'They made the game easy for me': Lamar Wilkerson thankful for time at Indiana as he looks to capitalize on pre-draft workouts
Lamar Wilkerson was building chainsaws in a factory just a few years ago. Thinking about playing division one basketball was nowhere on his mind — and having the potential to make it to the NBA was a dream. Fast forward just five years later and that dream could soon become a reality.
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Wilkerson started his college career off at Three Rivers College in the junior college ranks. Then after three successful and standout seasons at Sam Houston State, Wilkerson became one of the most sought-out guards in the transfer portal, last offseason, before landing at Indiana.
The preseason hype around the 6-foot-5 guard from Arkansas did not disappoint. In fact, he blew through any expectations quickly and consistently and turned in one of the best years in Indiana basketball history.
He finished with regular season averages of 21.0 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting from three. He made 3.3 3s a game and added 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
In Big Ten play alone, Wilkerson averaged 23.2 points and shot 37.8 percent on 3.5 made 3s a game. He posted the highest scoring average in Big Ten play by an Indiana player since Georgia McGinnis (29.9) during the 1970-71 season. He also finished second in IU history in made 3s in a single season behind Steve Alford (104).
He finished Big Ten play ranked second in scoring, second in made 3s and fourth in three-point percent.
“The coaches at Indiana, they made the game easy for me,” he said on Monday following a pre-draft workout with the Golden State Warriors. “And then they just — they just took a risk and brought me in. So I just felt like I owed that to them to come in and give them my best every night and do what I did at that level, at the mid-major level, at the high-major level.”
His best was on full display constantly and resulted in breaking the Assembly Hall scoring record for a single game, with 43 points against Penn State in December. Then just six Big Ten home games later he went for 41 points against Oregon. He was a combined 29-of-42 from the floor and 16-of-27 from three.
He was the first Big Ten player since at least 1996-97 with multiple 40-point games in the same season in league play and added four 30+ point games, as well.
“Coming to the gym with intention, not just coming there just to come in there and say that I came to practice today,” Wilkerson said of his goal at IU. “But to come in there to get better, to make my teammates better, to be that light in the gym even if we came off a loss or came off a losing streak. Just come in there and have that same energy, whether we were up or down.”
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Now in the middle of his pre-draft workouts, Wilkerson continues to move up big boards. While he’s not expected to hear his name on draft night, that’s not what he’s concerned about.
The path he took to get to this moment is something he’s not taking for granted and knows wasn’t available to him just a few years ago.
“Everybody’s paths are different. Everybody’s got a different story. Everybody’s got a different journey,” he said. “All the way up to my collegiate career in Indiana I had to take the longer route. So if I had to take the longer route to get to be able to wear the NBA (logo) on my chest, that’s fine. And I’m just going to be grateful for the moment.”
Monday’s workout with the Warriors was his fourth in the pre-draft process. Over the course of the next two weeks he’ll add ‘eight or nine’ more, he said.
From workout to workout his goal is the same — bring energy and show he’s a true team player, no matter the role. Because at the end of the day, he’s going to be grateful for the journey that led him here.
“That I’m an everyday guy,” said Wilkerson. “That I bring energy on both sides of the ball and of course the reason they got me here is shooting the ball and being able to make shots. So, continue to be me but, also incorporating the stuff that the teams want to see.
“I just want to go in here and just live in the moment. So that’s where I’m at.”
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