ESPN analyst says Lamb a good fit for Cats

Vaught's Views: ESPN analyst says Lamb a good fit for Cats

By LARRY VAUGHT
larry@amnews.com
April 20, 2010

Doron Lamb may not have the same lofty reputation as Kentucky signees Brandon Knight or Enes Kanter. His name might not create the same buzz as junior Michael Gilchrist, who has already committed to UK.

Still, Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s national director of high school and college basketball recruiting, certainly likes the 6-4 guard, who picked the Wildcats over Kansas on Saturday.

“I love Lamb. He has maybe the best middle game in the country,” Biancardi said. “He can score consistently in that 14- to 17-foot range. That is a hard range for young players because they want to get to the rim or shoot the 3.

“He is good at taking you off the dribble. He can pull up and shoot, or he can get to the rim and finish. He has a great knack for scoring off the dribble. He can make 3s, but he needs to improve that like most players do. He’s really good in transition, and he’s a very good defender for a guy who can score well. What’s not to like?”

ESPN ranked Lamb as the nation’s 29th-best high school player and the No. 6 shooting guard. Scout.com has him as a four-star prospect, 29th overall and the No. 4 shooting guard. Rivals.com has him 21st overall, a five-star player and the No. 3 shooting guard.

Lamb spent the last two seasons at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and averaged 26 points a game as a senior. Oak Hill was 29-4 and ranked seventh nationally by USA Today. He scored 49 in a loss at the PrimeTime Shootout in February, three points shy of the all-time scoring record for that event set by LeBron James.

Matt Kamalsky, director of operations for draftexpress.com, says while Lamb doesn’t have the same reputation that John Wall had last year or Brandon Knight and some others have this year, that doesn’t mean he was not a nice addition for Kentucky.

“Lamb isn't quite up to par with the other elite guards in this class, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing. He's a likely multi-year player who can step in and do some nice things right away,” Kamalsky said.

“He's a capable perimeter scorer, and if he can shore up his catch-and-shoot game by the time the season rolls around, I think he'll be able to make an instant impact. His jumper will likely be his best asset long term, as he's not terribly explosive off the bounce or around the basket.”

Kamalsky sees Lamb filling the void left by the departure of Eric Bledsoe after his freshman season.

“Next year’s Kentucky team won’t look like last year’s without Wall, but I think Lamb could do some of the things that Bledsoe did in terms of contributing from the perimeter with his jump shot,” Kamalsky said. “He doesn’t share Bledsoe's speed, but he’s going to benefit from having Knight next to him.

“Depending on who commits and stays, it'll be interesting to see what kind of impact he has over the next couple seasons.”

Yes, it will. Kentucky is unlikely to sign another guard, and it’s unlikely Bledsoe would return for his sophomore season, since there are already reports he has hired an agent. That would leave Knight as UK’s likely point guard, with juniors DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller capable of playing in the backcourt along with sophomore Jon Hood, even though Liggins would be the only true guard in the returning group.

“Lamb is an excellent scoring two guard and can do it from every area on the floor,” said Biancardi, a former assistant coach at Boston University, Boston College, Ohio State and Saint Louis as well as former head coach at Wright State. “Because he isn’t afraid to put the ball on the floor and go to the rim, he gets plenty of free throws, too.”

Biancardi says Lamb’s defense could turn out to make him the perfect fit in Calipari’s system because he can pressure the ball and force turnovers.

“Cal really likes to recruit guys who can score in transition. Lamb fits that mold, and he can beat his guy or make a pass if he’s stopped. I think he’ll be terrific at Kentucky,” Biancardi said.

http://www.amnews.com/stories/2010/04/20/uks.773724.sto