INDIANAPOLIS — Buffs big man Eddie Lampkin brings energy every single night.
Especially at the Big Dance.
“That’s just who I am,” said Lampkin, speaking after Colorado got to Indianapolis after beating Boise State in Dayton. “We just a family. They just feed off me and I feel like if I always bring energy, they’ll do the same.”
His teammates love it. “I mean it’s really inspiring,” said CU forward Tristan Da Silva. “You really see him give us that much energy.”
“I love Eddie,” said Columbine alum Luke O’Brien. “He’s great for us, man — everything he brings to this team.”
K.J. Simpson said Lampkin is a motivator. “It kinda makes you want to play hard as well and bring your game up another level,” he said.
As it turns out, Eddie was born with passion. Just ask his brother Jaelon.
“He’s always been crazy,” Jaelon smiled. “He’s always been the life of the party. He gonna light the room up. I’m grateful that’s my brother. We talked about this [the NCAA Tournament] for so long. We’ve been through so much, you know.”
Too much for a brotherhood. In May of 2022, Eddie and Jaelon’s brother Du’Vonta, a former football player at Oklahoma who played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans, was shot and killed in Dallas during an ambush robbery.
“That was a big place in our hearts. He played a major role with all of us.” said Jaelon. “It definitely made us closer, stronger you know. We definitely went through that together.”
For Eddie and Jalen, it’s about reminiscing. “All those moments, that’s what we try to think about and enjoy. We definitely had a lot of great times together, a lot of great times.”
And supporting Eddie at the big dance is what brothers do.
“I can just see him [Du’Vonta] in the crowd screaming and yelling, so it’s only right that I’m there doing it too," said Jaelon. "That’s who he’s [Eddie] playing for. That’s all it’s about.”
Lampkin thinks about his brother constantly, especially when he steps on the court to play for the Buffs. “He would have been here every game, so I’m just thinking that he’s still here and just keep balling. Every time I get a bucket or every time I step on the court I just think like I just gotta do everything for him. I know he’s proud and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”
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