When you’re singing Biz Markie in unison to throw off a free-throw shooter — like the O’Dea student section did Wednesday night — you are in midseason form.
When you’re driving baseline in two steps and flipping a reverse layin over a big man — like O’Dea wing Jamie Orme did Wednesday night — you are in midseason form.
The O’Dea boys basketball program picked apart Lakeside 69-51 Tuesday in the league opener for both teams. O’Dea’s perimeter defenders, Tyler Kidd and Jamie Orme, held Lakeside’s driving guards in check. O’Dea’s big men, 6’9” Jacob Lampkin and 6’7” Jamar Kemp (yes, he’s Shawn’s son), dominated the paint.
A few words about young Kemp, as I’m sure you’re curious. I don’t think I’m being unfair by saying that Jamar lacks his father’s athleticism and explosiveness — hell, 95% of current NBA players lack Shawn Kemp’s athleticism and explosiveness — but he has other strengths. The younger Kemp has, as the scouts say, an excellent basketball IQ. He always knows where he’s supposed to be on the court, and was calling out switches and directing players on defense. He has quick hands and a soft touch around the basket. He’s an excellent shot blocker. Kemp and Lampkin (who has committed to play DI ball at Pacific next year) are a good post duo; they could anchor O’Dea for a deep state tourney run.
Lakeside, which finished 2nd at state last year, clearly suffered from the loss of PG Tramaine Isabell, a Washington State commit who transferred to Garfield over the summer. O’Dea’s student section had some fun with the news, chanting “Gar-Field Prep School” at the Lakeside players. Isabell was unstoppable off the dribble, giving Lakeside a constant offensive option. His replacement at point guard, sophomore Isiah Brown, is a stellar guard—“easily one of the elite guards out west in his class,”—according to ESPN, but he doesn’t have Isabell’s quickness and struggled to find space against O’Dea’s solid defense.
Now, to the O’Dea student section. Not only did they have the topical Garfield chant, but toward the end of the game they decided to just get crazy, singing “And You Say She’s Just a Friend” to one Lakeside free throw shooter, and “Hey Mickey, You’re So Fine” to another. The Irish students stood the whole game, cheered wildly the whole game, and generally gave the place some energy. From Lakeside’s student section? Not a peep. I’m not sure if they even had one. Lakeside students, I know you have better things to do than travel to First Hill on a Tuesday to watch high school basketball, but…wait, I actually have nothing to say to that, you literally probably are doing more important things than I am and you are in high school. But, hey, when I was at Garfield we won a state basketball championship SO THERE!
This article has taken a dark turn, so I will stop here except to say that O’Dea’s 6’6” senior wing Jamie Orme was an absolute revelation; he showed quickness and fearlessness going to the basket as in the aforementioned drive at the open of this piece, and he dunked. You always like to see a good dunk at a high school basketball game. The scouting services say Orme’s not been offered a scholarship, but I can’t see why not. SU coach Get with it, local college basketball coaches—Lord knows you need all the help you can get.
