Members of the Missouri Southern basketball had a lot of fun this year and made a lot of noise.

But those in the crowd may not have heard anything from junior guard Kinzer Lambert.

Lambert, who averaged 16 points and seven rebounds this past season, let his playing do all the talking. 

Lambert has played basketball since he was born and was able to get a ball in his hands. In his early years he played many sports such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and even football.

 “I actually used to be a better football player than anything,” Lambert said “I’ve always been able to jump high and run fast, so that has always been a plus for me.”

As Lambert aged he eventually stuck with basketball because his athleticism clearly allowed him to excel on the court. 

He played at Owasso High School in Oklahoma all four years throughout high school. 

Freshman year, Lambert was able to make the varsity team and see some minutes as he was playing behind active NBA player, Shake Milton, who is now playing for the Philadelphia 76’ers. 

As he was going into his sophomore year Lambert had a large growth spurt which was able to help put himself in the starting lineup for the Owasso Rams. 

Lambert exceled during his high school career and his accomplishments include reaching the state tournament, being selected MVP for the conference, and getting the chance to play in the Oklahoma All State game. 

Coming into recruiting, Lambert had many options to choose from to decide where he would continue take his talents and get a degree. Lambert chose Missouri Southern after consideration. 

“I felt like this was home,” Lambert said. “The coaches were some of the funniest and realest coaches I’ve ever been around. I knew several people on the team already and they persuaded my decision. 

“Also, they were Nike and many other schools I had offers from were Adidas and I didn’t want to that brand again.” 

As a freshman, Lambert gave good minutes to the Lions and they were able to make it to the conference tournament and have a winning season. 

Lambert was not satisfied and got to work that summer, he wanted to start and be a key player for the team and that is what exactly he did. 

After having a successful sophomore season and having the chance to compete in the NCAA tournament, Lambert again wanted to improve on his game. 

Since Lambert has been at Southern, he hasn’t always been known to talk a lot, in fact he is very quiet around most people. 

 “He’s just calm, cool, and collected. He is a hard shell to crack but once you get to know him he’s one of the nicest guys in the world. It’s more like a quiet funny and very witty,” said Coach Paul McMahon, assistant coach for the team, said. 

Lambert said he likes to think of himself as a goofy guy.

 “But you only see that side of me if you really know me and I am comfortable with you,” Lambert said. “If you don’t know me, you may probably think I am quiet and to myself, but it just takes a while.” 

Lambert hopes to play professionally after college, but he doesn’t want his senior year ending short. He wants to make it back to the NCAA tournament and make a run to end it. 

As Lambert breaks out of his shell, he aims to have a break out year on the court too. Lambert may be quiet but he plans to make a lot of noise in this last year.