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F DeShaun "The Diesel" Thomas (Panathinaikos - Greece)

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OHSportsFan9;1439347; said:
One minor knock (and I might have mentioned it the other times I've seen him)...He gets a little uninterested it seems. Could be because of the competition, always being box-and-one'd, doubled/tripled teamed, etc. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain. It's not awful, I mean he puts up 30 and 10+ every game and his team wins by 20+ points. I'd like to see him more challenged. He's so talented. He's explosive, can handle the ball, rebound, and score from anywhere. He has all the tools. I guess it's just how HS ball is when there is a big talent gap. He's forced to sometimes just stay out of the play so his teammates can take advantage. For those that saw him play, what was LeBron like in HS? Anyone notice a kind of similar thing (maybe not going all out on D)?

DeShaun isn't LeBron level, but he's definitely something special.
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That is the thing, he is not Lebron but you can't help but think of James when attempting to come up with guys to compare to DeShaun because of his size and all around game. (missing the all world floor game and court vision of James, but that is what makes Lebron Lebron.) I have only seen 2 or 3 full games of Thomas and his team, but that sure looked like a buisness like state title win for Bishop Luers.

OHSportsFan9, what are your thoughts on the long debated and controversial class basketball system? I agree about DeShaun's competition, i'd love to see him go up against some of the Indianapolis powers. I know David vs Goliath wouldn't work out every year, but you'd like to see them get a chance, especially when they have players who are the truth like Thomas.
 
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Luers rolls to 2nd straight Class 2A title | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

INDIANAPOLIS ? Deshaun Thomas had 34 points and 15 rebounds, and Fort Wayne Luers beat Brownstown Central 67-49 on Saturday to win its second consecutive Indiana high school Class 2A basketball title.

Thomas, an Ohio State recruit who led the state in scoring at 30.1 points per game, added three blocks and two steals and was named the 2A tourney MVP by The Associated Press. The Knights finish 23-4.


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naptownbuck said:
That is the thing, he is not Lebron but you can't help but think of James when attempting to come up with guys to compare to DeShaun because of his size and all around game. (missing the all world floor game and court vision of James, but that is what makes Lebron Lebron.) I have only seen 2 or 3 full games of Thomas and his team, but that sure looked like a buisness like state title win for Bishop Luers.

OHSportsFan9, what are your thoughts on the long debated and controversial class basketball system? I agree about DeShaun's competition, i'd love to see him go up against some of the Indianapolis powers. I know David vs Goliath wouldn't work out every year, but you'd like to see them get a chance, especially when they have players who are the truth like Thomas.
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The class debate comes up every year at this time. It's a tough one. I went to a small 1A (now 2A) school and I participated in a sport that had classes (basketball) and one that didn't (soccer). I'll just say that in soccer, my school of around 500 kids had a sectional with Pike, who had an enrollment of about 2-3k. We stood no chance to even make it out of sectionals, let alone make a legit state championship run. It sucked to know that throughout the season, the end wouldn't really matter because we'd be facing a bigger, better school (yeah yeah...a bit of a loser's mentality, but I mean, there was no chance!). Had there been a class system, I'd like our team's chances at winning a sectional and maybe a regional, which would have made my experience a lot better. Then again, one of the better soccer teams in Indiana is an 1A school (Ft. Wayne Cantebury), so it could have just been a matter of the talent level around me (think Durant on the Thunder). :p

Basketball is a bit different I guess. I think some of the smaller schools could compete with larger schools. It only takes 5 (or in Bishop Leur's case, maybe even just 1) good players to compete for 32 minutes. It'd be interesting for sure. I honestly don't know what's best. I like that kids have a fair shot at competing against similar opponents, but in Indiana basketball history, those David vs. Goliath matchups are held in high regard (Milan/"Hoosiers") and a lot of fans want to see that again. I don't know how realistic that would be nowadays. Do we really want to wait every 15-20 years for a big upset, while the other years just turn into 4A (maybe some 3A) championship games?
 
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OHSportsFan9;1439347; said:
Another State Title for DeShaun. His team ran away with another championship (back-to-back). 67-49 Ft. Wayne Bishop Leurs.

As far as his game-

Another day at the office I suppose. 34 points (averaged 30 pts and 15 rebs). Didn't shoot entirely well. He does a lot of damage inside 10 ft, on the block, on the break, and putbacks. He was hitting turnarounds from 6-10ft with 2 and 3 guys guarding him. His jumper isn't bad. Has a good release with his left-hand. Gets good elevation, good rotation. He hit a few threes, though he missed a decent amount as well (8/10 on 2pt FGS, 3/10 on 3's). His free throws looked real good (9/10). He's gotta improve his defense and intensity for the college level. Maybe improve a little on his upper-body strength, but he's got a good base. Not much to say. He's just really good.

One minor knock (and I might have mentioned it the other times I've seen him)...He gets a little uninterested it seems. Could be because of the competition, always being box-and-one'd, doubled/tripled teamed, etc. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain. It's not awful, I mean he puts up 30 and 10+ every game and his team wins by 20+ points. I'd like to see him more challenged. He's so talented. He's explosive, can handle the ball, rebound, and score from anywhere. He has all the tools. I guess it's just how HS ball is when there is a big talent gap. He's forced to sometimes just stay out of the play so his teammates can take advantage. For those that saw him play, what was LeBron like in HS? Anyone notice a kind of similar thing (maybe not going all out on D)?

DeShaun isn't LeBron level, but he's definitely something special.

881 points to go for the Indiana state record (if he stays). Would be cool to have Indiana's all-time leading scorer AND Ohio's. You think we'd hear about that in 2010? :p
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Thanks for the update...The reasons you mentioned are why lots of these kids evaluations are done in AAU when they are playing better competition, and there aren't all the gimmicky defenses..I see the same thing with Sibert, Sullinger, and basically all big time players...
 
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Published: March 29, 2009
Next record for Thomas? 3,134 points
Greg Jone

INDIANAPOLIS ? Deshaun Thomas? record-breaking accomplishments as a junior have only been a precursor to what could be attained in his final high school season.

Thomas scored 34 points in the Knights? 67-49 over Brownstown Central in Saturday?s Class 2A state title game, giving him 2,254 career points.

Thomas has a shot at a once-thought-of unattainable state milestone. Former Bedford-North Lawrence star Damon Bailey set the scoring record almost two decades ago with 3,134 points.

Thomas is 881 points away from supplanting Bailey as the greatest scorer in a state heaped in Hoosier Hysteria tradition.

?I want to break the record, but if I don?t, I still had a great (career),? Thomas said in the postgame news conference at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The 6-foot-7 Ohio State recruit scored 817 points this season, just one point from having the 25th-best single-season performance in state history.

It will take more points and another long postseason run by the two-time 2A state champions for Thomas to approach Bailey.

Thomas is already the all-time leading boys scorer in the school, county and northeast Indiana history.

?There are records he has been breaking on a daily basis, but people mention to me whether or not he can break Damon Bailey?s record,? Luers coach James Blackmon said. ?When you think about the amount of points Damon Bailey scored in his career; wow, he had a heck of a career. But it is reachable, and if we continue to play the way we have been playing, this is something that I think he can accomplish.?

Thomas is No. 11 all time in the state for boys, finishing this season just two points out of 10th place.

He didn?t exactly burst on the scene this season, but he seems to making believers out of more and more basketball fans each game, especially those who aren?t familiar with his exploits since he averaged 29 points as a freshman.

As far as making a statement with his performance in the state championship in front of 11,569 fans?

?I just came out and played,? Thomas said. ?The statement was winning the championship.?
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Next record for Thomas_ 3_134 points | The Journal Gazette
 
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Deshaun Thomas shines in Indiana state championship

For the second straight year, Bishop Luers is the Indiana class 2A state champions. Thanks to 34 points, 15 rebounds from future Ohio State Buckeye Deshaun Thomas, the Knights cruised to a 67-49 win over Brownstown Central. For his efforts, Thomas was named the class 2A tournament MVP by The Associated Press. Check out some video of Diesel leading Luers to the title.

Bishop Luers repeats as 2A champs!
 
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Published: March 30, 2009
Luers? standout joins star parade
Greg Jones
High school sports editor

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Thomas

Bishop Luers junior Deshaun Thomas continues to collect accolades.

The 6-foot-7 basketball standout led the Knights to their second straight Class 2A state championship Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse, and Thomas will be presented with an individual national honor later this week.

The formal announcement will come Sunday that the Ohio State recruit was named to the fourth-team Parade magazine All-American team.

"I am looking forward to getting better and working on my game," Thomas said Saturday as he is looking toward winning a third consecutive state championship as a senior.

Thomas had 34 points and 15 rebounds in a 67-49 win over Brownstown Central in the 2A title game.

The four Parade All-American teams were selected by coaches, scouts, recruiters and media. The teams include 40 athletes from 18 states.
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Luers_ standout joins star parade | The Journal Gazette

Thomas wavering?: Oral commitments are never set in stone, but Deshaun Thomas' pledge to Ohio State seems to be about as solid as hot butter. Thomas says he's still committed to the Buckeyes, but the word around Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday is it's not a done deal. It's worth noting that Indiana coach Tom Crean was in attendance for the Class 2A game, but it's probably also worth noting he was there for the night session, too.

Here's guessing Thomas breaks Damon Bailey's all-time state scoring record next season. If Luers plays 27 games again, he'll have to average 32.6 points to get there. That's a ton of points, but Luers coach James Blackmon seems intent on helping Thomas get there. That's half the battle. Hopefully there won't be too many ugly moments next year on the march to Bailey's mark of 3,134 points.
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IndyStar.com | High school sports | The Indianapolis Star
 
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Deshaun Thomas Breakdown

Former Linden and Ohio University guard Reggie Rankin, a longtime Division I assistant who is now a recruiting analyst for Scouts Inc. and ESPN.com, was at the Indiana and Kentucky state tournaments last weekend and filed these observations on DeShaun Thomas of Fort Wayne, Ind., one of the members of Ohio State?s highly rated 2010 recruiting class:


The No. 6 player in the Class of 2010, Deshaun Thomas, captured his second class 2A state championship in as many years by leading Fort Wayne Bishop Luers over Brownstown Central 67-49.
Thomas, who is the leading scorer in the state of Indiana (30.1 ppg), scored 34 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while facing a box-and-one defense. Thomas was bumped or pushed on every attempt to free himself from the defense. To his credit, the Ohio State commit maintained his composure and let the game come to him.
Thomas is a talented and skilled wing with excellent athletic ability. He rebounds on both ends of the floor and can grab a defensive rebound and go coast to coast or stop and pop for a deep three. This lefty also likes to post smaller defenders on the right low block and elevate to score over his right shoulder. Thomas can make threes in bunches. He can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. At times, he settles for jumpers instead of going inside and using his great size. Thomas has a nice floater with a high release and good body control as well.
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Continued.....


DeShaun Thomas breakdown (Hoops & Scoops: an OSU basketball blog)


 
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