ok to make mistakes. He is confident the coaches have faith in him to improve and adjust to avoid repeating the error.

“I can make the mistakes ... that a lot of other coaches probably wouldn’t let me make,” Scott said. “Those learning bumps, the little stuff you got to get over with. But coach Paris and staff, he allows me to go out there and do my thing, and it honestly just makes everything a lot easier than I expected.”

Scott said he has been working a lot with the ball in his hands and seeing how he stacks up against his teammates in practice. He said they have been very helpful in getting him up to speed.

“It’s definitely been fun,” Scott said. “Coming in, you don’t really know what to expect, but everybody’s welcomed me in with open arms. From teammates, from freshmen to seniors and everyone through the coaching staff, they just welcomed me in, and it’s honestly been probably one of my easier transitions.”

Many members of South Carolina’s roster and coaching staff have roots in the state like Scott. Guys like Arden Conyers and Collin Murray-Boyles are also from the Columbia area. 

That connection is something Scott is especially excited about.

“Being able to come in and go to war with these guys every day, we all take a different type of pride just playing for South Carolina and being able to see where we lie on the floor, putting our pieces together,” Scott said. “It’s honestly amazing, especially with the background connection that we have.”

Scott believes his teammates and coaches will guide him to success in his first season. He is ready to take the court and show what he can do.

“[Coach Paris] puts guys in a system where they thrive, and I believe if I just stick to the code, then I have a possibility of being there,” Scott said.“All 12 of my teammates, they’re going to put me in a position where I can succeed. We put each other in that position. We challenge each other every day.”

The Gamecocks played an exhibition game this Wednesday against Wofford. Scott impressed, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.

The team begins its regular season next week on Nov. 4 with a home game against North Florida.