Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Lehigh Men’s Basketball › Tim Kempton › Reply To: Tim Kempton
I don’t understand the knocks on TK. Is he a premium athlete, absolutely not. But, guess what, if he was a premium athlete at 6’10”, he would be playing in the ACC, not the Patriot League. He is a top flight, mid-level and down Division 1 Center. And, remember, the 5 is the most difficult position to fill on the basketball court at every level. So, this guy is a blessing for the program, a real diamond in the rough.
He’s never going to be a shot blocker, or shot altering big man. He has limited quickness, explosiveness off the floor, and leaping ability. But, that is fine, you just pair him with others who have those qualities. He is a very seasoned offensive player at 19 years old, or maybe 20, whatever he is. He has a vast array of post moves, plus a face up game out to 20 feet. He’s a star in my book. Now he is showing a better ability to rebound (he should become a good positional rebounder) and a real toughness to him, with a bigger body.
If you want to project what he will become, just look to his father. Same exact size (played in NBA at 6’10” and 245 lbs), same exact skill set, an unathletic big man who could score the ball. By the way, he played 8 seasons in the NBA with time mixed in along the way as a pro in Europe. Dad averaged only about 10 ppg at Notre Dame, so TK will blow that away. Dad was not a great rebounder, either. Pedigree goes a long way in my book on this guy.
I think he finishes his Lehigh career at over 2,000 points and probably third all-time scorer. I don’t think he reaches Queenan or CJ, but barring injury, I think he passes Polaha. He will graduate as the best big man to ever play for Lehigh.
