Vikings "Tree" Thomas
http://norcalpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947312
There remains a common misconception that once a senior basketball or football recruit has selected his college destination then the journey is complete and everyone lives happily ever after for the next four or five years. Yes, sometimes the latter does play out in such a manner but just as often it doesn't. The tale of former San Leandro High's Phillip Thomas is a recruiting odyssey full of unforeseen twists and turns and serves as an eye-opener to those newbies about to enter the recruiting zone.
As a senior, Thomas helped lead San Leandro to an 18-10 overall record in the 2006-2007 season. Fellow senior Matt Busch also played a major role as did backcourter Kareem Nitoto. Jared Cunningham, Shaheed Young and Travis Sims were all sophomores. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Thomas scored just under 12 points a game and shot 56% from the floor.
Idaho's head coach George Pfeiffer -- entering his second season in command -- became interested as he needed size on the Vandal frontline. Thomas signed a letter-of-intent with Idaho and headed to Moscow for his freshman season. Pfeiffer in the Idaho media guide offered this on Thomas: "'Tree' can have a memorable career as a Vandal. His on-court game production can begin this year based on his development in practice. He has nice size and strength which should allow him to rub elbows with the large players he is going to face this year. As he discovers the level of effort and skill development needed to compete in the WAC, his on court contribution will rise.'"
It was a season of adjustment as Thomas ended up playing in five games, averaging 5.2 minutes a contest as a freshman.
Then Pfeiffer was let go and longtime Utah State assistant coach Don Verlin was hired in late May. Verlin knew personnel changes had to be made plus a different culture instilled into the Vandal men's basketball program in order for the team to become competitive. Four seniors departed, including bigs Darin Nagle and Mike Kale. When the spring semester concluded, three-point specialist Mike Hall was dropped from the team as well as second team All-WAC selection Jordan Brooks. 6-foot-10 freshman Kyle Barone (who would eventually redshirt) and 6-foot-9 junior college transfer Marvin Jefferson were signed.
According to Thomas, even with all the comings-and-goings "everything seemed all good."
He went home for the summer, intent on preparing for his second season. Thomas worked hard, believing he could contribute in the coming season. Then a few days before he was to return to Moscow, Thomas received a long distance call.
It was Coach Verlin telling him that the basketball program was going in another direction and the decision had been made to sign a junior college transfer with Thomas' athletic scholarship.
Thomas was dumbfounded. "I was kind of stunned and at a loss for words."
'Free agentry' was not what he expected. He had been through that coming out of high school. But he knew he had to move fast or his sophomore year would be wasted. Thomas called his father to tell him the news. Then longtime Bay Area basketball fixture Ray Young, a coach with the Oakland Rebels club team, stepped in and made some phone calls.
Soon, Thomas was headed to the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) to play for Chris Craig in Price, Utah. "I didn't know much about junior colleges, this was something totally new to me," Thomas said, adding "thankfully I was able to be on scholarship at CEU."
The season started slow for Thomas but he ended up averaging 9.3 points per game and 3.6 boards a contest, shooting 56% from the floor and 71% at the foul line. CEU finished with a 25-7 record, including two wins -- 83-80 and 76-73 -- over eventual national champion and fellow conference member Salt Lake City Community College. But CEU fell to SLCCC 88-78 in the conference tournament final. Based on his play in that tourney (which also included a win against top-ranked North Idaho College), Thomas was named to the 2009 Scenic West Athletic Conference Men's Basketball All Tournament Team.
Then it was back to the recruiting marketplace -- yet again.
"I received interest from UC Riverside, Montana State, Jackson State, South Carolina State, Eastern Washington, Portland State and Cal State Fullerton," Thomas said.
It was looking like Fullerton might be the one. "But a guard left the team there and they needed to replace him," Thomas offered.
He looked at the remaining suitors in his mix and then took a visit to Portland State -- this after being back home from Utah for just a day.
"They picked me up at the airport," Thomas said. "I got a tour of the campus and then played in an open gym with a few of the players. It was nice." As with all recruits everywhere, the Portland State coaching staff made sure he was fed and well.
Portland State had earlier recruited Thomas out of high school. Tyler Geving, the Viking associate head coach the past two seasons, had just been hired as the new mentor after Ken Bone left for Washington State. It's a program with back-to-back 23-win seasons, a Big Sky Conference championship in 2009, plus an appearance in the Big Dance. Hawaii transfer Dominic Waters plays there as does ex-Washington player Phil Nelson. There's a need for frontcourt size and Portland itself has long drawn raves for it's eclectic cultural mix.
Here's Geving on his newest signee: "We think he can provide us with a threat down low. We saw him in high school and kept him on our radar. Phillip is a good kid with good character and also a good student."
So there you have it. Thomas' situation is not the straight and narrow pathway that is often the default description of the recruiting scene. There are a numbers of elements that can preclude a coach and even a player too -- after all, it is a two-way street -- from doing the appropriate thing. For many in charge of fielding what is essentially supposed to be a money-making unit of a college or university, the pressure to land the talent necessary to win and the financial triumphs and longevity that go hand in hand with such success, sometimes mars decision-making.
Thomas offers this advice to those soon to be entering or now in the recruiting process: "I would tell them college basketball is a business. So work hard no matter what happens to you. If something happens like what took place with me then work even harder."
Spoken like a recruiting veteran.
http://norcalpreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947312
There remains a common misconception that once a senior basketball or football recruit has selected his college destination then the journey is complete and everyone lives happily ever after for the next four or five years. Yes, sometimes the latter does play out in such a manner but just as often it doesn't. The tale of former San Leandro High's Phillip Thomas is a recruiting odyssey full of unforeseen twists and turns and serves as an eye-opener to those newbies about to enter the recruiting zone.
As a senior, Thomas helped lead San Leandro to an 18-10 overall record in the 2006-2007 season. Fellow senior Matt Busch also played a major role as did backcourter Kareem Nitoto. Jared Cunningham, Shaheed Young and Travis Sims were all sophomores. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Thomas scored just under 12 points a game and shot 56% from the floor.
Idaho's head coach George Pfeiffer -- entering his second season in command -- became interested as he needed size on the Vandal frontline. Thomas signed a letter-of-intent with Idaho and headed to Moscow for his freshman season. Pfeiffer in the Idaho media guide offered this on Thomas: "'Tree' can have a memorable career as a Vandal. His on-court game production can begin this year based on his development in practice. He has nice size and strength which should allow him to rub elbows with the large players he is going to face this year. As he discovers the level of effort and skill development needed to compete in the WAC, his on court contribution will rise.'"
It was a season of adjustment as Thomas ended up playing in five games, averaging 5.2 minutes a contest as a freshman.
Then Pfeiffer was let go and longtime Utah State assistant coach Don Verlin was hired in late May. Verlin knew personnel changes had to be made plus a different culture instilled into the Vandal men's basketball program in order for the team to become competitive. Four seniors departed, including bigs Darin Nagle and Mike Kale. When the spring semester concluded, three-point specialist Mike Hall was dropped from the team as well as second team All-WAC selection Jordan Brooks. 6-foot-10 freshman Kyle Barone (who would eventually redshirt) and 6-foot-9 junior college transfer Marvin Jefferson were signed.
According to Thomas, even with all the comings-and-goings "everything seemed all good."
He went home for the summer, intent on preparing for his second season. Thomas worked hard, believing he could contribute in the coming season. Then a few days before he was to return to Moscow, Thomas received a long distance call.
It was Coach Verlin telling him that the basketball program was going in another direction and the decision had been made to sign a junior college transfer with Thomas' athletic scholarship.
Thomas was dumbfounded. "I was kind of stunned and at a loss for words."
'Free agentry' was not what he expected. He had been through that coming out of high school. But he knew he had to move fast or his sophomore year would be wasted. Thomas called his father to tell him the news. Then longtime Bay Area basketball fixture Ray Young, a coach with the Oakland Rebels club team, stepped in and made some phone calls.
Soon, Thomas was headed to the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) to play for Chris Craig in Price, Utah. "I didn't know much about junior colleges, this was something totally new to me," Thomas said, adding "thankfully I was able to be on scholarship at CEU."
The season started slow for Thomas but he ended up averaging 9.3 points per game and 3.6 boards a contest, shooting 56% from the floor and 71% at the foul line. CEU finished with a 25-7 record, including two wins -- 83-80 and 76-73 -- over eventual national champion and fellow conference member Salt Lake City Community College. But CEU fell to SLCCC 88-78 in the conference tournament final. Based on his play in that tourney (which also included a win against top-ranked North Idaho College), Thomas was named to the 2009 Scenic West Athletic Conference Men's Basketball All Tournament Team.
Then it was back to the recruiting marketplace -- yet again.
"I received interest from UC Riverside, Montana State, Jackson State, South Carolina State, Eastern Washington, Portland State and Cal State Fullerton," Thomas said.
It was looking like Fullerton might be the one. "But a guard left the team there and they needed to replace him," Thomas offered.
He looked at the remaining suitors in his mix and then took a visit to Portland State -- this after being back home from Utah for just a day.
"They picked me up at the airport," Thomas said. "I got a tour of the campus and then played in an open gym with a few of the players. It was nice." As with all recruits everywhere, the Portland State coaching staff made sure he was fed and well.
Portland State had earlier recruited Thomas out of high school. Tyler Geving, the Viking associate head coach the past two seasons, had just been hired as the new mentor after Ken Bone left for Washington State. It's a program with back-to-back 23-win seasons, a Big Sky Conference championship in 2009, plus an appearance in the Big Dance. Hawaii transfer Dominic Waters plays there as does ex-Washington player Phil Nelson. There's a need for frontcourt size and Portland itself has long drawn raves for it's eclectic cultural mix.
Here's Geving on his newest signee: "We think he can provide us with a threat down low. We saw him in high school and kept him on our radar. Phillip is a good kid with good character and also a good student."
So there you have it. Thomas' situation is not the straight and narrow pathway that is often the default description of the recruiting scene. There are a numbers of elements that can preclude a coach and even a player too -- after all, it is a two-way street -- from doing the appropriate thing. For many in charge of fielding what is essentially supposed to be a money-making unit of a college or university, the pressure to land the talent necessary to win and the financial triumphs and longevity that go hand in hand with such success, sometimes mars decision-making.
Thomas offers this advice to those soon to be entering or now in the recruiting process: "I would tell them college basketball is a business. So work hard no matter what happens to you. If something happens like what took place with me then work even harder."
Spoken like a recruiting veteran.
