New Albany’s Chris Lampkins won the Indiana Basketball Source Player of the Week by coming off the bench to score 23 points against Kokomo on December 2, 2023.

That statement would have been hard to believe a few years ago, but Lampkins has grown literally and figuratively since then.

“My eighth-grade year, I didn’t make the basketball team, and I had to sit back on that and refocus to get better over the summer,” Lampkins told Indiana Basketball Source. “My freshman year, I played a little bit at Jeffersonville High School, but I ended up transferring my sophomore year.”

The junior focused on improving instead of wallowing in the disappointment of getting cut in middle school.

“I wasn’t good enough to be on the middle school team, so I focused on staying in the gym a lot and being active,” said Lampkins. “I usually spent about two hours a day going at it against grown men at the YMCA. I got used to playing against them and got pretty good.”

The results speak for itself.

—23 points against Kokomo.

—18 points and eight rebounds in a win over Floyd Central.

—16 points in a victory against Bloomington South.

—14 points in a blowout win over Clarksville.

As a junior, Lampkins is turning heads with his production and potential. He is a six-foot-five forward with exceptionally long arms. The added length allowed Lampkins to defend Kansas signee Flory Bidunga in the post despite being a natural wing.

“I feel like I should be playing as a shooting guard, but I’m a big right now because I’m the tallest person on the team. But I can play all around and do a lot on the floor and play all five positions.”

Going against Bidunga is no small task for any high school player, but Lampkins gave a valiant effort.

“I played my heart out, and my team did too,” said Lampkins. “We wanted to play harder than them because, I guess, whenever they got into the gym, they weren’t taking us seriously.

New Albany stayed with Kokomo the entire game. The Bulldogs trailed 66-63 with 100 seconds left in the contest but could not get any closer. The Wildkats won 71-63.

Lampkins played a major part in New Albany staying with Kokomo. He did not start the game and committed two fouls within the first two minutes on the court. However, Lampkins gave New Albany 23 points in 17 minutes.

He pulled Bidunga away from the rim by hitting two three-pointers. Lampkins also handled the ball and drew fouls slashing to the basket – he went five of six at the free-throw line. The most electric highlights for Lampkins came above the rim as he threw down a few high-flying dunks.

Lampkins says his best attributes are getting to the rim, finishing, playing hard, and defending. He checked all those boxes against Kokomo.

The New Albany junior knows he is not a finished product and is working to improve.

“Mainly my attitude, my body language,” Lampkins said about the areas he is focusing on. I can’t keep putting my head down whenever a bad play happens. You have to play through it and focus on the next play.”

Lampkins aims to play college basketball, but for now, he is working to get New Albany another sectional championship.

“I’m just trying to be a better person for my teammates.”