#20 DORON LAMB
6’4” 210
SOPHMORE-GUARD
OAK HILL ACADEMY
QUEENS, NEW YORK
LAST SEASON:
PPG 13
RPG 2.1
FG %: 49.7
FT% 79
3-PT% 48.6
Don’tlet his sleepy eyes deceive you. The 6”4 shooting guard fromBrooklyn, N.Y. Is deadly from nearly any spot on the court. Play himtight to prevent the jump and he’ll drive fiercely into the laneagainst anyone willing to guard him. Sag off him, and he’ll burn youwith his silky smooth jumper.
“He’sour best basketball player,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said.That’s lofty praise for a team expected to be a top-5 team nationallythis year.
Lambcame to UK as a highly touted SG from perennial high school power OakHill Academy. His best game came against St. Peters when he scored 49points, displaying his ability to hit from anywhere on the court,hitting floaters and mid-range jumpers, driving hard to the rack, allwhile only hitting five three-pointers. He’s also not afraid tomuscle down a rebound from bigger opponents and towards the end of last season was playing defense like a bulldog.
In hisfirst game as a Wildcat, Lamb scored 20 points on 7-10 shootingagainst East Tennessee State. Arguably Lamb’s greatest game of theyear was when he scored 24 points on the road against North Carolinato nearly lead UK to the road win. Lamb was erratic at times ondefense, but eventually became a great on-the-ball defender, helpinga UK defense that held its last 11 opponents under 70 points, andfive of which were held under 60 points. Though he only started 14games as a freshman, he averaged 28.4 minutes a game, being relied onheavily the whole year and never backing down from a challenge.
WHAT TOEXPECT THIS YEAR?
One ofthe biggest controversies of the offseason was when Coach JohnCalipari made the statement that he thought Doron Lamb had a chanceto be UK’s best player this year. Lamb may have the most completeoffensive game of anyone on a roster that should feature 7-8 futureNBA draft picks. If he can continue to improve his overall defenseand become a more consistent passer, he could find himself in therunning for several national awards at the end of the year. If Lambwere on a team with less talent where he would be the constant go-toguy, he would easily be a contender for the Naismith Player of theYear award. That’s how good Lamb can be. Again, on a team with somuch talent, he may not be the go-to guy every game, but when he isasked to step up, he is fully capable of answering the call. He’ll more than likely be team’s go-to three-point shooter when UK needs a three. To sum it up, Lamb is dangerous from any spot on the floor, which makes him arguably the hardest player on the team to defend.
Coach Calon Lamb:
“Asfar as knowing the game, having a feel for the game of basketball,he’ll have it. He may be one of the top five in the country.”
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