Anthony Lamb

Vermont

Anthony Lamb enters his senior season at Vermont this year looking to build on last year’s dominant campaign. This offseason, Lamb tested the draft waters and worked out with multiple NBA teams. However, he decided to return to school for one final season after feedback from scouts. Last season, the Rochester, NY native won AEC Player of the Year, Conference Tournament MVP, and was named 1st Team All-Conference and All-Defense. Lamb averaged 21.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG in his junior year, reaching career highs in both categories. His name littered the AEC leaderboard, as he led the conference in points, rebounds, usage, block %, and free-throws made. Overall, he was 21st in the nation with a 32.7% usage rate. Lamb’s consistency last season was also impressive. He scored at least 20 points in 17 games, and had 7 double-doubles.

While Lamb is not necessarily an explosive athlete, he is extremely efficient around the basket, and utilizes his 6′-6″, 227 pound frame effectively. Last season, he shot 57.7% from inside the arc. One of his most effective moves is his spin move in the low post. With his back to the basket, Lamb had success posting up his defender and using his pivot foot to spin either direction for a layup. His abilities in the paint led to a team-high amount of fouls drawn. Lamb ranked 37th in the nation last year with 6.5 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, and his league-leading 189 Free-throw attempts were 23 higher than the runner-up. Lamb not only drew multiple fouls per game, but he also converted when at the line. He shot 76.2% from the stripe, ranking 4th in the AEC. As if he wasn’t hard enough to guard already, Lamb expanded his 3-point game in 2019, shooting 37% from downtown. Although it isn’t his strongest asset, he is not afraid to pull the trigger, which forces defenders to attempt to close out, opening the lane for a drive or a cutting teammate. He is a heavy favorite to repeat as AEC POY, which would be a fourth straight for Vermont, as Trae Bell-Haynes won the award in 2017 and 2018. Despite playing in a mid-major conference without much national attention, Lamb is certainly one of the best players in the nation. This year, UVM faces back-to-back games against defending champs UVA and St. Johns, so Lamb will have an opportunity to showcase his skills against top competition in the season’s first month.