By Dana Mate
Collegiate Staff Writer
As far as he’s concerned, Quinntrai Lampkins made the right choice in leaving his hometown of Kalamazoo and coming to GRCC.
“If I wasn’t playing basketball, I wouldn’t be going to school,” says Lampkins. “I would be back home, getting in trouble, and being lazy.”
The sophomore out of Loy Norrix high school chose to play for the Raiders and move to Grand Rapids based on the school’s size and possibilities. Although the campus isn’t as large as a four-year university, its location and welcoming campus sold Lampkins on GRCC.
Struggling to find time between school and a busy basketball schedule, Lampkins tries to fit in friends and a social life.
“I love meeting people,” Lampkins said. “But when I get some spare time I like to just relax and play video games with my friends.”
Dominating as guard, leading the team in both rebounds and assists, as well as averaging 13 points a game, led Lampkins to be mentioned by Great Lakes Hoops. Great Lakes Hoops is an online blog dedicated to Michigan basketball. Lampkins is also considered one of Michigan’s top 15 JUCO players by the blog.
Although his success on the court is a good motivator to stay in school, Lampkins has a bigger reason to continue his education.
“I want to make my mom happy, and proud of me,” Lampkins said. Going on to play at a four-year university and getting a degree in Criminal Justice is exactly how he plans to accomplish that goal.
Lampkins is staying focused on the current season, and strives to help his team find the unity they need.
“I don’t want to let my team down,” Lampkins said. “We need to take every game one at a time. That’s the challenge we are going to overcome this year.”
