Getting the Scoop on Miami Basketball Freshman to Be Amp Lawrence

It only takes a few brief looks at 6'7 freshman G/F Amp Lawrence to fall in love with his game.

He can shoot, handle, defend, dunk on 7 footers, and absolutely  loves to throw up "The U."

What more could you want in a freshman player?

Obviously he has a lot of work to do to be a big time contributor in the ACC, but a strong foundation is already there.

To learn more about Amp's game, we sat down with his Coach and Dad, Anthony Lawrence Sr.

On Amp's game as a whole:

The best description I've ever heard describing Amp's game, is "Swiss Army Knife," because he can basically do it all.  He averaged 30 points a game for us, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists this past season and had a fantastic senior year. He is really able to score. He finished his career with over 2,000 points in high school.  But more than anything. he really, really enjoys passing the ball.  Amp shoots the ball very well, but he was also our point guard this year, as we didn't have another point guard. That tells you a little more about his versatility.  He's a really good and intense on the glass.  He gets off the floor very well and can block shots easily.  Basically he can do anything you need on the floor.

On what Amp needs to work on:

I think like any high school player moving up to the next level, defense is of course is something he needs to work on.  All freshman need to work on defense. He also needs to continue to build on the skills he already has and improve all around.  Also in high school he could do a little of everything because of his physical advantages, but at Miami he will have to hone in on one particular skill.  We'll have to see what that turns out to be, He can also improve how he shoots the three.  But overall, mostly just being more intense.  He's on the right path. he has the right mind set.  He goes to the gym everyday and shoots and trains and works very hard to improve his all around game.

On why his son chose UM:

Coach L.  Right off the bat.  Coach Larranaga.   Anthony (Amp) was looking around at a lot of schools. It wasn't just Miami.  Texas, USC, and Texas A&M as well as Florida were all looking at Amp. But we really got to know Coach Larranaga and the type of person he is.  Between that and his coaching style it was a fit.  Coach L was the biggest reason, way more than even me being an alumni, that Amp chose Miami.  He really likes Coach L.

What can Hurricanes fans expect from Amp next year:

It's hard to say what a freshman coming into a situation like the one at the University of Miami can do, especially with all of the talent they return.  He might get off to a quick start or he might struggle. But I think he'll be given a chance to be a part of the rotation. I think he can definitely help on the inside.  He's big enough at 6'7 to play a smaller 4. He handles the ball and shoots the ball well enough to play in the back court, but inside might be where he contributes early on.

Additional Notes:  I asked Lawrence Sr. about how his game compared to another jack of all trades, Davon Reed, and the elder Lawrence liked the comparison. He felt his son had a long way to go to compare to Reed but physically was similar, even though Amp is actually a touch bigger/thicker than Reed.

Last but not least, Amp's  ridunkulous highlights below: