Jeremy Lamb preferred not to have a press conference announcing he would forgo his last two years of eligibility for the UConn men’s basketball and declare for the NBA Draft.
It was a fitting move by the soft-spoken sophomore guard who, for the last two years, let his game do the talking. Lamb decided against announcing his decision at a podium at Gampel Pavilion, as most of the UConn early draft entries have before him, and instead released a statement through the school.
“It was a difficult decision, but after much prayer and discussion with my parents, I feel that it’s in the best interest of me and my family to declare myself eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft and pursue my dream of playing professional basketball,” Lamb said, becoming the 14th Husky to leave early for the NBA. “I have very much enjoyed my two years at UConn, especially getting to experience one of the greatest feelings that a college player can have, winning the national championship.”
Lamb averaged 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this past season, earning All-Big East first team honors in the process. UConn finished 20-14 and lost to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In 2011, as a freshman from Norcross, Ga., Lamb played a key role in the Huskies’ run to a Big East and NCAA national title. He started in 40 games and averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds.
“It’s never easy to lose a great player from your program, but Jeremy has a unique opportunity that he needs to take advantage of,” UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun said in a statement released by the university. “He’s been a great kid to coach for the past two years … his teams have won 52 games, been to two NCAA Tournaments, and won a national championship. I look forward to him developing into a terrific player in the NBA and secondly, as he’s promised me, to come back and finish his degree.”
Lamb joins Caron Butler, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay as the only Huskies to leave following their sophomore campaign. Lamb finished with 1,060 points in his UConn career, good for No. 42 on the school’s all-time scoring list.
“I have learned a lot, both on and off the basketball court as well as in the classroom, and I feel as if I’m ready to take the next step in my basketball career,” Lamb said. “I intend to successfully complete the current semester academically as I get prepared for the draft… First, I want to thank God for blessing me with the ability to play this great game. I want to thank coach Calhoun for giving me the opportunity to play at UConn and I want to thank the entire coaching staff and all my teammates for helping me improve enough to hopefully be successful at the next level.”
Lamb’s final play in a UConn uniform was a missed windmill dunk at the buzzer of the Huskies’ 13-point loss to the Cyclones in tournament play, summing up the team’s season. But the guard with a game face gave fans plenty of highlights and memories during his two seasons in Storrs. It was Lamb who dribbled the clock out in the national championship game over Butler in Houston.
“I am proud that I will always be part of the Connecticut basketball family,” Lamb said.