Norcross HS Grad Wins Title with UConn

Though the UGA Bulldogs were eliminated in the first round of this year’s NCAA championship tournament, the citizens of Norcross still maintained a rooting interest in March Madness. Just one year removed from leading the Norcross High School Blue Devils’ boys’ basketball team to a regional championship, Jeremy Lamb was an integral part of the University of Connecticut’s national championship victory.

The six-foot-five-inch shooting guard’s journey from the Norcross High School gym to hoisting a national championship trophy in front of 70,000 spectators in Houston’s Reliant Stadium has been an interesting one. Shockingly, the Huskies’ second leading scorer didn’t even start at Norcross until he was a senior.

But with Lamb’s maturity level increasing during high school, along with his physical growth, a national championship in his freshman season could mean a future of even more improvements for Lamb and the Huskies, as they will need to replace superstar point guard Kemba Walker.

Lamb has shown an ability to play the point well, but don’t look for Lamb to switch positions. Instead, UConn will most likely try to involve Lamb’s outside shooting ability more in its offense to replace Walker’s dominance.

The Norcross native is still on the thin side, but being so young, that will change over time and with more training. Despite being nearly six and a half feet tall, Lamb is just 185 lbs. As the 18-year-old’s body matures and he continues to add bulk to his wiry frame, there is no telling just how dominant Lamb could become.

In the championship game against Butler, Lamb scored 12 points in UConn’s 53–41 victory. In a dismal offensive night for both teams, Lamb’s outside shooting and speed down the stretch, combined with Walker’s mastery, gave UConn the win. And though the Huskies are stacked with talent, the Lamb and Walker duo was what brought them their championship rings.

Lamb led Connecticut in points four times during the season, including a 24-point masterpiece in a January showdown with Big East rival Marquette. The guard also led UConn in rebounding four times during the season and drained 46 three pointers.

As a freshman, averaging 11.1 points per game and shooting over 48 percent from the field, the idea that Lamb could be showing great signs of improvement should be a terrifying prospect to the Big East and to future March Madness opponents.

But for now, Lamb should be basking in the glow of a national championship and thrilled by how well he contributed as a freshman. And he will certainly take pride in bringing euphoria to the small New England town of Storrs, CT and smiles to the faces of the residents of Norcross who watched his every move from 1,000 miles away.