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2016-17 Preview: Kimble ready to take Hawks' reigns

10/31/2016, 9:30am EDT
By Josh Verlin

Philly native Lamarr Kimble (above) is primed for a big sophomore year at St. Joe's. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2016-17 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 11. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

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Lamarr Kimble admits there are parallels between his two sophomore seasons.

Going into his second year at South Philly’s Neumann-Goretti High School back in 2012-13, the 6-foot-tall point guard was set to become one of the featured members of the powerhouse Saints. Alongside junior guards Ja’Quan Newton, now entering that same year at Miami (Fl.), and Troy Harper, now at Drexel, Kimble was a big reason Neumann won 23 games that season, capturing its fifth of six straight Catholic League titles.

Four years later, and Kimble is set to once again make the jump from a solid freshman reserve to the starting lineup, on a team that’s also defending its league championship.

Only this time, he’ll be on an even bigger stage at Saint Joseph's, with even more responsibility on his shoulders.

“It’s different, but it’s the same goal in both years, both to win,” he said at practice earlier this month. “This year, we’re going into trying to get back-to-back, we know everybody’s got a target on our back. We’re not trying to defend anything, we’re just trying to get another one, so that’s the whole goal this year.”

Before official practices started this fall, Kimble was voted one of three Hawks team captains, along with seniors Brendan Casper and Javon Baumann.

The selection didn’t come as much of a surprise to head coach Phil Martelli, who said Kimble got “a lot of support” from the team and compared his leadership abilities to the program’s most recent superstar, Atlanta Hawks rookie De’Andre’ Bembry.

“When you think, DeAndre’ got it as a sophomore,” he said, “And I’m not saying (Kimble is) the same player, but that leadership, and the way we were as teammates is, what won the championship last year.”

“It was a blessing for me,” Kimble said, “just to know that my teammates trusted me like that, to have me as a captain my sophomore year, coming in here, being one of the youngest to do it. It’s definitely a blessing on my part.”

(See Also: Saint Joseph’s Hawks 2016-17 Primer)

Kimble’s leadership ability and on-court demeanor helped set him apart as a Division I prospect from early on in his high school career, with Neumann-Goretti head coach Carl Arrigale often raving about “Fresh,” as Kimble is known to friends and teammates.

It’s something he didn’t shy away from bringing to Hawk Hill, encouraged early and often by Martelli to let his voice be heard and be a leader on the court, even as a freshman.

Kimble didn't need to be reminded often.

“I’m demanding in terms of I want everybody to be the best they can possibly, and that’s how I look at myself,” he said. “I want me to be able to play to the best of my abilities and I want that for the rest of the team. If I’m going to put that stress on myself, I’m not going to be selfish with it, I’m going to make sure everybody else is living up to the expectations that they want to or their parents want to or things like that.”

The point guard said it’s a trait that comes to him naturally, driven by one fear.

“I just hate losing,” he said. “If we’re losing in practice, I’m definitely going to be demanding on my team, like we need to pick it up, because I’m not for losing.”

Unlike at Neumann-Goretti, when Kimble had the best player in the city in Newton plus Towson commit John Davis and several others to lean on as a sophomore, this St. Joe’s squad is dealing with the departure of its top three players from a year ago.

Bembry (17.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.5 apg), the do-everything star and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, went No. 21 overall in the NBA Draft. Isaiah Miles (18.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Aaron Brown (10.4) are both beginning their professional careers abroad.

Aside from Kimble (6.0 ppg, 2.5 apg) and juniors Shavar Newkirk (8.0 ppg) and James Demery (8.1 ppg), there isn’t a lot of experience returning -- especially considering sophomore forward Pierfrancesco Oliva (4.0 ppg), who started 30 games last year, will take a redshirt this season due to a knee injury.

“We’re not going to be able to score the same way we did last year, we’re not going to play defense the same way we did last year, everything is different,” Kimble said. “We’re just finding out what our strengths and weaknesses are, and turn our weaknesses to strengths.”


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