Local Sports Profile: Jameson Lamarre
- I
- May 8
- 5 min read
Hardwick, VT - In this valley, basketball is not just a sport for winter. For Jameson Lamarre, junior Hazen Wildcat, basketball is not just a sport. Lamarre’s year-round pursuit of excellence, leadership and aim for success are what make him 2026’s Times Argus Player of the Year.
“Really, most of my life is kind of around basketball, and I’m always intense while doing it,” Lamarre exclaimed, “I’m always working my hardest and trying to do my best.”
Always really does mean always.
“He is as committed as they come. We did some fall workouts this year. I don't think he missed a single one,” Hazen boys Varsity Coach, Aaron Hill, said.
Lamarre will try to make every practice opportunity that comes his way. With the goal of improving his game: Lamarre goes to the gym, plays in a local summer league, is on the Green Mountain select AAU team and does regular season DIII Varsity. This year - the Wildcats took home the championship.
“If I'm saying we're doing a workout, I know James is going to be there if we're going to play game in the summer. I don't even have to ask. I just know he's going to be there,” said Hill.
With the goal of improving others’ game, Lamarre dedicates his free time throughout the seasons. This past weekend he ran the clock for around 17 games and has been a coach for Hill’s Hazen Hoop Camp since outgrowing it freshman year. His dedication to basketball is outside the bounds of Hazen, as long as there’s a hoop Lamarre can provide some mentorship.
“I saw a couple of kids shooting basketball. It was the only hoop, and I kind of just was shooting with them for a little bit,” said Lamarre.
During this time he was observing their shots and realized they were shooting with both hands.
“I told them the basics. I grabbed some pennies, and I put them in-between their guide hands so that they wouldn’t shoot with both,” continued Lamarre. “They wanted to get better at basketball, so I was very happy to teach them.”
Lamarre could have continued to shoot alongside them and focus on his own technique. This interaction was far away from Hardwick, so no local ties encouraged his help, so his mentorship was out of his love of the game.
“James is one of those guys who is always going to be there and interact with those younger kids and just continue to grow the program,” Hill said. “In our program, when you're an upperclassman, you're not only a leader of your team, but you have a very big role in the rest of the program.”
Being a leader comes naturally for Lamarre.
“It just makes me happy. I’ve had older guys and everything to teach me, and I feel like I'm now passing my knowledge on to the little kids, so that it's an endless cycle,” said Lamarre. “I just love working with little kids and making them be better at stuff they want to be better at.”
This season, Lamarre led the Wildcats in scoring (19.7 PPG), steals (2.1 SPG), and assists (4.1 APG), and was second in rebounds (6.9 RPG).
"He's probably the best mid range shooter I've ever had,” said Hill in his 27th season coaching. "Typically, he plays his best under the most pressure. He had a huge buzzer beater shot for us this year against Lamoille”
After losing to Hazen, Lamoille would go on to win the DII Championship title.
“All game, they’re pressing me, trying whatever they can to not let the ball in my hands,” said Lamarre. “I hit a three pointer before that, so I already knew I was calibrated. I know that I can do this and 4.1 seconds left, the play was for me to get a layup.”
Lamoille would not let Lamarre drive to the net.
“Okay, I need to get the ball and get a shot off. When it went in, I was just like, ‘wow.’ In the backyard I would practice that, saying 3, 2, 1, and then shooting it and making it, since I was a little kid. For it to finally happen made me so happy.”
Success this season took an entire recipe to curate. Hill has spent years refining his coaching with trickle down effects.
“It's means something to play Hazen more than other places, and it's a lifelong relationship, not just a four year relationship,” said Hill, with no exaggeration.
In Hardwick, alumni come back to share their knowledge at workshops or summer leagues and whole childhoods are dedicated to getting the ball in the hoop more often.
“Mostly it's about a reflection of how hard I want to work to get something,” Lamarre said. “Last year, I wasn’t very talented. I was probably the fourth or fifth best guy on the team... as I got older, I realized this is what I want, and I want to put myself in a position to get what I want.”
All this commitment can improve stats and make something worth celebrating. But Lamarre talked about his teams refrain from gloating, mainly instilled by Hill’s coaching.
“No celebrations, no mad, no nothing. You just want to be a good person playing basketball,” said Lamarre.
Instead, each moment serves as an opportunity to readjust to be ready for what’s next.
“It’s all about trying to be humble and unselfish and know that you’re playing for something bigger than yourself,” said Hill.
The community that Hill has helped curate is one meant to teach everyone how to apply themselves in their most confident and selfless manner.
“Aaron cares about that stuff, about the motivation, the community. I guess it's just kind of what he was good at,” continued Lamarre, “and he just wants to bring his messages through basketball.”
The messages Hill brings to coaching spreads with each senior that graduates and leaves the valley. Within, those who stay continue to nurture a pursuit of improvement for those around them.
Jameson Lamarre’s story is more than him scoring points, securing a championship, or even earning the Player of the Year honors. Commitment to self-assessment, dedication to leadership, and a quiet understanding that a true measure of success is in the rippled effects of achievement are all important to the story of both Lamarre and the community he grew up in.
“Never skip a rep. Never not try your hardest on a rep. If you really strive to be great, you’ll be in the gym, you’ll work your hardest, and push yourself to exhaustion. I’m hungry for it, really,” Lamarre said. “I’ve been learning since third grade: if you don’t put it all on the floor, then why are you even there in the first place?”