Column: Jeremy Lamb silenced at KFC Yum! Center

Jeremy Lamb was living the life.

A national championship in his freshman year, a quiet yet calm personality that even Barack Obama was fond of, and a season in which he emerged as the Robin to Kemba's Batman. With Kemba leaving, Lamb was going to be "the guy." You may be thinking to yourself, "What exactly is ‘the guy?'" Well, consider the fact that Lamb was already pretty much a household name by last April, was named a preseason First Team All-American and has been projected as the second overall NBA draft pick this June per various mock draft websites. With No. 15 off to bigger and better things, the soft-spoken sophomore from Norcross, Ga. was expected to put up Kemba-like numbers daily and lead UConn to an unimaginable second consecutive title.

Lately, I've told myself that I'm done taking trips down memory lane and, even more importantly, I think my Grandma could predict a more accurate NBA draft than the so called "experts." What Kemba Walker did in Storrs last year, taking a team fresh out of the womb to unprecedented heights and ultimately on top of the college basketball world, is something I will never forget. It was the dream season, and quite frankly I would have been more than satisfied if the pinnacle of UConn's 2010-2011 year was upsetting perennial powerhouses Michigan State and Kentucky en route to a championship at the Maui Invitational. But no, Kemba had to take the entire team on his back, and maybe even Calhoun, and put together arguably the greatest individual postseason resume in the history of the sport. Lamb, playing sidekick to Walker all of last year, maybe hasn't realized that Mr. Do Everything has moved on and is now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Last year, Lamb was the quiet assassin. With all 10 eyes on the defensive end glued to Kemba, he was able to get wide-open jumpers, usually courtesy of beautiful dimes from either Walker or Shabazz Napier. When the shots weren't falling, Lamb put it on the floor and finished with ease via what was the best floater in the country. The lanky star-in-the-making was active on the glass and in the passing lanes, using his freakish athletic ability to either poke the ball free from defenders or jump up and pluck hopeful lobs out of the sky. He was the X-factor, the guy whom every opponent feared but could not key on thanks to the man who should have won Player of the Year over Jimmer. Lamb had a role last year, and he fit it perfectly. Almost too perfect, perhaps.

Flash forward to right now. It's not worth dissecting the national championship team, because that seems as long ago as the last time my New York Mets were relevant. The reality is that, following an 80-59 loss to Louisville that will surely go down as two of the most frustrating hours of my life as a diehard fan, UConn is 15-8 overall and an embarrassing 5-6 in the Big East.

While I'm not putting all of the blame on Lamb in these desperate times, this is what I like to call a personal callout. First Team All American? That's more of a laugh than saying Kyle Williams should be an All-Pro. No. 2 overall pick in the draft? Right now, if I were an NBA GM, I wouldn't take you in the lottery. Last year, when we needed a stop or needed to end a shooting drought, we turned to Kemba. This year, you can't guard a picnic table. And if being stuck in cement wasn't bad enough, you're missing the shots that were absolute money in the past. I think you'd rather give up basketball and pick up cheerleading than take a three from the left wing. Your last three games: 10-37 from the field (27 percent), 5-23 from 3-point land (22 percent) and most importantly a 1-2 overall record.

Let me be very clear that I am a huge Jeremy Lamb fan. I love the kid, will be forever indebted to him for his contributions to last year's team and love the fact that he was an under-recruited skinny wing that, quite frankly, Jim Calhoun only took a shot on because of knowing Jeremy's father. That being said, this is a personal challenge to No. 3. I'm not telling you to be Kemba, because the killer instinct and ultra competitiveness that Walker possessed is unmatched, maybe even among all Husky greats. Kemba is the past, and all you should take from him is being a team leader and knowing that teams feed off of their best player. What I am recommending is improving shot selection, focusing more on the defensive end and beginning to realize that with your talent, you should be able to take over any game you want. I just hope you get your swagger back, Jeremy, before the season slips away.