HANCEVILLE, ALA. — Demarkus Lampley carved out one of the most successful careers in Wallace State men’s basketball history and capped it Monday by being named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I 1st-team All-American.
Lampley, a 6-foot-2 guard from Central High School in Phenix City, averaged 26.6 points and six rebounds per game for Wallace State during the 2018-2019 season, leading the Alabama Community College Conference in scoring. He also shot 42.5 percent from behind the 3-point line and a league-best 89.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Lampley is the first Wallace State student-athlete to earn 1st-team NJCAA recognition across all sports since golfer Sylas Elliott in 2016 and the first men’s basketball player to earn 1st-team status since L.A. Farmer after the 2009-10 season.
Lampley, Farmer and Cory Cooperwood are the three men’s basketball players to achieve first-team honors.
“Demarkus was a good player in high school and he came to Wallace State and developed himself into a great player. He’s the total package on the court and in the classroom. I’m happy to see someone like Demarkus enjoy so much success,” said Wallace State men’s basketball coach John Meeks. “Demarkus is a gamer. He loves to play the game, he loves practice and he has a tremendous work ethic. To do what Demarkus did on a daily basis at Wallace State speaks volumes to the type of player he desires to be.”
After averaging 18.3 points per game as a freshman, Lampley improved even more for Wallace State during his sophomore season, propelling the Lions to a 24-7 record and the ACCC North Division championship.
Lampley registered double digits in the scoring column in all 28 games he played, including surpassing the 30-point plateau in eight contests. He scored a career-
high 45 points in a Nov. 3 win against Caldwell Community College. He posted a 35-point effort against Snead State on Feb. 25 and added 36 points against Chattahoochee Valley CC in the ACCC Tournament.
In a three-day span in early February, Lampley hit game-winning shots against conference foes Shelton State and Marion Military Institute.
Lampley wasn’t just a scoring force. He led the Lions in rebounding and drew tough defensive assignments.
“We had Demarkus guarding some of the best offensive threats in the league. He began to take a lot of pride in his defense and challenged himself in that area. He was also a force on the boards for a guard,” said Meeks, who was named the ACCC North Division Coach of the Year.
In addition to being selected as a NJCAA 1st-team All-American, Lampley was also previously named the 2019 ACCC/Region 22 Player of the Year, the ACCC North Division Player of the Year and was a first-team selection to both the All-ACCC North Division and All-Region 22 teams.
Lampley is currently mulling multiple four-year offers.
For a complete list of the NJCAA All-Americans, visit http://njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2018-19/div1/all-americans/index
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit www.athletics.wallacestate.edu or the athletics Facebook page at www.wallacestate.edu/athleticsfb.
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