Lehmon Colbert

Lehmon Colbert
Free agent
Position Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born (1988-04-14) April 14, 1988
Georgia, United States
Nationality American
Listed height 200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Career information
High school Crawford County (Roberta, Georgia)
College Jacksonville (2006–2010)
NBA draft 2010 / Undrafted
Playing career 2010–present
Career history
2010–2012 Plymouth Raiders
2013 Leñadores de Madera
2013–2016 UCC Demons
2015 →Hibernia
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Premier League champion (2015, 2016)
  • Premier League Player of the Year (2016)
  • 2× Premier League All-Star First Pick (2015, 2016)
  • 3× Irish Champions Trophy champion (2014–2016)
  • Irish Champions Trophy Final MVP (2016)
  • 2× Irish National Cup champion (2014, 2015)
  • 2× Irish National Cup Final MVP (2014, 2015)
  • Second-team All-Atlantic Sun (2010)
  • Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team (2007)

Lehmon Colbert Jr. (born April 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for UCC Demons of the Irish Super League. He played college basketball for Jacksonville University before playing professionally in England, Mexico and Ireland. He quickly became a dominate force upon joining UCC Demons in 2013, helping them win seven of a possible nine trophies over three seasons.

High school career

Colbert attended Crawford County High School in Roberta, Georgia. As a senior in 2005–06, he averaged 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks per game.[1] He was named second-team all-state in Class 2A as a junior, and first-team all-state in Class 2A as a senior.[2]

On April 12, 2006, Colbert signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Jacksonville University.[1]

College career

As a freshman at Jacksonville in 2006–07, Colbert earned Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team honors. In 29 games (28 starts), he averaged 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.[2][3]

As a sophomore in 2007–08, Colbert had his most productive college season, scoring in double figures 24 times while going for 20 points or more three times. In 31 games (all starts), he averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds an 2.6 assists per game.[2][3]

As a junior in 2008–09, Colbert became the 26th member of the school's 1,000-point club. He scored in double figures 22 times while going for 20 points or more two times. In 32 games (all starts), he averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.[2][3]

As a senior in 2009–10, Colbert earned second-team All-Atlantic Sun honors. In 28 games (26 starts), he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.5 minutes per game.[3][4] He finished his four-year career with 1,460 points, the thirteenth-highest point total ever for a Dolphins' player.[5]

Professional career

Plymouth Raiders (2010–2012)

In August 2010, Colbert signed a one-year deal with the Plymouth Raiders of the British Basketball League.[6] In May 2011, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Raiders.[7] In 83 games for Plymouth over two seasons, he averaged 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.[8]

Mexico (2013)

After not receiving any contract offers for the 2012–13 season,[9] Colbert moved to Mexico in May 2013 where he joined Leñadores de Madera of the LiMeBa Liga.[10] It was a strange experience for Colbert, as he stated he "wouldn’t wish it on anybody" and felt unsafe in the "dangerous" country.[11] He averaged 28 points and 10 rebounds per game over his stint with Leñadores.[12]

UCC Demons (2013–2016)

2013–14 season

In September 2013, Colbert signed with UCC Demons for the 2013–14 Irish Premier League season.[13] He had a very successful first season with Demons, helping the team finish second on the ladder with a 16–2 win/loss record, while also helping the team win the National Cup and the Champions Trophy. In 18 regular season games, he averaged 19.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.

2014–15 season

Colbert returned to UCC Demons for the 2014–15 season,[14] and on February 5, 2015, he earned BI Player of the Month honors for January and was named the National Cup Final MVP[15] after leading Demons to a second consecutive National Cup title.[16] The team went on to finish the regular season in first place with a perfect 18–0 record, garnering their seventh league title.[17] In 18 regular season games, he averaged 22.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game.[18] On March 26, 2015, he was named an inaugural Premier League All-Star First Pick alongside teammates Kyle Hosford and Colin O'Reilly.[19] Three days later, he recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds in Demons' Champions Trophy final win over Templeogue.[20] The win created history in Irish basketball as Demons became the first side ever to remain undefeated for an entire season – a campaign that saw them win 24 games in a row.[21]

2015–16 season

Returning to the team for the 2015–16 season, Colbert and Demons started the new campaign with a loss to Templeogue, the team they defeated in the 2015 Champions Trophy final.[22] On October 28, 2015, Colbert competed for Hibernia, Basketball Ireland's newly established European competitions' team, in the inaugural round of the 2015–16 FIBA Europe Cup. Colbert finished the game with eight points as Hibernia were defeated heavily by Danish team Bakken Bears, losing 96–60.[23] In Hibernia's fourth game of the tournament on November 18 also against Bakken, Colbert recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.[24] Over six games for Hibernia, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.[25]

On January 8, 2016, Colbert scored 21 points in Demons' National Cup semi-final loss to Swords Thunder.[26] Demons went on to win their second consecutive league title after finishing first on the ladder with a 16–2 record. Colbert again appeared in all 18 regular season games for Demons, averaging career highs of 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds, as well as 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game.[27] On March 19, he recorded 35 points and 17 rebounds in Demons' 75–71 Champions Trophy semi-final win over UCD Marian.[28][29] The next day, he recorded 27 points and 16 rebounds in Demons' 82–77 Champions Trophy Final win over Killester, as he claimed game MVP honors and his third Champions Trophy title in three seasons.[30][31] In June 2016, he was named Men's Premier League Player of the Year.[32][33] He was also named a Premier League All-Star First Pick for the second year in a row.[34]

Personal

Colbert is the youngest of six children to mother Irene and father Lehmon Sr., who died when Colbert was 18.[35] His daughter, Kyla, was born in 2011.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 "Men's basketball adds three student-athletes for 2006-07". CSTV.com. April 12, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "2009-10 Men's Basketball – Lehmon Colbert". JUDolphins.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Lehmon Colbert Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  4. ↑ "#41 COLBERT, Lehmon". JUDolphins.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  5. ↑ Elliott, Jeff (March 23, 2010). "Ben Smith-Lehmon Colbert pairing was most prolific in JU basketball history". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert completes Plymouth Raiders squad". BBC.co.uk. August 27, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert signs new deal with Plymouth Raiders". BBC.com. May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Player statistics for Lehmon Colbert". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  9. ↑ "I would love to come back to Plymouth Raiders, says Lehmon Colbert". PlymouthHerald.co.uk. May 10, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ "El nuevo refuerzo lehmon colbert!!". Facebook.com (in Spanish). May 31, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Murphy, Éamonn (January 10, 2014). "DEMONS' OVERSEAS LEADERS". EveningEcho.ie. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert's Mexico Highlights". YouTube.com. July 16, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Basketball Teams Bounce Into New Season". TheCorkNews.ie. October 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  14. ↑ Coughlan, John (October 3, 2014). "Neptune and Demons renew rivalry". IrishExaminer.com. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  15. ↑ Coughlan, John (January 26, 2015). "Awesome Demons hit new heights". IrishExaminer.com. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  16. ↑ "C&S UCC DEMONS GET BI AWARDS FOR JANUARY". BlueDemonsBC.com. February 5, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ "C&S UCC DEMONS WILL CARRY CONFIDENCE INTO THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON". BlueDemonsBC.com. March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Men's Premier League 2014–15 – Lehmon Colbert". bi.comortais.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Inaugural All-Stars Revealed". BasketballIreland.ie. March 26, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  20. ↑ "UCC Demons vs Templeogue". FIBALiveStats.com. March 29, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  21. ↑ "UCC Demons created Irish basketball history as they remain undefeated all season". UCC.ie. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  22. ↑ Coughlan, John (October 5, 2015). "Demons suffer shock defeat". IrishExaminer.com. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  23. ↑ "BAKKEN BEARS TEACH HIBERNIA TOUGH LESSONS IN BLOW-OUT". FIBAEurope.com. October 28, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  24. ↑ O'Donoghue, Ross (November 19, 2015). "Hibernia's brave challenge falls short in FIBA Europe Cup". IrishExaminer.com. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert – FIBA Europe Cup". FIBAEurope.com. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Thunder scare away the Demons at the Mardyke". RTE.ie. January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Basketball Ireland – Lehmon Colbert". BasketballIreland.ie. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
  28. ↑ "RECAP: 2016 CHAMPIONS TROPHY". BasketballIreland.ie. March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  29. ↑ "UCC Demons vs UCD Marian". FIBALiveStats.com. March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  30. ↑ "DEMONS CLAIM END OF SEASON CHAMPIONS TROPHY". BasketballIreland.ie. March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  31. ↑ "UCC Demons vs Killester". FIBALiveStats.com. March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert and Jazmen Boone take basketball awards". RTE.ie. June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  33. ↑ "BASKETBALL IRELAND ANNUAL AWARDS 2016". BasketballIreland.ie. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  34. ↑ "BASKETBALL IRELAND 2016 ALL-STARS REVEALED". BasketballIreland.ie. March 16, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Lehmon Colbert is finding right recipe in rookie year". WesternMorningNews.co.uk. March 10, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
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