Cam Scott, EJ Walker won’t play basketball for USC this season. Here’s why
South Carolina men’s basketball players Cam Scott and EJ Walker are redshirting and will not play the 2025-26 season.
Scott, a sophomore guard, and freshman forward Walker, were seen in sweats during pregame warmups prior to USC’s season opener against North Carolina A&T. USC coach Lamont Paris confirmed postgame that both players will sit out the season and retain their eligibility from this season.
The State was the first to report Scott’s plans to redshirt before tipoff.
“I’ve had conversations with both of them, and they have talked with their families and their inner circles, and they’ve conveyed that to me,” Paris said. “At any point if someone wants to pull the redshirt off, that’s a thing that we can do.”
Scott is in his second year with the program. A product of Lexington High School, he’s the fifth player in program history to sign with the team as an in-state prospect rated four stars or higher. Scott averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.1 minutes per game last season.
The sophomore entered the transfer portal after his freshman season. He was in the portal for 28 days, from April 1-29, before ultimately withdrawing and sticking with the Gamecocks.
“Seeing ... if I could fit into the program and fit in how they want me to fit in, we ultimately came to the decision this was place I needed to be,” Scott said at the team’s media day. “No better choice than to come back.”
Walker is one of five freshmen on the Gamecocks’ roster this season. He was a three-star prospect and the No. 2 player in Kentucky for the 2025 class. He holds the record at Lloyd Memorial High School for points (1,922) and rebounds (1,196).
“EJ’s one of the most improved players from the day that we got here to now,” Paris said. “Cam has also made tremendous improvement from last year to this year. ... He’s got some things that he wants to attack during the season that are easier done when you’re in a redshirt situation.”
Scott played three minutes in the team’s scrimmage against N.C. State, and Walker didn’t play.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 7:43 PM.
