Cam Ward leads high school team to one-point win over future Michigan State teammate Jordan Scott at Capitol Hoops Challenge

The future of Michigan State basketball squared off in Hyattsville, MD, at famed DeMatha High School on Saturday afternoon as Cam Ward-led Largo High faced Jordan Scott-led South Lakes High each other in the 2025 Capitol Hoops Challenge.

In the match-up 2025 Michigan State signees and two of the best players in the DMV region (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia), Ward led Largo to a 65-64 victory over South Lakes, scoring 28 points on 8-for-15 shooting and adding 10 rebounds in the win.

“A hard-fought game, and a hard-fought effort,” said Ward in an interview posted on X by event organizers. “It was a well-coached team, a good team with a lot of good players. It was a great battle. We came out with the win, and that was the biggest thing.”

Ward was named MVP of the game after leading Largo to the one-point win in a match-up between future Spartans as well as defending state champions in their respective states of Maryland and Virginia. Largo, which improved to 5-2 on the season with the win over South Lakes, is the defending Class 2A champion in Maryland. South Lakes is the defending Class 6 state champion in Virginia.

Had South Lakes prevailed, Scott would have likely been the MVP of the match-up between Spartans. That said, Scott delivered a solid performance in a losing effort, scoring 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting and adding four rebounds and three assists in the loss.

“It was a dogfight, and everybody was looking forward to it,” Scott said. “Both teams were ready to play. We were in a dog fight the entire game. It was tied at halftime and came down to the last shot. We played a great team. We could have executed a little bit better on offense, but on defense we brought the intensity.”

Ward enjoyed going head-to-head against his future college teammate at Michigan State.

“It felt good playing against him,” Ward said. “He is just a high-level competitor. He gave us a run for our money and made a lot of big shots down the stretch. So, congrats to him he has a bright future.”

This game was a back-and-forth affair and was tied 31-31 at halftime. South Lakes took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter after outscoring Largo 23-18 in the third quarter. Largo fought back in the fourth quarter, outscoring South Lakes 16-10 to eke out a victory.

Largo opened the game strong, posting an early double-digit lead in the opening quarter before South Lakes was able to whittle that margin down to four points going into the second quarter.

Ward was one of three Largo players in double figures along with shooting guard Jalen Johnson (2026) who scored 15 points and point guard Ashe Ayden (2027) who finished with 12 points in the win.

Scott was one of three South Lakes players in double figures along with Merrick Rillstone (2026), a 6-foot-6 wing, who scored 12 points and added 13 rebounds and two-sport Alec Saunders (2025) who totaled 15 point on 5-for-6 shooting.

Ward and Scott are the lone signees in Michigan State’s 2025 basketball recruiting class. Both players are wings with good size, length, and versatility. Each is a consensus four-star prospects in their class.

Ward signed with Michigan State as the No. 58 overall prospect and No. 2 player in Maryland in the On3 Industry Ranking for the Class of 2025. Scott selected the Spartans from a group of finalists that included Maryland, Kansas State, and Virginia. His extensive offer list included Marquette, Alabama, and Mississippi State among others.

The Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland as a junior at Largo, Ward averaged 26 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 2.1 steals per game.

Izzo said the following about Ward when the Largo standout signed with the Spartans last fall:

“We are very excited about Cam. He’s been a winner his whole life. He’s won a state championship already, he’s won games in AAU ball and big-time tournaments. He averaged 26 points per game last year. He’s 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan. And maybe what’s more important than anything is he’s tough and that is what really excited me when I first saw him.”

Ward comes from a basketball family. His father Rodney is the head coach of the men’s varsity basketball team at Largo. His mother Ayana is the school’s athletic director and varsity coach for the women’s team.

Scott signed with Michigan State as the No. 57 overall prospect and the No. 3 player in Virginia in the On3 Industry Ranking for the Class of 2025. Scott received offers from more than a dozen Power Four programs before selecting the Spartans over a group of finalists that included Maryland and Virginia Tech.

A two-time all-state selection and 2024 Player of the Year in Virginia, Scott averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game during his junior season at South Lakes, which is the alma mater of former NBA standout Grant Hill.

Izzo said the following of Scott when he signed with the Spartan in the early signing period:

“He’s a 6-6, 6-7 shooting wingman with size and he shoots the ball very well. We are excited to have Jordan as part of our program and being a good student, a great kid, and a guy that wanted to be here. That was very important to us.”

Like Ward, Scott comes from a basketball family. His mother Christy Winters-Scott, one of the all-time greats at Maryland, has been the lead women’s basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network since 2016. His father Jerome played college basketball at Miami.