Jerome Lambert
Personal information
Born(1971-05-29)May 29, 1971
Arkadelphia, Arkansas, US
DiedAugust 11, 2007(2007-08-11) (aged 36)
Rosston, Arkansas, US
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolArkadelphia (Arkadelphia, Arkansas)
College
NBA draft1996: undrafted
PositionPower forward
Number32
Career highlights and awards

Joseph Jerome Lambert (May 29, 1971 – August 11, 2007) was an American expatriate basketball player who is best known for leading NCAA Division I in rebounding in 1993–94 while playing for Baylor.[1] A 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), 215 pound power forward, Lambert accomplished the feat as a junior in his first season of Division I basketball. He had previously played for Westark Community College before enrolling at Baylor.

During Lambert's recruitment to Baylor, then-assistant coach Gary Thomas had committed a major recruiting violation to acquire him.[2] Thomas had faxed a term paper to Westark assistant basketball coach Troy Drummond on April 5, 1993, which was a slight re-write of an article that had previously appeared in a women's magazine.[2] Lambert then handed the faxed paper in to an English class to pass it off as his own.[2] He ultimately chose to play at Baylor, with Drummond "coincidentally" becoming a new assistant coach at that school, and news of this violation did not come out until after the 1993–94 season, the season in which Lambert's 14.8 rebounds per game led the NCAA.[1][2] He also garnered many accolades that season, including First Team All-Southwest Conference (SWC), SWC Newcomer of the Year, SWC All-Newcomer Team, one-time SWC Player of the Week and a three-time SWC Newcomer of the Week.[3]

Due to the scandal, Lambert transferred to Oklahoma State, but because of NCAA transfer rules he had to sit out one full year before becoming eligible to play his final season.[4] In his lone season with the Cowboys, he averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.[5] He then went on to play professionally in Israel before coming home to work for Danfoss and serve as a firefighter.

Lambert died at age 36 in Nevada County, Arkansas. He and his wife, Tracey L. Green, were both shot to death as a result of a verbal altercation between Lambert and another man.[6] The man who shot Lambert and his wife, Kelvin Box, was sentenced to two life sentences without a chance of parole the following year.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "2010–11 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). 2010–11 NCAA Men's Basketball Media Guide. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d McCallum, Jack (November 28, 1994). "Paper Trail: Six coaches are among those indicted in a federal probe of the Bayler basketball program". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  3. ^ "Individual Honors" (PDF). 2007–08 Baylor Bears Basketball Media Guide. Baylor University. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  4. ^ "1995–96 Cowboy Basketball Roster". OKState.com. Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  5. ^ "Power Forwards – 1996 Usenet Draft". Jazzy J Statistics. 2003. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  6. ^ Ledbetter, Wendy (August 13, 2007). "Two Arkadelphia residents fatally shot in Nevada County". via Hogville.net. Siftings Herald. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  7. ^ "Rosston man receives 2 life sentences". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. 24 January 2008.
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