Mark Pope has been on a tear this past month, landing his first top-10 high school recruit (Ryan Hampton) and a consensus top-three transfer portal player in Milan Momcilovic. That momentum is carrying over into the summer basketball circuit, and Kentucky Basketball just offered a really familiar name: Erick Dampier Jr.
That’s probably going to make some of you feel old, because Erick Dampier used to terrorize the SEC, winning All-SEC each time during his 3 years down in Starkville.
Advertisement
For his college career, Dampier would average 13.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and just 2.7 blocks a game. Mississippi State was one of only two teams to knock off Kentucky during the 95-96 season, winning the SEC Tournament Championship over the Cats while advancing to the school’s first and only Final Four appearance.
And now his son is ready to pick up where Dampier Sr. left off.
Erick Dampier Jr. is a beast
Jr. isn’t far off from his dad’s profile, already standing at 6-foot-10 and coming in just north of 230 pounds. He uses his body exceptionally well for his age, coming in as the No. 5 player in the class of 2028, so he will still fill out a little over the next two years. He tracks the ball well when rebounding and is good with the ball in his hands. There isn’t a consistent outside shot, but when you’re 6-foot-10 and 230, I like it when they get down low and get the easy ones.
Advertisement
I am sure he will continue working on that since the NBA has moved to the pace-and-space model. I also would like to see him learn defensive positioning a little more before hitting college, and he absolutely will. The dude is still two years out from college, and already a really polished prospect.
Kentucky already has competition for his signature with Alabama, Mississippi State, and Purdue all in the mix. Of course, Purdue would be there; they try to get every big man in the country. This will be a long recruiting battle, but he is definitely one to watch as we move through the summer.
