© Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
The South Carolina basketball team kicked off its season with a matchup vs. North Carolina A&T. Sophomore guard Cam Scott was not on the floor.
Instead, he mysteriously arrived at the arena in a sweatsuit. Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris did his best to clarify after the fact.
The absence sparked a major reaction amongst the South Carolina fanbase. Followers wanted a reason as to his removal from the lineup as most expected the guard to contribute in Year 2 with the program.
Who is Cam Scott?
The Lexington, SC native was the crowned jewel in the Gamecocks’ 2024 recruiting cycle. The four-star prospect was considered the top player in the Palmetto State.
Scott held offers from the likes of Kansas, UNC, Alabama, and Auburn as a high schooler. He eventually chose to stay home after taking official visits to Oregon and Texas.
The guard enrolled in July of last year. He found an immediate spot in the rotation as a true freshman.
Scott appeared in 26 games, averaging more than 10 minutes per contest. He scored 2.5 points a night on 27.8% shooting. Following a brief stint in the transfer portal last offseason, he returned to Columbia.
While production was minimal, many celebrated that return. They hoped he’d make a jump as a sophomore to live up to his lofty recruiting ranking. It doesn’t look like it will happen.
Scott plans to redshirt.
Cam Scott and EJ Walker in sweats during warmups.
— David Cloninger (@DCPandC) November 4, 2025
Cam Scott was one of two Gamecocks that showed up to the arena out of uniform for the season opener. Both he and EJ Walker will redshirt this year.
Lamont Paris broke the situation down after South Carolina’s 91-72 win.
“I’ve had conversations with both of them, and they have talked with their families and their inner circles, and they’ve conveyed that (they want to redshirt),” Paris said. “Certainly, at any point, if someone wants to pull the redshirt off, that’s the thing that we can do.”
It seemed to be more a player decision than a coaching decision. Most speculate that it’s due to Scott’s position on the depth chart.
The guard was passed over by incoming transfers at shooting guard. The Gamecocks brought in three new players at the position via the portal. All three played more than 20 minutes in Game 1.
“He’s just been behind guys,” said South Carolina sports insider John Whittle.
“It was just a situation where he wasn’t going to have much of a role on this year’s team… Those things are always subject to change, but… you can only play so many guys.”
Scott saw his minutes shrinking. He’s opting to save his year of eligibility as a result. He’ll look to continue his progress before making an impact in Year 3.