The whispers started before Cam Ward ever played a game at Largo High School, and only intensified after a monster freshman campaign.

He’s going to leave, right?

Surely, despite his ties to Largo - where his father Rodney Ward is his head coach and his mother, Ayana Ball-Ward, is the school’s Athletic Director and girls head coach - conventional wisdom held that a player of Ward’s talent would need to move on eventually.

In an era where high-profile players have increasingly left public schools to head private, could Ward truly reach his potential as a major college recruit at a Class 2A Prince George's County Public School?

For Ward - and his family and the Largo community - the answer was a resounding “Yes.”

Last week, the 2025 wing committed to Michigan State University with his family by his side, in front of teammates and supporters in the same Largo gym he basically grew up in.

“Legendary,” Ward said when asked how the moment felt. “I think it gave perspective, like you can accomplish it your way if you really want to. If you want it, you can do it your way. I did it my way and it worked out for me. Of course, I had help from my teammates and my coaches along the way, but can’t nobody say they handed it to me, and can’t nobody say they did it for me. I would say I earned everything.”

Ward picked the Spartans over Kansas State, Maryland and Virginia, crediting the immediate connection he felt with the head coach Tom Izzo's staff and players. An early October visit to East Lansing, MI helped to solidify his decision.

“I don't think they were ever not the frontrunner, I can’t lie,” he said. “I think they were always the frontrunner; it just so happened that they were my last visit. So the fact that they were my last visit was kind of nuts, because it's like, ‘Well, everything kind of makes sense now.’ They showed me everything I needed to see, and I told my Mom when we were there, ‘Yeah, I think this is it,’ and she said, ‘Yeah, I think this is it, too.’ That’s when we kind of knew, and from there we it was just the enjoyment to knowing, ‘Yeah, this is what I really want to do.’”

Ward became the second area 2025 recruit to commit to Michigan State after South Lakes (Va.) star guard Jordan Scott announced his pledge earlier this month. Ward said the pair played against each other when they were little, and were on the same page when it came to their college plans.

“We took a visit at the same time, so when we were down there, I asked him,  like, ‘How are you feeling about it?’ and he was like, ‘Man, I’m loving it.’ So I was like, ‘Hey man, if you go, I’ll come with you.’ Then he committed and I was like, ‘Welp, looks like I don’t have a choice now; I’ve got to go with him!’ So he kind of pulled the trigger first, which made me feel more comfortable about it. It’s just a good thing to know I’ve got somebody from the DMV there and then just somebody I can relate to as far as the things we go through with our moms and dads being so into the basketball world in the DMV and just sharing those types of comparisons. I’m just so happy that he’s on my team for the next couple of years.” 

Ward burst onto the varsity scene as a freshman, averaging 27.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

The 2022 DMVelite 80 Most Valuable Player was even better as a sophomore, posting 25.4 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as the Lions reached the 2A state title game before ultimately falling to New Town.

As a junior last season, Ward helped the Lions finish the trophy hunt, averaging 26.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game as Largo claimed the 2A crown.

Every step of the way, Ward heard outsiders say he would ultimately be better served playing at a powerhouse private program with a national schedule and more resources. And each time, he decided he was good where he was.

“I made a sacrifice going here and not going to a private school and it ended up working out for me,” he said, “so hopefully I’ll see the majority of other people start to do it too and come to public school.”

Ward pointed to Blake (Md.) 2027 star wing and fellow Team Durant EYBL standout Baba Oladotun as the next to carry the public school flag.

“Me and him talk very often, and he was like, ‘I see what you did here, and now I'm trying to continue that too and show people that we can do it from public school,’” Ward said. “That’s why I have so much respect for him, because he does it from public school as the Number 1 player in the country, in the DMV where he could go to any private school he wants to. Going to public school really changes how you think, and I think prepares you mentally not to be a robot. Like, you’re going to have to go through some things here, and it might not always be good, but it’s going to build your character for sure, and that’s one thing I would say that helped me.”

Ward admitted he’s happy for his recruitment to be over with, adding that now he can play free and enjoy his senior year while aiming for a state championship repeat.

“Something people may not understand or know is that it wasn't always like this,” he said of the attention from college coaches. “So I’m blessed to be in a situation where these coaches are recruiting you how they are and things like that. So for me, it was a blessing to be a part of this process. It was stressful sometimes, of course - and at some times even more so kind of overwhelming - but the fact that I really got to, like, stick to the process and I never let anything change how I was thinking or how I was feeling, and everything worked out for itself, so I’m just so happy.”

When asked what advice he would give to younger players just starting on their recruitment journeys, Ward responded:

“I would say be true to who you are and don’t change for nobody. Don’t let nobody change your personality, don’t let nobody change your game, don’t let nobody change how you think. … One thing I would say that really helped me was trust your training. Like, no one knows how hard you work other than yourself. So trust your training and trust that you know what you’re doing and trust that you have an idea of what you want to do. Those are the things that kind of keep me balanced as far as like, ‘Well, you know how hard you work; you know you’ve made this shot a million times, so trust your training.’ And then I would say keep a level head and be humble - don’t let nobody hype your head up. Another thing I would say is keep the mental part of your game together. Keep being yourself and everything will take care of itself.”