ROCHESTER, Mich. —
Blake Lampman has been a contributor to the Oakland basketball program since his arrival to campus in 2019. The native of Haslett, Mich. was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week twice during the 2019-20 season en route to All-Freshman Team honors. As a sophomore, he was one of six players in the conference named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team.
We sat down with Lampman to discuss his football roots, perseverance with injuries, and career at Oakland.
With football as an emphasis in your household, what was your number one sport growing up?
I always loved playing football and messing around in the backyard. I played until my sophomore year of high school, but something about basketball was just different. I thought I was a little better at basketball and liked being in the gym. Some people would call me a gym rat growing up. I still love to watch football every Sunday during the NFL season. If I did not play basketball, I would either be playing football or trying to get a coaching job somewhere in the field.
Did your two years as a two-sport athlete help you out in basketball?
Most definitely. I was mostly out of both sports during my freshman year because I tore some cartilage in my knee. In my sophomore year, I decided to play football, basketball, and baseball. After my sophomore year, I decided to focus on basketball since I had a long way to go with a year being taken away because of the knee injury. Playing multiple sports in high school is a benefit because you never know if injuries will happen. You could get injured going to the gym and working out. Nowadays, I think many people are scared they might get an injury by playing football as a basketball recruit. However, I believe it is important to branch out and not throw your eggs in one basket.
With your brother (Jake Lampman) being a current wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, did he ever kick your butt in the backyard playing basketball or football growing up?
It is hard for me to admit, but I got quite the beating when I was younger. It was especially tough in basketball since Jake was so much bigger than me. I hit a growth spurt during my senior year of high school. Ever since then, I have owned him on the basketball court. That moment felt really good because I was taking second place to him in about everything growing up.
Have you and your brother trained together since you started at Oakland?
During quarantine, we made a little dungeon gym in our basement. It looked like a scene from Rocky. It was a bunch of bands and weights thrown around. Ugly was the best way to describe it, but it got the job done. He lives 20 minutes away from Oakland, so I always try to run over there and get some work in. We are close and always trying to get in work together whenever we have a chance.
Have you gone to New Orleans to watch him play? If so, what is the scene like down there?
It is kind of challenging since we are both playing our sports at the same time. I hope they will eventually play the Lions so that it can be a short trip for the family and me to make. I did make it to a preseason game in New Orleans a few years ago. I am not a big-city guy, but New Orleans was a cool experience. I got to walk down Bourbon Street and see the culture. Obviously, the dome was awesome, and the whole vibe was cool to witness live. Hopefully, I will have the chance to slide down again to watch him play before his career is over.
Transitioning into your college career, you played 30-plus minutes by the seventh or eighth game of your freshman season. Did you expect to jump onto the scene so quickly?
I would not say it was a surprise. I always like to stay ready for any opportunity that presents itself. Coming in, there were not any set expectations, to be honest. Coach Kampe and I kind of made a deal that if my first year did not work out, I would at least get better as a basketball player and go from there. I came in injured, and it took a little bit for me to get on the court. Once we got back from Greece, I hit a stride, and things started moving pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I was getting big-time minutes in meaningful games. Again, it was not necessarily a surprise but more of an adjustment to get ready fast.
As a native of Haslett, was your first time playing against Michigan State a surreal moment?
It was weird. I have watched Michigan State guards my whole life and used to wear number 11 because of Keith Appling. I changed numbers now and then, but I was always a big-time Michigan State follower. I loved watching Tom Izzo and he was one of my favorite coaches growing up. Playing against them was a really cool experience, especially with my entire family watching. Overall, it was a surreal moment and opportunity even though the result was not what we wanted.
As a shooter in Oakland's offense, how does it feel to have more freedom than the typical guard at the Division I level?
I love Oakland's type of playing style. Kampe is good at giving players the green light. It is tough when you are not making shots because he expects you to be a scorer. That shooting position is usually a guy that is going to give the team a lot of points. I struggled at the beginning of the season and dealt with some injuries later on, so that was tough. All in all, I enjoy Kampe's offense and how fast we play. We get up a lot of shots and 3-pointers, which is ideal for a guy like me. Now that I am back healthy, I am excited for the coming year. When an opportunity presents itself, you got to be ready. I will be ready for sure next season.
How frustrating is it to deal with in-season injuries after months of anticipation and preparation in the offseason?
It is incredibly frustrating. I have a strong faith in God and Jesus, so that is one thing that helped me throughout my sophomore season. I made sure to be the best teammate that I can be and get back as fast as possible. At the end of the day, I just want to help my team in whatever way is best. I think it is very hard for most people to come back, especially if it is a little or nagging injury that could impact the rest of your season. I had a couple of injuries back-to-back that could have crumbled most people. I tried to stay as strong as I could both in my faith and as a teammate.
What has your daily routine been like since the winter semester ended?
I am still taking a class, so that part of the routine occasionally. I usually wake up and get a workout in at the court. Around noon, I will get a weight-lifting session in for about an hour. After that, I will typically hang out and play some Call of Duty or something like that. I try to get back to the gym one or two more times later in the day.
To wraps things up, does Coach Kampe ever try to show off his handles or shoot around during practice?
Due to his competitive nature, he will try to show off for the guys every time the ball rolls his way. He will throw up a couple of shots or shoot a free throw or two at times. I think he tries to stay away from it as much as possible, but we always give him crap when he tries to show off his moves at practice.
