Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Freshmen Forwards Make Way from Nation’s Capital to the Breslin Center
12/4/2025 10:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Dominic Carroll
For msuspartans.com
Freshmen forwards Jordan Scott and Cam Ward are Michigan State men's basketball's newest kids on the block.
What started as a bond formed as kids has now led them to, arguably, one of college basketball's best environments in East Lansing.
The friends are experiencing their first season in college side-by-side, from the locker room to the apartment they share.
"He's my dog, probably my best friend on the team," Ward said. "We've known each other since we were 8."
Scott laughs when he talks about living with Ward, adding, "he's a little loud," but the bond between them has made the jump to college smoother.
For Scott, that jump came after a standout high school career in Reston, Virginia. He was a four-star recruit, with offers from programs such as Maryland and Virginia Tech before ultimately choosing MSU.
He comes from a strong basketball background, with his mother, Christy Winters Scott, who played basketball for Maryland, and his father, Jerome Scott, who played at the University of Miami.
Additionally, his mom is a TV color analyst/host for basketball games on TNT, the Big Ten Network and the Washington Wizards and Mystics. Scott's older sister, Brianna, just finished her collegiate career after playing four seasons for Georgetown.
"It definitely helps coming from a basketball family," Scott said. "They kind of know what they're talking about. They can see the game a little differently than somebody who didn't play or didn't coach.
"Instead of just saying, 'Why didn't you score 20 points?' they see it from a player's perspective and from a coach's perspective."
Scott's transition to MSU basketball has come with its own learning curve, starting with the atmosphere inside the Breslin Center.
"It was loud," Scott said after MSU's first game against Colgate. "I knew it was going to be loud coming in, but once I actually got on the court, warming up, there were so many people."
As the season has picked up, so have the demands of being a freshman on campus.
"Games are starting to pick up. We're traveling and everything, and it's definitely gotten harder to time-manage," he said. "Time management has become a lot more important."
For Scott, his role in his first year is clear.
"Bring the energy and be able to hit shots, play defense and run the four," he said. "Being able to be that battery off the bench and give us a bit of energy."
Despite living together, Scott and Ward are on their own individual paths. But being roommates gives them a front-row view of each other's work ethic.
"It's actually amazing, just because he works so hard, it pushes me to work hard," Ward said. "If he's in the gym, that means I got to go get in the gym too. Who am I to not put the same amount of work in, especially with him being someone that I damn near look up to as far as just his work ethic and how mature he is. Somebody I just want to always be around."
Before arriving at Michigan State, Ward spent much of his basketball life being coached by his father, Rodney Ward.
"My dad has been my coach since I was younger," Ward said. "There was a span of him not coaching me through my middle school career. Back in high school, he was my coach, and then AAU, he didn't coach me until my last year of EYBL. So I kind of had some spurts without him.
"Granted, the coach I had without him was Coach Wayne Pratt (Kevin Durant's dad), so he's kind of like [MSU men's basketball head coach Tom] Izzo. He cusses you out because he wants you to be better."
Despite playing without his father in East Lansing, adjusting to college basketball hasn't been too difficult thanks to the Spartans' veteran leadership.
"It hasn't been really too much of a learning curve now than it was in the summer just because of the veteran guys we have," he said. "I've been learning and just adapting to it."
Ward has developed a routine, now that he's nearly got a semester of college under his belt. It's helped that he's felt so comfortable at MSU from the start.
"Overall, MSU was just a home. It was a family feeling, and it kind of reminds me of home. It was cool," said Ward. "But I think what brought me here is the people, the coaching staff and just their belief in me. I feel like they believe that I can make an impact here, and I have to make the most out of the opportunities they give me."
Whether watching the freshmen in practice, in games or in the classroom, Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo isn't worried about how the two will develop.
"They both can develop fast," Izzo said. "They're really good students and both have a basketball IQ. Cam's trying to find himself a little bit ... Jordan is just trying to learn the speed of the game, but they both play hard. I love them both."
For msuspartans.com
Freshmen forwards Jordan Scott and Cam Ward are Michigan State men's basketball's newest kids on the block.
What started as a bond formed as kids has now led them to, arguably, one of college basketball's best environments in East Lansing.
The friends are experiencing their first season in college side-by-side, from the locker room to the apartment they share.
"He's my dog, probably my best friend on the team," Ward said. "We've known each other since we were 8."
Scott laughs when he talks about living with Ward, adding, "he's a little loud," but the bond between them has made the jump to college smoother.
For Scott, that jump came after a standout high school career in Reston, Virginia. He was a four-star recruit, with offers from programs such as Maryland and Virginia Tech before ultimately choosing MSU.
He comes from a strong basketball background, with his mother, Christy Winters Scott, who played basketball for Maryland, and his father, Jerome Scott, who played at the University of Miami.
Additionally, his mom is a TV color analyst/host for basketball games on TNT, the Big Ten Network and the Washington Wizards and Mystics. Scott's older sister, Brianna, just finished her collegiate career after playing four seasons for Georgetown.
"It definitely helps coming from a basketball family," Scott said. "They kind of know what they're talking about. They can see the game a little differently than somebody who didn't play or didn't coach.
"Instead of just saying, 'Why didn't you score 20 points?' they see it from a player's perspective and from a coach's perspective."
Scott's transition to MSU basketball has come with its own learning curve, starting with the atmosphere inside the Breslin Center.
"It was loud," Scott said after MSU's first game against Colgate. "I knew it was going to be loud coming in, but once I actually got on the court, warming up, there were so many people."
As the season has picked up, so have the demands of being a freshman on campus.
"Games are starting to pick up. We're traveling and everything, and it's definitely gotten harder to time-manage," he said. "Time management has become a lot more important."
For Scott, his role in his first year is clear.
"Bring the energy and be able to hit shots, play defense and run the four," he said. "Being able to be that battery off the bench and give us a bit of energy."
Despite living together, Scott and Ward are on their own individual paths. But being roommates gives them a front-row view of each other's work ethic.
"It's actually amazing, just because he works so hard, it pushes me to work hard," Ward said. "If he's in the gym, that means I got to go get in the gym too. Who am I to not put the same amount of work in, especially with him being someone that I damn near look up to as far as just his work ethic and how mature he is. Somebody I just want to always be around."
Before arriving at Michigan State, Ward spent much of his basketball life being coached by his father, Rodney Ward.
"My dad has been my coach since I was younger," Ward said. "There was a span of him not coaching me through my middle school career. Back in high school, he was my coach, and then AAU, he didn't coach me until my last year of EYBL. So I kind of had some spurts without him.
"Granted, the coach I had without him was Coach Wayne Pratt (Kevin Durant's dad), so he's kind of like [MSU men's basketball head coach Tom] Izzo. He cusses you out because he wants you to be better."
Despite playing without his father in East Lansing, adjusting to college basketball hasn't been too difficult thanks to the Spartans' veteran leadership.
"It hasn't been really too much of a learning curve now than it was in the summer just because of the veteran guys we have," he said. "I've been learning and just adapting to it."
Ward has developed a routine, now that he's nearly got a semester of college under his belt. It's helped that he's felt so comfortable at MSU from the start.
"Overall, MSU was just a home. It was a family feeling, and it kind of reminds me of home. It was cool," said Ward. "But I think what brought me here is the people, the coaching staff and just their belief in me. I feel like they believe that I can make an impact here, and I have to make the most out of the opportunities they give me."
Whether watching the freshmen in practice, in games or in the classroom, Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo isn't worried about how the two will develop.
"They both can develop fast," Izzo said. "They're really good students and both have a basketball IQ. Cam's trying to find himself a little bit ... Jordan is just trying to learn the speed of the game, but they both play hard. I love them both."
Players Mentioned
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