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2028 prospect Erick Dampier Jr. taking father's advice on basketball court

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby:Paul Jones•about 22 hours•

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Erick Dampier Jr.
Erick Dampier Jr. (photo credit: On3)

Last year Erick Dampier Jr. had a unique experience on the basketball court and it improved his game, as well. Not many 8th graders get the opportunity to play on the varsity level but Dampier did just that at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.

While it was a new scene for Dampier, he used last season to his benefit to get adjusted to a new level of talent. And that has aided the 2028 center prospect so far this season.

“Last year was a very fun experience and it helped me be more prepared for this season,” the 6-foot-9 and 230-pound Dampier recalled. “It was different playing with the high school team but it was a fun experience getting to know people and learning different things.”

Of course, Dampier is no stranger to facing elite talent on the basketball hardwood. He has spent the past two summers going against high-level performers on the summer circuit and that remained the case this past summer.

“It was a good summer with a lot of games,” said Dampier. “We’ve been to tournaments in Missouri, Orlando and other places. I played with Alabama Fusion this summer and I worked the most on my shooting. I was playing center and it’s been going good at that position.”

Dampier is also a familiar name to Mississippi State basketball fans. He is the son of former Bulldog All-American center Erick Dampier Sr., who also had a 15-year career in the NBA. Naturally, the younger Dampier has picked up a lot of helpful tips from his father.

“Everything I have learned, I have learned from my dad,” remarked Dampier. “It is really beneficial for me. Everything I want to do in the sport, he has already done. So I take a lot of advice from him and it makes it a lot easier for me.”

Dampier has been to his father’s alma mater numerous times over the past few years. He enjoys seeing where his father made his mark in basketball along with meeting some of his father’s former State teammates and coaches.

“It’s exciting for me when I go back at Mississippi State,” added Dampier. “It is exciting for me to see where he went to college. It is cool to see the people that he played with or got coached by.”

With Dampier still in his freshman season, he’s yet to experience the recruiting scene. He has attended college camps in the past but it’s still too early for Dampier to start collecting his first offers on the recruiting trail.

“It is still too early for offers and all of that,” Dampier noted. “But at camps Mississippi State and Ole Miss have talked to me when I was there. There’s also a lot of coaches that follow me on Instagram and things like that. But it is still early for recruiting.”

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