Can you just put drywall up in a basement without providing electrical outlets?
To meet electrical code you need outlets at certain minimum spacings, at least one on each wall that's more than 2 feet long, no more than 12 feet apart, etc - but code does not give a rat's patootie if they are IN the wall or surface-mount. 

Your future resale may be helped by putting them in the wall, however - but it's not code, just typical buyer preference against seeing surface mount devices in "finished" spaces.

"Only running outlets where you need them" generally does not meet code, unless you need them in enough places that you happen to cover the code-minimum spacing requirements.