America East Basketball: 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
![Vermont's Anthony Lamb (3) shoots a 3-pointer over UMBC's K.J. Jackson (3) during the men's basketball game between the UMBC Retrievers and the Vermont Catamounts at Patrick Gym on Saturday night February 22, 2020 in Burlington, Vermont.Umbc Vs Vermont Men S Basketball 2 22 20 Vermont's Anthony Lamb (3) shoots a 3-pointer over UMBC's K.J. Jackson (3) during the men's basketball game between the UMBC Retrievers and the Vermont Catamounts at Patrick Gym on Saturday night February 22, 2020 in Burlington, Vermont.Umbc Vs Vermont Men S Basketball 2 22 20](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/21c2d6f01393087b526ae05267c3be206b22f0e134af94bcbe5ea4293eaa0c43.jpg)
2. Anthony Lamb
It’s been a few years since Lamb’s college career came to an end and it’s still hard to truly appreciate all he did for the Catamounts. A 6’6 forward from Rochester, New York, Lamb was an important member of the Vermont program between 2016 and 2020, leading the Catamounts to all sorts of success in the process.
He was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 2017, a season that ended with him scoring 20 points against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. He’d make a second trip to the Big Dance two seasons later after putting up monster numbers, averaging 21.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, including a 28-point effort in the AEC Tournament final, a revenge game over UMBC. His overall offensive numbers were extremely impressive and he was the backbone of the Catamount’s success at the backend of the 2010’s.
Lamb was twice named America East Player of the Year, twice named AEC Tournament MVP, and was one of the league’s best defensive players for his entire run. He led the conference in scoring, rebounding, and field goals during that monstrous junior year and had impressive efficiency numbers as well. The school put up an elite 109-28 record during his four seasons, though he missed time during his sophomore season. Simply put, he was one of the best mid-major players in recent memory, though he just missed out on today’s top spot.