Kevin Thomas: Juco PF, former Texas commit

[TheKamdyMan]

per BR Kevin Thomas is also on the radar.  He is a 6'9'' pf at Palm Beach State College.  Heres his Rivals HS page when he committed to Texas.

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/georgetown/basketball/recruiting/player-Kevin-Thomas-76877

[Huskerpapa]

Certainly had a very nice list of schools after him.  He does not have the body of the prototypical PF, but he should work well in a motion offense...

 

http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_player.cfm?sid=4&collegeid=1366&category=Roster&slid=2&teamid=122255&athleteid=350575

 

http://www.burntorangenation.com/2011/8/24/2381598/longhorn-basketball-recruit-kevin-thomas-fails-to-qualify

 

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/56987/kevin-thomas

 

http://texas.247sports.com/Board/21/Kevin-Thomass-season-at-Palm-Beach-State-College-8392618/1#a8393379

[Swan88]

of Kevin Thomas from December 2010.

Here's guessing we might all like this video a little better than videos of some other players we've recently seen.

[TheKamdyMan]

There were more dunks, blocks, and post moves in that video than Nebraska has had as a team this year combined.

[FredsSlacks]

Would he have to sit out next year and would he then be a redshirt junior? I'm ok with bringing in guys that have to sit out next year because I think the 2014-15 season will be where things really start to turn around.

[TheKamdyMan]

Would he have to sit out next year and would he then be a redshirt junior? I'm ok with bringing in guys that have to sit out next year because I think the 2014-15 season will be where things really start to turn around.

 

PBSC is a junior college. assuming he graduates he will be a 3 for 2 ready to play junior.

[Norm Peterson]

Tim, I think he's now a juco sophomore.  If he graduates, he should be eligible right away.

[FredsSlacks]

This guy seems like a must get then if he can play right away.

[hskr4life]

 I want him... and I want him bad.  He can do it all... shoot, dunk, block... dribble.  He would be a great get.  If somehow we could get him and Atewe.... well my friends... that would be amazing!

[FredsSlacks]

 

 

I really like his shot from the outside. Seems like the kind of player that would fit nicely into Tim's offense.

[Norm Peterson]

Interesting little tidbit:  This kid is averaging about 10 and 9 per game in juco.  Which is decent.  Certainly good on the rebounding end.  He's not putting up as many points though because he has a teammate who is really lighting it up.

 

The teammate is Jonathon Holton.  Holton played last year as a true freshman for Rhode Island.  He played in a game in the Devaney Center last season where he wasn't very good, 1-9 from the field, but he ended the year averaging 10 pts and 8 bds.

 

His career as a Rhode Island Ram ended last spring after his freshman season, though, because he posted surreptitiously recorded sex tapes of himself and a couple of women on Facebook.  That's a felony in Rhode Island.  He was also wanted on burglary charges in Florida.  So now, in spite of his better than 17 pts and 11 bds per game averages, he's on his way to Florida International to finish his college career before probably enrolling full time in the Florida Penal System at some point in his near future.

 

What a schmuck.

 

I like the video of this Kevin Thomas kid, though.  Nice stroke from outside.

[Norm Peterson]

P.S.  I also like the fact that he'd be a junior and, with David Rivers and Dev Biggs, that would give us three for next year, which kind of balances out the recruiting classes.

[MandRHusker]

Here are some game summaries from the current season at Palm Beach State College. Kevin Thomas has performed well but the Holton kid looks like the go to guy on the team>

 

http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/athletics/mens-basketball/game-summaries/default.aspx

By the way, Palm Beach State College is 18-0 and ranked 6th in the nation.

[FredsSlacks]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Kevin-Thomas-131324

 

that is his juco rival page. It says he has offers from Oregon, Washington St, Marshall, and St. Bonaventure. Hopefully he comes here for a visit. Atewe is also from Canada, so maybe we can get both of these guys as a package. Oregon is also after Atewe and Thomas, so maybe that is their plan as well.

[49r]

So, did Rosenthal tweet it?  If so, then I guess that makes it official.

[Norm Peterson]

Yes, the official tweet.  When they announce the commit, if Rosenthal tweets it, then it's official.

[Huskerpapa]

I liked the dude that compared him to Lamar Odom. 

[Bugeaters1]

I like the fact that he is a wrong arm, and was 100% on the shots he took in the video.

[Red Rum]

I'm sold...Pick him up!

[Swan88]

_{According to a Journal Star article, Kevin Thomas is planning to visit Lincoln:}

_{"Nebraska is expected to get a visit soon from another Toronto native, Kevin Thomas, a 6-9 forward at Palm Beach College in Florida. He’s a former Texas commit who came from the same AAU program that produced Longhorn players Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo.  Thomas recently received an offer from Clemson, while Minnesota is also showing interest."}

[TheKamdyMan]

Would be nice to get him and Atewe.  Opens a pipeline up north, brings two different types of pf's in that are separated in class, and gives us more athleticism.  Can you imagine these two, Pitchford, Petteway, Biggs, and the freshmen coming in?  Most true athletes Nebrasketball wouldve had since the Nee days.  Could be the biggest turnaround in B1G history too from one season to the next.

[Norm Peterson]

The fewer minutes Andre gets because of injury the more minutes someone else has to absorb.  Whether that's a walk-on like Jordan Tyrance or a regular like David Rivers.  Andre's absence is going to produce more fatigue among the rest of everyone who already were going to be playing a lot of minutes as it was.  Now, we go from about a 7-8 man rotation down to a 6-7 man rotation.  That's a difficult pace to maintain.  And what it means is that games we were hoping to win now become a bit more iffy.  Games that we might have had a shot at are now a little bit more out of reach. 

 

So, in follow up to what Kamdy said, yeah, this could be a turnaround of immense proportions even if we don't get those two guys.  And if we do add their athleticism, ESPECIALLY if Atewe polishes his game between now and then and is a credible post by next fall (which could be a stretch but could happen if he's a quick learner), then it might be a one-season turnaround instead of a two season turnaround.  Either way, I'll take the turnaround.  (Better be one or Norm will fall into a deep depression that could last minutes if not hours.)

[nustudent]

If Miles pulls off Thomas and Atewe I don't know what I'll do.

[Huskerpapa]

Atewa did not appear to have anyone with him at the game.  I am not sure that is a good or bad thing?

[TheKamdyMan]

Atewa did not appear to have anyone with him at the game.  I am not sure that is a good or bad thing?

well in fairness he is from Canada and does not live at home with his parents.  I'd view kids from the prep schools more like Juco players in that they are usually away from home so they are kind of on their own.  We see that a lot with the football players that visit.