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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the two seasons prior to Eddie Lampkin Jr. joining Syracuse, he felt he didn’t get the ball enough. During stints at Texas Christian University and Colorado, Lampkin thought he could make more of an impact. His solution to make up for the lack of touches? Attack the offensive glass.

It was already a proficient skill for Lampkin. As a sophomore, he averaged 3.1 offensive boards but wanted to improve in that area even more.

There wasn’t a science Lampkin could follow. It was simply an extra bit of effort and wanting the ball more. They’re qualities Lampkin prides himself on. His relentlessness on the glass, combined with an ability to position his body better than anyone else on the floor, makes it hard to keep him off the boards.

“I feel like nobody can stop me on the offensive rebound,” Lampkin said. “So why not go at it?”

Over the course of this season, Lampkin hasn’t stopped attacking the glass. He finished the regular season averaging a career-high 3.4 offensive rebounds per game. Tuesday was no different. He hauled in a game-high five offensive rebounds, willing Syracuse (14-18, 7-13 Atlantic Coast) to a 66-62 win over Florida State (17-15, 8-12 Atlantic Coast) in the first round of the ACC Tournament. In tandem with Jyáre Davis, the frontcourt duo totaled seven of SU’s 13 offensive rebounds on the night, leading to 10 second-chance points to keep the Orange’s season alive in Charlotte.

With no NCAA Tournament resume to boast, Syracuse needs to win five games in five days to seal an automatic berth to the big dance. There was always going to be a sense of desperation for Syracuse, knowing a win would end its season.

Lampkin showed that in the first half. Syracuse’s offense wasn’t fully hitting its stride. The Orange led 17-10 seven minutes in, but didn’t score for the next four minutes. At one point, SU was shooting 9-of-25 from the field and FSU eventually tied the game 23-23. Lampkin’s ability to extend possessions kept the Orange afloat. He tallied four offensive boards in the first 20 minutes alone.

“For me, that’s what we talk about, being a tougher team, being a harder-playing team,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said.

With SU leading 25-23, guard J.J. Starling missed a baseline jumper, but Lampkin was first to the second-chance opportunity. Taylor Bol Bowen and Jamir Watkins were draped over him, and Lampkin still got the ball to drop.

Lampkin joked he likes offensive rebounding more than the defensive end. It gives him more satisfaction since he gets another chance to score the ball.

“Who wouldn’t like them?” Lampkin, who finished the game with 14 points, said.

Nobody has been better in the ACC at hauling in offensive boards this season than Lampkin. He’s recorded an ACC-leading 104 this season, seven more than California’s Mady Sissoko in second. Lampkin added a career-high eight offensive boards against Pitt on Jan. 25, part of a 23-rebound performance.

As a team, SU pulls in 31.6% of its misses, per KenPom. FSU allows teams to bring in 31.8% of theirs. Not only did the numbers show rebounding was a potential area Syracuse could exploit, it was FSU’s system as well.

Before transferring to Syracuse, reserve center Naheem McLeod spent two seasons at Florida State. He knew all too well how vulnerable FSU’s bigs could be due to his experience with the Seminoles. He said, because FSU switches so much on the perimeter, the bigs are sometimes left on an island. McLeod told Syracuse’s forwards they’d have the edge if they gave enough effort.

“To be on the opposite side for once of that style, it was kind of fun,” McLeod said.

McLeod’s impact was minimal, but his advice was key for SU’s other forwards. When Lampkin slowed down in the second half, Davis took over. The Orange were in more of a flow on offense, expanding a four-point halftime lead to 10 within five minutes of the second half. Lampkin looked to add to that, but missed a look on the block. But Davis was on the weak side for the rebound.

He kicked to Starling on the perimeter, who blew by Malique Ewin on a closeout, forcing Bol Bowen to contest. Starling missed a floater, but nobody put a body on Davis as he pulled the ball in over Watkins for a putback.

“Eddie and I are two guys that pride ourselves on trying to be tough and trying to impact the game,” Davis said. “(Florida State) can make it tough to post up and stuff with doubling or whatever else they do. But I think that one thing they can’t stop is us getting offensive rebounds.”

Davis only totaled two offensive rebounds, but his sheer presence alongside Lampkin posed a threat any time a shot went up. There’s rarely communication between the two about who’s going to be more aggressive. It’s more about a mental decision of giving maximum effort to put as much pressure on the defense as possible.

“When you do that, that’s kind of a punch you as a defense, you get in the miss, and then you can’t get the rebound, you give them another shot,” Autry said.

In conference tournaments, where every shot matters, Syracuse has the ability to constantly put itself at an advantage by adding extra possessions.

Between Lampkin and Davis, there were no breaks for any defense, including Florida State. Their pressure was relentless. Each offensive board became more demoralizing than the next. They acted as body blows for Syracuse and eventually, it landed enough to the point where FSU couldn’t handle it anymore.

Published on March 12, 2025 at 1:25 am

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